The Doomsday Clock was only seventeen minutes away from midnight after the conclusion of the Cold War.

Tuesday’s atomic experts restarted the iconic “Doomsday Clock” at ninety seconds to midnight, the annihilation theoretical point, for the second year in a row. The warfare in Ukraine, climate change, and disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence and novel biotechnology are among the “existential” threats to Earth and its inhabitants that the members of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists’ Science and Security Board consider while setting the clock.

The Bulletin brought attention to the continuous threat posed by Russian threats to use nuclear weapons in the situation in Ukraine. The primary causes of the increased worldwide danger are the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty’s (New START) suspension, Belarus’s deployment of tactical nuclear weapons, and the United States’ withdrawal from the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.

The world witnessed its hottest year on record in 2023, which was unprecedented. The Paris Climate Agreement’s objectives are seriously jeopardized by the lack of commitment to cutting greenhouse gas emissions, notwithstanding attempts.

The statement also highlighted the risks associated with the rapid advancement of generative artificial intelligence, pointing out that technology can spread misinformation and disturb the information ecosystem which is essential for solving global problems.

Do not misunderstand: the world is not steady just because the clock was reset to midnight from 90 seconds earlier. In complete contrast. Governments and communities everywhere must act immediately. Additionally, the Bulletin is encouraged and optimistic about the younger generations driving change, according to its president and CEO, Rachel Bronson, in a statement.

Doomsday Clock

The Doomsday Clock is a metaphor for the probability of a worldwide emergency, particularly a nuclear conflict. A group of scientists and specialists worried about the possible risks of nuclear weapons during the Cold War tensions that followed World War Two initially formed it in 1947 with the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.

The clock is typically shown on the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists monthly cover, where it is calibrated to show the “minutes to midnight.” A worldwide calamity is symbolized at midnight on the clock. A potential disaster is thought to be closer to the world the closer the clock is to midnight.

The Bulletin’s Science and Security Board, in collaboration with the Bulletin’s Board of Sponsors, comprising Nobel laureates, determines which hands should move on the clock. Climate change, nuclear threats, and other global issues are considered while altering the clock.

Raising awareness of possible risks to mankind and promoting actions to counter and lessen those risks are the objectives. Over the years, the clock’s setting has been changed several times in reaction to geopolitical developments and the evaluation of worldwide threats.

SOURCE: https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/hm-slammed-for-sexualising-schoolgirls-takes-down-ad-101706083375936.html