Doomsday Clock Now 30 secs Closer to Midnight

Scientists have pushed the infamous "Doomsday Clock" 30-seconds closer to midnight, which would be the moment humankind will annihilate itself. A panel of three Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists and a former U.S. ambassador made the announcement, citing a rise in global nationalism, humanity’s failure to confront nuclear weapons and climate change.

One of the biggest reasons for the move, wrote BAS scientists, was the ascent of U.S. President Donald Trump: “Never before has the Bulletin decided to advance the clock largely because of the statements of a single person,” they wrote. “But Mr. Trump’s statements and actions have been unsettling.” The rise of fake news and mixed efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions were also taken into account.

The Doomsday Clock was was launched in 1947, and this 30-second move from 3-minutes to 2.5-minutes makes for the closest we’ve come to the brink since 1953. Back then, the Science and Security Board of the BAS moved the hand 2-minutes to midnight following the first testing of a hydrogen bomb.


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