Why in News?
The Doomsday Clock has been moved to 85 seconds to midnight, the closest setting ever, as announced by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists in Washington DC. The announcement reflects the organisation’s annual assessment of humanity’s proximity to global catastrophe.
Description:
What is the Doomsday Clock?
- A symbolic clock representing how close the world is to a human-made global catastrophe.
- Created in 1947.
- Midnight = global catastrophe (nuclear or other existential threat).
- Time is expressed as minutes/seconds to midnight.
Who Maintains It?
- Maintained by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (BAS).
- Time is set by its Science and Security Board (SSB).
- Bulletin founded in 1945 by scientists from the Manhattan Project.
Purpose of the Clock:
- To warn political leaders and the public about existential risks.
- Initially focused on nuclear threats; now includes: Technological risks, Biological risks, Climate risks, Geopolitical instability
How the Time Is Decided?
- Updated annually.
- Decided by experts including: Scientists, Nobel laureates, & Security analysts
- Assessment based on global security and scientific trends.
Important Facts:
- First setting (1947): 7 minutes to midnight.
- Closest ever: 85 seconds to midnight (as per the article).
- Farthest ever: 17 minutes to midnight (1991, end of Cold War).
- Not a predictive tool — purely symbolic.
- Focuses exclusively on human-made threats, not natural disasters.
Significance:
- Serves as a global risk communication indicator.
- Used by media, governments, and international bodies to gauge threat perception.
- Aims to drive international cooperation and policy attention.
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