The BADGER nuclear detonation April 18, 1953, at the Nevada Test Site. (Image credit: National Nuclear Security Agency via Wikipedia)
The last time we were this close to imminent doom was back in 1953 when the US detonated its first hydrogen bomb, ditto with the Soviet Union shortly afterward, which pushed the proverbial Doomsday Clock to two minutes to midnight and here we are again. Back in 1945, a group of scientists that were involved with the Manhattan Project got together to create the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists- a non-technical academic journal that covers global security issues related to nuclear threats, climate change, WMDs, biological hazards and emerging technologies.
To make it easier for us ‘average Joes’ to understand all of the data they compile every year, those scientists created a Doomsday Clock and the closer it comes to midnight, the greater the danger becomes to complete annihilation. That clock now stands at two minutes to midnight. While there are many reasons for that minute hand to be 120-seconds from complete meltdown- viral outbreaks (Ebola, SARS, flu, etc.), hostile government hackers and the development of smarter AI, this year’s assessment focuses on just two specifics: the possibility of nuclear war and climate change.
According to their 2018 report, the reason the Clock was pushed closer was due to a nuclear concern. The report’s author John Mecklin stated, “Hyperbolic rhetoric and provocative actions by both sides have increased the possibility of nuclear war by accident or miscalculation.”
Beyond the nuclear concern, the report also lists climate change as a factor for doomsday, stating, “the danger may seem less immediate, but avoiding catastrophic temperature increases, in the long run, requires urgent attention now. Global carbon dioxide emissions have not yet shown the beginnings of the sustained decline towards zero that must occur if ever-greater warming is to be avoided. The nations of the world will have to significantly decrease their greenhouse gas emissions to keep climate risks manageable, and so far, the global response has fallen far short of meeting this challenge.”
The technology factor was also touched upon with concern for the alarming number nation-baked hackers who use information technologies as weapons and ‘deception campaigns’ aimed at subverting elections and confidence in institutions designed for critical thinking and free thought (i.e., news organizations). The scientists at the Bulletin took all of the available data to come to their conclusion that the world is on the brink of destruction and unless action is taken, we’ll get there a lot sooner.
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