"100 Seconds to Disaster"... 'Doomsday Clock' Moved 20 Seconds Closer

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (BAS) revealed the Doomsday Clock with 100 seconds remaining on the 23rd (local time) in Washington DC, USA. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Lim Juhyung] The "Doomsday Clock," a conceptual representation of the remaining time until the end of human civilization, has been moved forward to 100 seconds before midnight.

This is 20 seconds closer than last year's 2 minutes to midnight, marking the closest time to doomsday since the clock's inception in 1947.

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (BAS), which manages the clock, revealed the Doomsday Clock showing 100 seconds to midnight on the 23rd (local time) in Washington DC, USA.

BAS explained the reason for moving the clock 20 seconds closer to midnight as follows: "In the nuclear domain, several arms control agreements and negotiations were halted or weakened last year, and political conflicts related to Iran and North Korea's nuclear programs remain unresolved and are worsening."

They also noted, "Public awareness of the climate crisis has improved thanks to large-scale protests by young people, but government actions remain insufficient."

BAS also mentioned misinformation online. They stated, "Last year, many governments weakened efforts to promote peace and protect the planet through cyber misinformation campaigns."

In this regard, Rachel Bronson, president of BAS, said, "There are 100 seconds left until doomsday," adding, "We have now reached a point where the world’s proximity to catastrophe is expressed not in hours or minutes, but in seconds."

The time on the Doomsday Clock is adjusted after consultation with the BAS board and 13 Nobel laureates. It started at 7 minutes to midnight in 1947, and in 2007, climate change was added as a new threat factor.

After North Korea declared the completion of its nuclear arsenal, the clock was moved to 2 minutes to midnight in 2018 and remained at 2 minutes in 2019. However, this year it was moved 20 seconds closer.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.