Doomsday Clock Now At 5 Minutes to Midnight

Everything has changed, save the way we think.
~Albert Einstein

Announced by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists director in DC today, it is now 5 minutes to midnight on the Doomsday Clock.  The Doomsday clock symbolizes how close the world is to catastrophe, at least as predicted by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Established in 1945, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists keeps the world apprised of the threat of destruction of the earth.

In 1947, the group began using the Doomsday Clock to indicate the the current perils of living on the planet. Midnight signifies, obviously, the end, apocalypse, armageddon, lights out. They weigh the time the clock is set to based on nuclear threat, climate change, and biosecurity.



Today (January 10, 2012) the decision was made to move the clock setting one minute closer to midnight. They cite inadequate progress on nuclear weapon reduction, and climate change as the reason for moving the clock forward. The Fukushima nuclear facility disaster also influenced the decision. The main problem, the group says is that global leaders are not taking these threats seriously, and proceed with business as usual.

There is a yearly debate amongst the group as to whether or not the time should be changed. There are 18 Nobel Laureates that are a part of the debate. The group hopes that the decision to move the minute hand closer to midnight will spur world leaders into action. They would like to see a reduction in nuclear weapons, safe energy sources, and heightened attention to climate change. (I would too!)

A timeline of the Doomsday Clock since it's inception in 1947.

Note: The clock has had time added to it in the past so there is a chance of improvement.

Something else I learned: The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists was originally developed by scientists that helped to develop the first atomic bomb.