Scientists moved the metaphorical 'Doomsday Clock' to 85 seconds to midnight, suggesting end of humanity due to man-made disasters.
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists moved the ‘ Doomsday Clock ’ forward to 85 seconds to midnight on Tuesday, signaling the threat of a global catastrophe. The scientists touted multiple factors as major contributors to the possible large-scale destruction.
“The hard-won global understandings are collapsing, accelerating a winner-takes-all great power competition and undermining the international cooperation needed to reduce existential risks, the group said.The members of the association cited the Russia-Ukraine war, May’s India-Pakistan conflict last year, and Israel and the US striking Iran last summer as one of the major reasons for ticking the clock forward.Emerging AI technology and climate change were also regarded as contributing factors to the predicted catastrophe.Decoding the reasonsA potential breakout of World War cannot be ruled out in the present, with multiple countries going at loggerheads over various issues. The most prominent ones are the Israel-Gaza conflict, joined by the US’s attempts to attack Iran.On the other hand, the Russia-Ukraine war has shown no signs of nearing a halt. NATO – the famous union of Western nations – is also experiencing turbulent times amid President Donald Trump’s attempts to take over Greenland.The rapid rise of AI technology has had negative effects on the climate and humanity, albeit indirectly. Data centers are being built at a rapid pace to meet the growing resource needs of AI, thereby endangering natural habitats.Bulletin board member Steve Fetter stated that the rise of ‘unregulated AI tools’ poses a big threat to human survival in the present times. He expressed fears that fake AI-generated images and videos are being used to change public perception and cause unrest, leading to violent consequences.“Using such videos can try to persuade people that things have happened that have not happened, that there are perhaps riots in a location or acts of war that are fake,” he said.The group also pointed to worsening droughts, heatwaves, and floods tied to global warming, along with what it described as a lack of meaningful international action to address the crisis.It specifically criticized former President Donald Trump’s policies aimed at expanding fossil fuel use and limiting the growth of renewable energy.Delving into historyThe Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists was established in 1945 by Albert Einstein, J. Robert Oppenheimer, and University of Chicago researchers who played key roles in developing the first atomic weapons during the Manhattan Project.Two years later, the group introduced the Doomsday Clock as a symbolic way to communicate human-made threats to humanity and the planet. Initially, the clock focused primarily on the risks associated with nuclear weapons.The position of the clock’s minute hand is meant to indicate how close humanity is to self-inflicted disaster, driven by unchecked scientific and technological advances.The clock has been ticking ever closer to midnight in recent years, from 90 seconds to midnight for 2023 to 89 seconds to midnight last year.The bulletin also cited biological threats, such as the coronavirus and bird flu, and the official responses to them as factors in moving the clock.
Climate Change Doomsday Clock Nuclear War Russia US
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Doomsday Clock 2026: Scientists set new timeOn Tuesday, the Doomsday Clock was set at 85 seconds to midnight - midnight represents the moment at which people will have made Earth uninhabitable.
Read more »
Doomsday Clock 2026: Scientists set new timeOn Tuesday, the Doomsday Clock was set at 85 seconds to midnight - midnight represents the moment at which people will have made Earth uninhabitable.
Read more »
Doomsday Clock 2026: Scientists set new timeOn Tuesday, the Doomsday Clock was set at 85 seconds to midnight - midnight represents the moment at which people will have made Earth uninhabitable.
Read more »
Doomsday Clock 2026: Scientists set new timeOn Tuesday, the Doomsday Clock was set at 85 seconds to midnight - midnight represents the moment at which people will have made Earth uninhabitable.
Read more »
Doomsday Clock 2026: Scientists set new timeOn Tuesday, the Doomsday Clock was set at 85 seconds to midnight - midnight represents the moment at which people will have made Earth uninhabitable.
Read more »
Scientists move ‘Doomsday Clock’ closer to midnightBasic
Read more »