Denison Forum
Dr. Ryan Denison
The Doomsday Clock was created in 1947 by a group of scientists who were concerned about the impact of nuclear weapons on the world. Considering that many of them, such as Albert Einstein and J. Robert Oppenheimer, had been the ones to help develop those weapons, their fears were understandable.
Every year since, their organization shifts the time in accordance with how close they think humanity is to global catastrophe. This week, it was set at ninety seconds to midnight, matching last year as the closest the clock has ever come to its final mark.
Back then, the group’s decision was driven primarily by the fear that Russian President Vladimir Putin would make good on his thinly veiled threats of using nuclear weapons in his war against Ukraine.
And while those fears haven’t gone away, this year the group seemed more focused on fears that the conflicts in Ukraine and Israel would escalate beyond those borders, as well as increased concerns over climate change and the advancements in artificial intelligence.
As such, the official statement from the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists warns that “leaders and citizens around the world should take this statement as a stark warning and respond urgently, as if today were the most dangerous moment in modern history. Because it may well be.” More Here
