<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/28/doomsday-clock-closer-than-ever-to-midnight>
"A panel of international scientists has moved their symbolic “Doomsday Clock”
closer to midnight than ever before, citing Russian nuclear threats amid its
invasion of Ukraine, tensions in other world hotspots, military applications of
artificial intelligence and the climate crisis as factors underlying the risks
of global catastrophe.
The
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists set the clock to 89 seconds before
midnight – the theoretical point of annihilation. That is one second closer
than it was set last year. The Chicago-based non-profit created the clock in
1947 during the cold war tensions that followed the second world war to warn
the public about how close humankind was to destroying the world.
“The factors shaping this year’s decision – nuclear risk, climate change, the
potential misuse of advances in biological science and a variety of other
emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence – were not new in 2024.
But we have seen insufficient progress in addressing the key challenges, and in
many cases this is leading to increasingly negative and worrisome effects,”
said Daniel Holz, chair of the
Bulletin’s science and security board.
“Setting the Doomsday Clock at 89 seconds to midnight is a warning to all world
leaders,” Holz added.
Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine launched Europe’s bloodiest conflict since
the second world war.
“The war in Ukraine continues to loom as a large source of nuclear risk. That
conflict could escalate to include nuclear weapons at any moment due to a rash
decision or through accident and miscalculation,” Holz said.
The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, in November lowered the threshold for a
nuclear strike in response to a broader range of conventional attacks, a move
the Kremlin described as a signal to the west amid a war in which Ukraine has
received arms supplied by the United States and its allies. Russia’s updated
doctrine set a framework for conditions under which Putin could order a strike
from the world’s biggest nuclear arsenal.
Russia said in October that it would not discuss signing a new treaty with the
United States to replace the
New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty limiting
each side’s strategic nuclear weapons that expires in 2026 because Moscow
believes it needs to be broadened and expanded to cover other countries.
The Middle East has been another source of instability, with the Israel-Gaza
war and broader regional hostilities involving countries including Iran.
Nuclear-armed China has stepped up military pressure near Taiwan, sending
warships and planes into the waters and air space around the island that
Beijing views as its own territory. Nuclear-armed North Korea continues with
tests of various ballistic missiles."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
