Scientists Move Doomsday Clock Closer To Midnight

The symbolic clock reflects the planet’s proximity to imminent doom.

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Scientists moved the Doomsday Clock closer to midnight.

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists set its Doomsday Clock at 100 seconds to midnight on Thursday. The symbolic clock reflects the planet’s proximity to imminent doom, because of human-made threats such as nuclear weapons and global warming.

“The iconic Doomsday Clock symbolizing the gravest perils facing humankind is now closer to midnight than at any point since its creation in 1947,” the Bulletin explained in a statement. “To underscore the need for action, the time on the Doomsday Clock is now being expressed in seconds, rather than minutes…”

While the Doomsday Clock didn’t move in 2019, it was moved forward 30 seconds in 2018 to two minutes before midnight.

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists president and CEO Rachel Bronson said in a statement that “we now face a true emergency,” underscored by “an absolutely unacceptable state of world affairs that has eliminated any margin for error or further delay.”

The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, a nonprofit organization concerning science and global security issues, was founded in 1945 and has maintained its Doomsday Clock since 1947. Each year, the organization meets and consults with a board of sponsors that includes 13 Nobel Laureates to determine whether the clock’s time should be moved forward.