Posted: 01.02.2023 17:50:00

Scientists set Doomsday Clock closer to midnight

The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists warned that humanity is facing a time of ‘unprecedented danger’

The hands of the Doomsday Clock are closer to midnight than ever before, with humanity facing a time of ‘unprecedented danger’ that has increased the likelihood of a human-caused apocalypse, a group of scientists announced.
The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists — a non-profit organisation made up of scientists, former political leaders and security and technology experts — moved the hands of the symbolic clock 10 seconds forward, to 90 seconds to midnight.
The adjustment, made in response to threats from nuclear weapons, climate change and infectious diseases such as COVID-19, is the closest the clock has been to symbolic doom since it was created more than 75 years ago.“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 statement, adding that ‘it’s a decision our experts do not take lightly’.
The Doomsday Clock was created to convey the proximity of catastrophic threats to humanity, serving as a metaphor for public and world leaders, rather than a predictive tool. When it was unveiled in 1947, the clock was set at 7 minutes to midnight, with ‘midnight’ signifying human-caused apocalypse. 

Based on the materials of www.cbsnews.com