As time passes by, there are inevitable changes that we can witness. One of it would be the change in the Doomsday Clock. As the doomsday clock advances, It is said to believed that the end of Mankind is very near. The impending danger that climate change, nuclear weapons were not only threats to mankind as it was pointed out by the scientists behind the doomsday clock as factors why the end of the world is very near.
"The Doomsday Clock is a symbolic clock face, representing a countdown to possible politically-related global catastrophe (nuclear war or climate change). It has been maintained since 1947 by the members of the Science and Security Board of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, who are in turn advised by the Governing Board and the Board of Sponsors, including 18 Nobel Laureates. The closer they set the Clock to midnight, the closer the scientists believe the world is to global disaster." - Wikipedia
The scientists behind the clock moved the minute-hand of the 68-year old concept clock forward by two minutes today. With this change, It now shows only three minutes to twelve which brings emphasis to the fact that the “probability of global catastrophe is very high”.
“Today, unchecked climate change and a nuclear arms race resulting from modernization of huge arsenals pose extraordinary and undeniable threats to the continued existence of humanity, And world leaders have failed to act with the speed or on the scale required to protect citizens from potential catastrophe. These failures potentially endanger every person on Earth,” - Kennette Benedict,executive director of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
Doomsday clock is taken seriously as it was created by a team of 17 Nobel Price winners. The committee pointed out the fact that the soaring of greenhouse gas emissions 50% since 1990 placed a huge part on the advancement of the Doomsday clock. Members of the clock committee also stressed out other factors:
“The resulting climate change will harm millions of people and will threaten many key ecological systems on which civilization relies. This threat looms over all of humanity,” - Richard Somerville
“Since the end of the Cold War, there has been a cautious optimism about the ability of nuclear weapon states to keep the nuclear arms race in check and to walk back slowly from the precipice of nuclear destruction, That optimism has essentially evaporated in the face of two trends: sweeping nuclear weapon modernisation programmes and a disarmament machinery that has ground to a halt, ” - Sharon Squassoni
The clock was used in 1947 with a total debut time of 7 minutes to 12. The latest change as of now is the 19th time the minute hand has been moved. The changes on the clock is determined by variety of issues that the world is currently facing and how it poses a threat to the safety of mankind.