The Doomsday Clock is updated annually. The update will be in January Months
Maximum Alerts 2023
The furthest the Doomsday Clock has ever been from midnight was 17 minutes away in 1991. This was in response to the end of the Cold War and the signing of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) between the United States and the Soviet Union, which helped to reduce the number of nuclear weapons held by both countries. Since then, the clock has fluctuated based on changes in global events and technological advancements, with its current setting in 2023 at 90 seconds to midnight, the closest it has ever been since its creation. The purpose of the Doomsday Clock is to serve as a warning to leaders and citizens around the world, encouraging them to take immediate action to address the global threats that endanger civilization.
The Doomsday Clock is set by a panel of experts, who assess global events and technological advancements to determine the proximity of humanity to catastrophic destruction.
The panel considers a range of factors including the threat of nuclear war, climate change, biotechnology, and cyber threats, and updates the clock annually to reflect the current state of the world.
The clock serves as a warning to leaders and citizens around the world, encouraging them to take immediate action to address these global threats.
Doomsday Clock
The Doomsday Clock was created in 1947 by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists with the purpose of symbolizing the proximity of humanity to catastrophic destruction and to serve as a warning to leaders and citizens around the world to take immediate action to address the global threats that endanger civilization. The clock considers factors such as the threat of nuclear war, climate change, biotechnology, and cyber threats, and is updated annually by a panel of experts. The goal is to encourage public engagement and action on critical global issues and to raise awareness about the urgency of addressing these threats.
The Doomsday Clock is reset annually, here's a list of some of the recent updates:
2023 - 90 seconds to midnight
2022 - 100 seconds to midnight
2021 - 100 seconds to midnight
2020 - 100 seconds to midnight
2019 - 100 seconds to midnight
2018 - 2 minutes to midnight
2017 - 2 and a half minutes to midnight
2016 - 3 minutes to midnight
2015 - 3 minutes to midnight
2012 - 5 minutes to midnight
2010 - 5 minutes to midnight
2007 - 5 minutes to midnight
2002 - 7 minutes to midnight
1991 - 17 minutes to midnight
1984 - 3 minutes to midnight
1981 - 4 minutes to midnight
1953 - 2 minutes to midnight.
Timeline of the Doomsday Clock
The Doomsday Clock is a symbolic representation of the proximity of humanity to global catastrophe and has been updated annually since its creation in 1947. Here is a brief timeline of some of the most notable updates to the Doomsday Clock:
1947 - The Doomsday Clock is created by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists in response to the nuclear threat posed by the United States and the Soviet Union. It is initially set at 7 minutes to midnight.
1949 - The clock is moved to 3 minutes to midnight, reflecting the increasing number of nuclear weapons held by both the United States and the Soviet Union.
1953 - The clock is set at 2 minutes to midnight, the closest it has ever been to midnight, reflecting the heightening threat of nuclear war during the Cold War.
1984 - The clock is moved to 3 minutes to midnight, reflecting the escalating nuclear arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union.
1991 - The clock is moved to 17 minutes to midnight, the furthest it has ever been from midnight, in response to the end of the Cold War and the signing of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) between the United States and the Soviet Union.
2007 - The clock is moved to 5 minutes to midnight, reflecting concerns about the proliferation of nuclear weapons and the lack of progress in reducing global carbon emissions.
2018 - The clock is moved to 2 minutes to midnight, reflecting the increasing threat of nuclear war, cyberattacks, and global climate change.
2021 - The clock is set at 100 seconds to midnight, the closest it has ever been since its creation, reflecting the continued threat of nuclear war, cyberattacks, and global climate change.
2023 - The clock is set at 90 seconds to midnight, The main reasons for this are the Russia Ukraine war and global climate change
The Doomsday Clock serves as a warning to leaders and citizens around the world, encouraging them to take immediate action to address the global threats that endanger civilization.