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Doomsday Clock set at 90 seconds until midnight
The clock has been set the closest to midnight, at 90 seconds, for 2024
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists’ Science and Security Board with the Doomsday Clock 2024 / thebulletin.org
The Doomsday Clock has been set the closest it has ever been to midnight, at 90 seconds due to the looming threat of the climate crisis, biological threats, and increased nuclear escalation globally.
Founded in 1945, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists created the Doomsday Clock in 1947, using the imagery of apocalypse (midnight) and the contemporary idiom of nuclear explosion (countdown to zero) to convey threats to humanity and the planet. It has been set at 100 seconds to midnight since 2020.
The clock is set every year by the Bulletin’s Science and Security Board. It has become a universally recognized indicator of the world’s vulnerability to global catastrophes caused by man-made technologies.
Doomsday clock time reflects ‘unprecedented danger’
Some of the major reasons behind the change in timing are the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis and the increased risk of nuclear escalation, according to a statement. The new clock time was also influenced by continuing threats posed by worsening climate conditions, as well as advancing technologies and biological threats such as COVID-19, disinformation, and disruptive technology.
Rachel Bronson, PhD, president and CEO of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, said, “We are living in a time of unprecedented danger, and the Doomsday Clock time reflects that reality. 90 seconds to midnight is the closest the Clock has ever been set to midnight, and it’s a decision our experts do not take lightly.”
Bronson further urged the US government, its NATO allies, and Ukraine to work together to turn the clock back.
Russia-Ukraine conflict could spin out of control
In the statement, the Doomsday Clock explained that Russia and Ukraine’s way of interaction has raised questions about how states communicate, eroding norms of international conduct. Russia’s concealed threats to indulge in nuclear warfare remind the world that escalation of the conflict – by intention or miscalculation – is a terrible risk.
“The possibility that the conflict could spin out of anyone’s control remains high,” the statement added.
It also underlines Russia’s violation of international protocols by bringing the war to Chernobyl and Zaporizhzhia nuclear reactor sites, risking widespread release of radioactive materials.
Mary Robinson, chair of the Elders and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said, the Doomsday Clock is a “sounding alarm for the whole of humanity” and. She called on world leaders to act at a sufficient pace and scale to secure peaceful and liveable conditions.
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