admin Earth is edging closer to catastrophe, according to a science-focused advocacy group that on Tuesday moved its famous Doomsday Clock forward to 89 seconds to midnight – the closest it has ever been.
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists made its annual announcement, which assesses how near humanity is to self-destruction, citing threats such as climate change, nuclear proliferation, instability in the Middle East, the risk of pandemics, and the growing use of artificial intelligence in military operations.
For the past two years, the clock had been set at 90 seconds to midnight. “When you are at this precipice, the one thing you don’t want to do is take a step forward,” said Daniel Holz, chair of the group’s science and security board.
The group expressed concern over collaboration between nations such as North Korea, Russia, and China in developing nuclear programmes. Russian President Vladimir Putin has also spoken about the potential use of nuclear weapons in his war against Ukraine.
“A lot of the rhetoric is very disturbing,” Holz said. “There is this growing sense that … some nation might end up using nuclear weapons, and that’s terrifying.”
First introduced in 1947, the Doomsday Clock symbolises the likelihood of humanity bringing about its own end. Following the Cold War, the clock was set as far back as 17 minutes to midnight. In recent years, the group has shifted from measuring time in minutes to seconds to reflect the increasing pace of global risks.
However, the group noted that the clock could be turned back if world leaders worked together to address these existential threats.
Magazine 
