Human
World's Doomsday Clock Stays at 3 Minutes to Midnight: Why Things Haven't Changed
Catherine Griffin
First Posted: Jan 27, 2016 10:05 AM EST
The world's "Doomsday Clock" isn't likely to budge. Scientists have kept the clock's hand at three minutes to "midnight," which was the same time it was set at since January 2015.
Last year, the clock was set at 11:57 due to fears over climate change and a nuclear arms race. Now, it's staying right where it is-which shows that conditions haven't improved.
What is the Doomsday Clock? It's actually a symbolic look at the likelihood of Armageddon. Members of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists look at various factors when it comes to setting the time of the clock to see how close we are to "midnight," which represents the end of the world as we know it.
There are a number of reasons why the clock is staying right where it is.
"In keeping the hands of the Doomsday Clock at three minutes to midnight, the members of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Science and Security Board mean to make a clear statement: The world situation remains highly threatening to humanity, and decisive action to reduce the danger posed by nuclear weapons and climate change is urgently required," wrote the board members.
The hands are currently the closest they've been to catastrophe since the early days of above-ground hydrogen bomb testing. This is largely due to concern about heightened tensions between the United States and Russia, continued conflict in Ukraine and Syria, and tensions over the South China Sea.
The clock represents an introspective look at what is occurring in the world during this time. More specifically, it shows how countries need to consider the types of actions they are taking on a larger and grander scale.
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First Posted: Jan 27, 2016 10:05 AM EST
The world's "Doomsday Clock" isn't likely to budge. Scientists have kept the clock's hand at three minutes to "midnight," which was the same time it was set at since January 2015.
Last year, the clock was set at 11:57 due to fears over climate change and a nuclear arms race. Now, it's staying right where it is-which shows that conditions haven't improved.
What is the Doomsday Clock? It's actually a symbolic look at the likelihood of Armageddon. Members of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists look at various factors when it comes to setting the time of the clock to see how close we are to "midnight," which represents the end of the world as we know it.
There are a number of reasons why the clock is staying right where it is.
"In keeping the hands of the Doomsday Clock at three minutes to midnight, the members of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Science and Security Board mean to make a clear statement: The world situation remains highly threatening to humanity, and decisive action to reduce the danger posed by nuclear weapons and climate change is urgently required," wrote the board members.
The hands are currently the closest they've been to catastrophe since the early days of above-ground hydrogen bomb testing. This is largely due to concern about heightened tensions between the United States and Russia, continued conflict in Ukraine and Syria, and tensions over the South China Sea.
The clock represents an introspective look at what is occurring in the world during this time. More specifically, it shows how countries need to consider the types of actions they are taking on a larger and grander scale.
Related Articles
Solar Cells Produced Cheaper with 20.2 Percent Efficiency
For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone