The Doomsday Clock Is Now 85 Seconds to Midnight. Here’s What That Means

The Doomsday Clock has just been set to 85 seconds to midnight. Nearly 80 years after its creation, this time represents the closest the clock has ever been to midnight. This was reported by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists’ Science and Security Board (SABS), the expert council that annually updates the clock's hands. This year, the group highlighted the growing threat of nuclear weapons, disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence, multiple concerns about biosecurity, and the persistent climate crisis .

The Doomsday Clock

The Doomsday Clock was created in 1947, during the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. It is, in essence, a symbolic representation of how close humanity is to the destruction of the world, with midnight symbolizing the moment when humanity will have rendered the Earth uninhabitable. Last year, the hands were moved to 89 seconds to midnight, from the 90 seconds set ...