The Doomsday Clock
Thu January 25, 2018 6:17 pm
Closest its ever been to midnight. 
'Doomsday clock' ticks closer to apocalyptic midnight
By Laura Koran
Updated 11:44 AM ET, Thu January 25, 2018
A panel of scientists and scholars said Thursday they believe the world is as close as it has ever been to a so-called doomsday scenario.
The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, which has been tracking the threat posed by nuclear weapons and other technologies since the 1940s, moved the second hand forward on their Doomsday Clock forward closer to its symbolic apocalyptic midnight.
"It is with considerable concern that we set the time of the 2018 doomsday clock and offer a plea to rewind the doomsday clock," said Bulletin of Atomic Scientists President and CEO Rachel Bronson. "As of today, it is two minutes to midnight."
According to the group's report, the greatest threats to global security came from the nuclear realm.
"North Korea's nuclear weapons program made remarkable progress in 2017, increasing risks to North Korea itself, other countries in the region, and the United States," the report notes. "Hyperbolic rhetoric and provocative actions by both sides have increased the possibility of nuclear war by accident or miscalculation."
Speaking at a news conference Thursday, members of the panel discussed some of the specific threats that led them to revise the clock's setting. In particular, several panelists bemoaned what they see as a reluctance by policymakers to embrace scientific data.
"Divorcing public policy from empirical reality endangers us all," said theoretical physicist Lawrence Krauss, adding, "what we need is evidence-based policy making, not policy-based evidence making."
The administration of US President Donald Trump was repeatedly singled out by the group over policies they view as harmful. These include the decision last year to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord, and the administration's disparagement of the Iran nuclear deal.
The last time the clock was so close to midnight was in 1953, when the US and the Soviet Union were engaged in a nuclear arms race.
In 2017, the board moved the clock from three minutes to midnight, to two and a half minutes to midnight. The furthest the clock has been from midnight is 17 minutes in 1991.
'Doomsday clock' ticks closer to apocalyptic midnight
By Laura Koran
Updated 11:44 AM ET, Thu January 25, 2018
A panel of scientists and scholars said Thursday they believe the world is as close as it has ever been to a so-called doomsday scenario.
The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, which has been tracking the threat posed by nuclear weapons and other technologies since the 1940s, moved the second hand forward on their Doomsday Clock forward closer to its symbolic apocalyptic midnight.
"It is with considerable concern that we set the time of the 2018 doomsday clock and offer a plea to rewind the doomsday clock," said Bulletin of Atomic Scientists President and CEO Rachel Bronson. "As of today, it is two minutes to midnight."
According to the group's report, the greatest threats to global security came from the nuclear realm.
"North Korea's nuclear weapons program made remarkable progress in 2017, increasing risks to North Korea itself, other countries in the region, and the United States," the report notes. "Hyperbolic rhetoric and provocative actions by both sides have increased the possibility of nuclear war by accident or miscalculation."
Speaking at a news conference Thursday, members of the panel discussed some of the specific threats that led them to revise the clock's setting. In particular, several panelists bemoaned what they see as a reluctance by policymakers to embrace scientific data.
"Divorcing public policy from empirical reality endangers us all," said theoretical physicist Lawrence Krauss, adding, "what we need is evidence-based policy making, not policy-based evidence making."
The administration of US President Donald Trump was repeatedly singled out by the group over policies they view as harmful. These include the decision last year to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord, and the administration's disparagement of the Iran nuclear deal.
The last time the clock was so close to midnight was in 1953, when the US and the Soviet Union were engaged in a nuclear arms race.
In 2017, the board moved the clock from three minutes to midnight, to two and a half minutes to midnight. The furthest the clock has been from midnight is 17 minutes in 1991.
Re: The Doomsday Clock
Thu January 25, 2018 9:42 pm
This is one of the stupidest things out there.
Re: The Doomsday Clock
Thu January 25, 2018 9:45 pm
Green Habit wrote:This is one of the stupidest things out there.
Completely agree. Everything is fear mongering. Turning the clock closer or farther away from a hypothetical doomsday helps no one. And blaming it on the US and its President over Iran's bullshit is fucking ridiculous.
Re: The Doomsday Clock
Fri January 26, 2018 12:00 am
nuclear war worries people more than it should
kim jong un is an asshole but he is not irrational
he knows if he launches its an act of suicide
he’s not that crazy
plus he just joined the olympics. they should be moving the minute hand back to 4
kim jong un is an asshole but he is not irrational
he knows if he launches its an act of suicide
he’s not that crazy
plus he just joined the olympics. they should be moving the minute hand back to 4
Re: The Doomsday Clock
Fri January 26, 2018 12:40 am
What if Kim is suicidal? Being suicidal is sort of common.
Re: The Doomsday Clock
Fri January 26, 2018 1:01 am
.
Last edited by BurtReynolds on Mon March 06, 2023 6:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: The Doomsday Clock
Fri January 26, 2018 1:05 am
verb_to_trust wrote:What if Kim is suicidal? Being suicidal is sort of common.
i wish you meant a kardashian
Re: The Doomsday Clock
Fri January 26, 2018 1:42 am
It is quite the ambitious touch to shift their focus to global warming to stay relevant once the Cold War ended.BurtReynolds wrote:What a bunch of insufferable cunts. Nobody cares about their stupid clock.
Re: The Doomsday Clock
Fri January 26, 2018 1:44 am
verb_to_trust wrote:What if Kim is suicidal? Being suicidal is sort of common.
guys like that don't get suicidal
they kill other people to keep in power
they would transplant their head on a child's body every 80 years if it would give them eternal life
they are consumed by the high of absolute power
they will do anything they can not to die
Re: The Doomsday Clock
Fri January 26, 2018 8:53 pm
The Doomsday Clock
Wed June 07, 2023 3:27 pm
https://thebulletin.org/doomsday-clock/current-time/
90 seconds to midnight! Get in your bunkers!
90 seconds to midnight! Get in your bunkers!
A time of unprecedented danger:
It is 90 seconds to midnight
2023 Doomsday Clock Statement
Nuclear Risk
Russian threats to use nuclear weapons in the Ukraine war constitute the worst nuclear development in 2022, while previous trends of expansion and modernization of nuclear arsenals continue. Read more...
Climate Change
The geopolitical fissure opened by the invasion of Ukraine has weakened the global will to cooperate on climate change and undermined confidence in broad-based multilateral collaboration. Read more...
Biological Threats
The international community must improve its ability to prevent disease outbreaks, detect them quickly when they occur, and respond effectively to limit their scope. Read more...
Disruptive Technologies
From disinformation to drones, developments regarding potential threats from disruptive technologies told a mixed story last year. Read more...
Re: The Doomsday Clock
Wed June 07, 2023 3:30 pm
We can only hope that we're all dead before society collapses
Re: The Doomsday Clock
Wed June 07, 2023 3:32 pm
We could also hope society doesn't collapse
Re: The Doomsday Clock
Wed June 07, 2023 3:34 pm
Sure, we could also hope to win the lottery
Re: The Doomsday Clock
Wed June 07, 2023 3:37 pm
Oh man I'm shaking in my boots!
Re: The Doomsday Clock
Wed June 07, 2023 3:38 pm
haha you're wearing boots
Re: The Doomsday Clock
Wed June 07, 2023 3:39 pm
Boots are cool as hell.
Re: The Doomsday Clock
Wed June 07, 2023 3:41 pm
yeah i guess so
Re: The Doomsday Clock
Wed June 07, 2023 3:46 pm
Burt's like a cowboy - the coolest type of person you could be
Re: The Doomsday Clock
Wed June 07, 2023 3:50 pm
I wouldn't even know where to begin when looking for a boot