The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists unveiled the Doomsday Clock’s latest time on Thursday: 2 minutes to midnight, ticking closer to world destruction by 30 seconds. This is the closest the clock has been to midnight since 1953, the height of the Cold War.
The clock was unveiled at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. on January 25.
Explaining their decision, the President and CEO of The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists said in a statement, “In 2017, world leaders failed to respond effectively to the looming threats of nuclear war and climate change, making the world security situation more dangerous than it was a year ago—and as dangerous as it has been since World War II.”
In addition to putting out the reasoning behind moving the time up by 30 seconds, the organization offered suggestions on how to #RewindtheClock, including calling for government action against climate change as well as advising President Trump to cool his rhetoric regarding nuclear weapons with North Korea.
The Doomsday Clock was devised in 1947 by the same scientists who had worked on developing the Manhattan Project, according to the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists' website. It’s a symbolic measure used to “convey threats to humanity and the planet.” The updated Doomsday time is unveiled at the start of each year.
A live video of the unveiling was posted to Facebook:
