Doomsday Clock Moves Closer Than Ever to Midnight

The Doomsday Clock is now 89 seconds to midnight, the closest it’s ever been. The clock, established in 1947 by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, is meant to signify how close the world is to global catastrophe. It previously was measured based on nuclear threats, but also now accounts for climate change.

The clock has been set at 90 seconds to midnight since 2023, which was previously the closest it had been. Rather than perfectly measure how close humanity is to catastrophe, the clock is meant to serve as a metaphor and spark conversation, the Bulletin said.

“We set the clock closer to midnight because we do not see sufficient, positive progress on the global challenges we face, including nuclear risk, climate change, biological threats and advances in disruptive technologies,” like AI, said Daniel Holz, the Bulletin’s science and security board chair.

He continued: “All of these dangers are greatly exacerbated by a potent threat multiplier—the spread of misinformation, disinformation and conspiracy theories that degrade the communication ecosystem and increasingly blur the line between truth and falsehood.” Read more at CNN.