90 seconds till the END - The Doomsday Clock
The doomsday clock has been in the news for a long. What exactly is this "clock"?
The doomsday clock has been in the news for a long. What exactly is this "clock"?
Simply stated, the Doomsday Clock indicates how close humanity is to a potential global catastrophe.
The closer this clock is to midnight, the closer we are to a global disaster. This clock is set by a few top scientists to express the world’s vulnerability to disasters. This includes disasters like that of nuclear weapons, climate change, and emerging technologies.
Before I move forward and discuss the matter, here is some background on the doomsday clock. And what significance does it holds?
The Doomsday Clock was created in 1947 by scientists and is maintained by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists was founded in 1945 by scientists involved in developing the first atomic weapons. They believed their work created man-made threats to human existence. Two years later, they introduced the Doomsday Clock to show the world’s vulnerability to catastrophe from nuclear weapons, technology, and other factors.
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists is an independent, nonprofit organization that focuses on nuclear risk, climate change, and disruptive technologies. They publish magazines, have a website, and even organise events to help advance actionable ideas to counter these adversaries. Their agenda also includes diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Despite the glory and image that this organisation has in the public, it's better to understand that this organisation is more like an "awareness" spreading organisation. They raise their voice against issues like the use of potential nuclear warfare to settle conflicts.
The Doomsday clock was conceived as a way to measure how close the world is to global catastrophe. It's a symbolic message that intends to raise awareness of catastrophic global issues.
But where it started?
It had its origin in the cold war.
Originally, it was used to measure the threat of atomic war between the United States and the Soviet Union. The clock is set to indicate how close humanity is to global disaster and is set in increments of 5 minutes.
But what IS the doomsday clock after all?
As you may have guessed, the Doomsday Clock is a simple yet powerful symbol of the world’s vulnerability to a catastrophic disaster.
The annual announcement of the time on the clock is a major news event, as it emphasizes the urgency of finding solutions to these global issues.
Every year, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists convenes a meeting of experts to review the events of the past year. And based on this review, they recalibrate the Doomsday Clock. These meetings are closely watched by governments, media, and citizens around the world.
Since this is a public event, it is heavily publicized, with the intent of spreading awareness as widely as possible.
But this year's doomsday announcement took the media by storm.
The Bulletin just updated its Doomsday Clock for 2023, and it’s now just 90 seconds away from midnight—a 10-second march closer than the past few years.
“We are living in a time of unprecedented danger, and the Doomsday Clock time reflects that reality,” Rachel Bronson, president and CEO of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, said in a press release. “Ninety seconds to midnight is the closest the clock has ever been set to midnight, and it's a decision our experts do not take lightly.”
Well if you see, the clock is indeed the closest to midnight as I am writing this. Below is a timeline of the shifts in the clock's hand over the years
What could be the REASON that this board thinks that we are near a catastrophe?
It could be summarised due to three major reasons
Wars
Technology and Nuclear Warfare Threats
Epidemic
First, here is the Bulletin’s statement itself:
“Russia’s war on Ukraine has raised profound questions about how states interact, eroding norms of international conduct that underpin successful responses to a variety of global risks.
And worst of all, Russia’s thinly veiled threats to use nuclear weapons remind the world that escalation of the conflict—by accident, intention, or miscalculation—is a terrible risk.
The possibility that the conflict could spin out of anyone’s control remains high.”
The Russia and Ukraine war is just a part of the real reason. There are other security reasons which, ironically, are also connected to Russia.
Moreover, the Russian-American treaty covering nuclear weapons and their fair usage expires in February 2026. This has also raised a concern.
Secondly, there is a concern over the continued expansion of nuclear weapon capabilities in China, North Korea, Iran, and India.
Moreover, the Bulletin also says the climate crisis is worsening. With growing bio-threats, including laboratory accidents, there are multiple ways that humanity could see its end. Also, disruptive technology has grown in concern as well.
So to summarise,
In a nutshell, advancement in nuclear warfare, wars, technology hazard and the growing threat of biological warfare and epidemics.
How far is these predictions or fear valid is something that time will only allow. So let's hope that humanity still continues to thrive as long as it is capable to live in unity.