Recent world events prompt nuclear scientists to modify their predictions
On Jan. 26, the Science and Security Board of The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists moved the minute hand of the “Doomsday Clock” 30 seconds forward, reaching to two minutes and 30 seconds to midnight.
The Bulletin’s symbolic clock is used to predict how imminent nuclear or climate disasters are; it has not been changed since 2015.
The recent advance of the clock was described by the scientists as a way to raise awareness of the world’s vulnerability, which they ascribe to the volatility of the present political climate.
According to The New York Times, the clock was introduced in 1947 during the Cold War Era, and was set at seven minutes to midnight. Since then, the hands have moved closer and further with changing times.
In 1998, during nuclear arms testing conducted by India and Pakistan, the clock stood at nine minutes to midnight. In 2007, the clock was moved to five minutes, as Iran and North Korea began showing off their nuclear capabilities. However, the last time the clock was this close to midnight was in 1953, the year that marked the beginning of the nuclear arms race between the Soviet Union and the United States.
During a news conference in Washington, The Bulletin’s chair, Lawrence Krauss, blamed the recent advance largely on President Donald Trump and his stance regarding both nuclear arms and climate change.
In an opinion piece for The New York Times, Dr. David Titley and Dr. Krauss stated that, “Never before has The Bulletin decided to advance the clock largely because of the statements of a single person, but when that person is the new president of the United States, his words matter.”
With rising tensions between the U.S. and China, as reported on by The Independent, along with the encouragements of President Trump to build up nuclear weapons, scientists are concerned that unchecked nuclear advancements will spell disaster.
President Trump’s actions have been increasingly aggressive and militaristic, but his policies on climate change have also contributed to the moving of the clock.
The Bulletin examines climate change’s ability to bring on earthly disasters and have used President Trump’s opposition towards decreasing carbon dioxide emissions as rationale for their change to the clock.
The board is composed of nuclear scientists and experts on climate change who have expressed concern over the newly elected president’s dismissive nature regarding their expertise on the subject.
Whether the warning to the public will actually be effective is a topic of debate. The Bulletin is fearful that their alarming message will be lost amid the growing number of controversial actions by President Trump during his time in office.
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