The Doomsday Clock: Humanity’s Countdown

It is 90 seconds from midnight.

Photo Credit: Jamie Christiani VIA Britannica

Last changed in 2023, this is the closest the Doomsday Clock has been to midnight since its inauguration in 1947. The Doomsday Clock serves multiple purposes, and over the years, it has been referred to in various fields.

First created in 1947 by scientists in the Manhattan Project, which included Einstein and Oppenheimer, the initial purpose of the Doomsday Clock was to warn people of humanity’s most concerning invention at the time: the atomic bomb. According to CNN, in the present day, the clock takes into account nuclear warfare, climate change, and threats of war. The Doomsday Clock acts as a metaphor that symbolizes the likelihood of a human-made apocalypse rather than a prediction. The closer the clock approaches “midnight,” the closer humanity is to a global catastrophe.

When the doomsday clock was inaugurated, it was set to seven minutes before midnight. Since then, its time has been set backwards eight times and forwards 17 times. In the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists’ 2024 annual statement, made on Jan. 23, 2024, they blamed the increased threats of a nuclear arms race, record-breaking world temperatures due to increasing global greenhouse gas emissions, and the use of AI for military purposes and spreading disinformation as their primary reasons for keeping the clock at 90 seconds. In a news conference made on the same day, Rachel Bronson, president and CEO of the Bulletin, stated that “trends continue to point ominously towards global catastrophe.”

The clock, however, is not meant to accurately measure threats. Rather, it is used to spark conversation and public engagement in scientific topics like nuclear disarmament and climate change. Bronson noted that when the clock changes, the public takes notice. She believes that through public engagement, leaders will be moved to make real changes.

In their annual statement, the Bulletin states that it is impossible for one nation or leader to solve these issues and thus calls on the world’s leading powers — the United States, China, and Russia — to “commence serious dialogue” regarding the “existential danger the world now faces.”

While many of these issues appear to be out of a single individual’s control, there are still things that can be done on a personal level to help. Bronson explained that reducing one’s carbon footprint or even just discussing these issues with one’s peers can have a large impact.

“We can reduce [the threats], but it requires serious work and global engagement at all levels of society.”