The unveiling of the Doomsday Clock’s time for 2024 has occurred.
During the yearly gathering hosted by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, a nonprofit organization dedicated to monitoring human-made threats to humanity, it was revealed that the Doomsday Clock will stay at 90 seconds to midnight.
The current time, 90 seconds to midnight, remains consistent with the setting in 2023.
Addressing the rationale behind the decision, Rachel Bronson, President and CEO of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, explained, “The Earth witnessed its hottest year on record,” and the Israel-Palestine conflict served as an additional example of the “horrors of modern war.”
Renowned TV personality and educator, Bill Nye, commonly known as “The Science Guy,” was present at the event to reveal the updated time.
In 2023, the Doomsday Clock was adjusted to 90 seconds before midnight, primarily attributed to the escalating risks posed by the war in Ukraine and the perceived lack of urgency among global leaders in addressing climate change.
As per the Doomsday Clock, the most favorable year for humanity since its establishment was 1991, marked by a setting of 17 minutes to midnight.
Since its establishment, the Doomsday Clock has undergone 25 adjustments.
What is the Doomsday Clock?
The Doomsday Clock serves as a straightforward measure of how close the world is to a global catastrophe.
Its operation is based on a simple principle: as the minute hand approaches midnight, the threat to humanity becomes more imminent.
The metaphorical clock was initially introduced in 1947, positioned at 7 minutes to midnight. Two years later, it was adjusted to 6 minutes to midnight.
Annually, the setting of the clock is decided by the Bulletin’s Science and Security Board in collaboration with its Board of Sponsors, featuring ten Nobel laureates. Factors such as national security, climate change, and nuclear peril are carefully taken into account when determining the position of the clock’s hands.
But what happens when the Doomsday Clock hits midnight? Credit: Anna Moneymaker / Getty
What Occurs When the Doomsday Clock Strikes Midnight?
In recent years, the hands of the clock have steadily approached the ominous midnight mark. In 2023, the clock was moved forward by an additional ten seconds. This decision was influenced by escalating tensions arising from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with heightened concerns about the potential deployment of nuclear weapons in the conflict.
The disconcerting trend of the Doomsday Clock has resulted in its movement closer to midnight in three of the past four years leading up to 2022. Although it remained unchanged in 2019, its minute hand was adjusted forward by 30 seconds in 2018, dangerously approaching the two-minute mark before midnight.
Rachel Bronson, President and CEO of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, highlights the seriousness of the situation by emphasizing that if the clock ever strikes midnight, it symbolizes a catastrophic event, such as a nuclear exchange or cataclysmic climate change, with the potential to eradicate humanity.
Essentially, even though no immediate event occurs, reaching midnight on the Doomsday Clock signifies the point in time where numerous leading minds believe that humanity is irreversibly beyond salvation.
Bronson highlights a chilling reality: the catastrophic moment, if it occurs, may unfold without precise warning, as the Doomsday Clock primarily functions as a preemptive tool to prevent disaster before it transforms into an irreversible reality.
“When the clock strikes midnight, it indicates that there has been some form of nuclear exchange or catastrophic climate change that has obliterated humanity,” Bronson cautions. “We genuinely hope to avoid reaching that point, and if it does happen, we may not even be aware of it when it does.”
