“The hands of the Doomsday Clock” have been moved forward by four seconds. This leaves humanity just 85 seconds from the symbolic “nuclear midnight.” This indicator is the most dangerous level recorded to date.
Modern.az reports that Aleksandra Bell, CEO of the "Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists" journal at the University of Chicago, made a statement regarding this.
Currently, the “Doomsday Clock” shows 23:58:35. Previously, the indicator was 23:58:31. According to Bell, humanity has not made sufficient progress in reducing the existential risks that threaten everyone.
The “Doomsday Clock” project has been active since 1947, and the decision to move the clock forward or keep it in place each year is made by the journal's board of directors with the participation of scientists and experts. The clock was first set at 23:53. The furthest distance from midnight was recorded in 1991 — after the end of the Cold War — with an indicator of 23:43.
“Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists” highlights risks related to international security and weapons of mass destruction. The publication was founded in 1945 by Nobel laureate Albert Einstein and scientists from the University of Chicago who participated in the Manhattan Project. On the “Doomsday Clock,” midnight symbolizes global catastrophe, and the countdown towards it symbolizes the current level of threat. The clock's time is determined annually based on consultations with the journal's science and security board members and a board of sponsors, which includes Nobel laureates.
