By Verónica Suárez
Today the Doomsday Clock was unveiled with the time of 100 seconds until midnight, the same time it has had since 2020.
It was created in 1947 by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists as a way to show humanity how close we were to a nuclear war, given what we now call the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union and their constant talk about an arms race with nuclear weapons.
Who is the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists?
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists was founded in 1945 by Albert Einstein and a group of scientists from the University of Chicago, who worked in the Manhattan Project (the one that ended up creating the first nuclear weapons).
The decision of the Bulletin to create the Doomsday Clock came as a way to use an image to show humanity the threats both the planet and humanity face.
Currently, the decision to change the time comes from the Bulletin’s Science and Security Board along with consultation with its Board of Sponsors, which includes 11 Nobel laureates.
Originally, it only considered nuclear weapons and technology, but since 2007, the Doomsday Clock has now taken into account the threat coming from the consequences of climate change. Adding climate change into the equation has accelerated the ticking of the clock making it closer to midnight than ever before.
So… we’re close to the end of the world, right?
Not really. The Doomsday Clock has worked as a metaphor to warn the general public about how close humanity is to destroying the planet. Nevertheless, the handles can only be moved manually, always done by members of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.
This means we don’t have literally 100 seconds until the apocalypse, but it’s a way scientists have to call attention to the climate crisis, and how little has been done about nuclear weapons. Currently, how some governments have been dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic is also being considered.
The Bulletin is also talking about how different technologies like artificial intelligence, biological weapons, and nanotechnology are affecting humanity, but also how technology is having a negative effect on existing nuclear and environmental effects.
How can I read the Clock?
While the Bulletin doesn’t share their own interpretation, the most consensus between scientists is not how big the risk against the planet is, but rather how humanity is dealing with it.
In the words of SJ Beard, a researcher at the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk at the University of Cambridge, “what we learn from the Doomsday Clock is that our ability to deal with such crises is likely worse than it ever has been.”
This is why the Clock is closer to midnight right now than it was during the height of the Cold War because currently, there aren’t a lot of active actions to get rid of nuclear weapons, and a lot of countries aren’t actually taking measures to help with climate change, even though it’s widely known the devastating effects these things could have for humanity and the planet.
Is there anything I can do?
While most of the things taken into consideration for how much time there’s left on the Clock are government decisions and actions, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists is making a challenge where people can use the hashtag #TurnBackTheClock on social media to share stories that inspire them, and also publish about how they think we can make the world a safer and healthier place.
But the most important thing is to talk to our government representatives to take serious action about nuclear weapons and technology, along with the climate crisis.
Photos from Shutterstock
