Doomsday Clock

Doomsday Clock

The hands of so-called Doomsday Clock (Doomsday Clock), which accounts for "minutes to midnight" how much is left to the human species to its total destruction, have gone a minute. The reason is the increased risk of a possible nuclear disaster or a disaster caused by climate change, as announced by the group of scientists that regulates it in the "Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists." This clock, located at the University of Chicago and created in 1947 by a group of scientists concerned about the possible outbreak of nuclear war has become a universally recognized indicator of the vulnerability of the world.

The clock is moving towards or away from midnight sitaución according to political, scientific and military worldwide. The last time the Doomsday Clock moved his hands was in January 2010, when scientists delayed one minute needles five to six minutes before midnight. The prospects were good. However, "in front of inadequate progress in reducing nuclear weapons and the proliferation and continued inaction on climate change", have decided to move the machinery one minutes until 23.55. Symbolically, it represents that humanity is five minutes away from the carnage.

In a statement issued by the committee of scientists who are part of the board of the magazine notes that "two years ago it seemed that world leaders could confront the global threats we face." But "in many cases, this trend has continued or been reversed. For this reason, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists has moved the hand of the clock one minute closer to midnight, back at the time marked in 2007. "

As an initial schedule, the board of directors of the Bulletin decided to put the needles in seven minutes to midnight. In its first 60 years, has had 18 clock movements, especially in the early dependeían years by the nuclear activity of the powers. Clockwise on several occasions have been very close to midnight, which means very close to the day of the disaster.
The worst time

The worst time was in 1953, when he placed two minutes from zero hour following the first explosion of a hydrogen bomb by the United States. The Cold War had one of its most critical moments during the month of October 1962, with Russia installing nuclear missiles on Cuban territory. For the duration of the conflict, the clock remained unchanged, and remained in twelve minutes. Another critical point was in 1984, falling to three minutes due to an increase in the arms race between two powers, while in 1991 it reached its farthest point thanks to the START nuclear arms reduction between the U.S. and Russia.

The new decision of the Atomic Scientists on the Doomsday Clock is a wake up call on the world situation.

Doomsday Clock