The Doomsday Clock has been pushed back ten seconds and now points to 90 seconds to midnight – a time of unprecedented danger, scientists say.
The Doomsday Clock appeared in 1947 as a project of the creators of the first atomic bomb. Midnight on the clock symbolizes the global nuclear cataclysm, and the closer the arrow, the closer, according to nuclear experts, the world is closer to a catastrophe. So scientists moved the hand of the symbolic Doomsday Clock by 10 seconds. Now there are 90 seconds left before the end of the world.
How does this work
Doomsday Clock readings are published periodically on the cover of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists at the University of Chicago. Where to move the arrows was decided by the journal’s board of directors and invited experts, including more than a dozen Nobel Prize winners.
In its entire history, the clock has changed its position only 25 times. The current shift at 90 seconds before midnight – closest to disaster ever. According to scientists, it is mainly, although not entirely, related to the Russian-Ukrainian war.
“We live in a moment of unprecedented danger, and the Clock reflects that. 90 seconds to midnight is the closest time to a disaster that the Clock shows, and it’s a decision our experts take very seriously,” explained Rachel Bronson, President and managing director of the magazine.
Russian paper
The last time the hand moved was in 2020, when it appeared 100 seconds before midnight. The academic council’s statement accompanying the decision said: “Russia’s war against Ukraine has raised serious questions about how states interact, undermining the norms of international behavior that underlie in successfully responding to various global risks. The weapons remind the world that the escalation of conflict – by chance, by design or by miscalculation – is a terrible risk.”
Experts point out that due to the Russian invasion, the Chernobyl and Zaporozhye nuclear reactors actually ended up in a combat zone that violates international protocols, threatening to release radioactive materials on a large scale.
“The likelihood of the conflict spiraling out of control remains high,” the scientists said.
Historical cataclysms
At the height of the Cold War in 1953, the clock showed 2 minutes to midnight. Then a dangerous situation developed in 1962 during the Caribbean crisis, but then everything was resolved quickly, and the Clock did not have time to react.
Scientists note that the last remaining nuclear weapons treaty between Russia and the United States – the START-3 nuclear arms reduction treaty – is under threat.
“If both sides do not continue negotiations and find a basis for further cuts, the agreement will expire in February 2026,” experts said in a statement. a nuclear exchange.”
In addition to the war in Ukraine, scholars consider particularly worrisome the massive expansion of China’s nuclear capabilities, as well as North Korea’s escalating testing of medium-range and long-range missiles, Iran’s growth in the area this, and development of a nuclear arsenal in India.
Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.