Doomsday Clock Remains at Five Minutes to Midnight

Lasrick writes "The Doomsday Clock remains at 5 minutes to midnight. In a letter to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and members of the UN Security Council, the Bulletin announced its decision and how it was made. The decision to move (or to leave in place) the minute hand of the Doomsday Clock is made every year by the Bulletin's Science and Security Board in consultation with its Board of Sponsors, which includes 18 Nobel laureates. The Clock has become a universally recognized indicator of the world's vulnerability to catastrophe from nuclear weapons, climate change, and new technologies emerging in other domains." Reasons for the clock remaining at five minutes include the U.S. and Russian not doing much for disarmament increasing nuclear weapon stockpiles in India and China, stalled efforts to reduce carbon emissions globally, and "killer robots."

Comments

clarification for those confused

[nimbius]

For those of us americans who are rather new to the idea of a doomsday clock, its been in existence since 1947. The closer they set the Clock to midnight, the closer the Science and Security Board believes the world to be to global disaster.

the clock was and has been largely deprecated in american society regardless of the fact that we have precipitated many of its advancements. Its a confusing decision but easily understood once explained. Anything that detracts from regularly scheduled trips to the consumatorium is generally frowned upon by the leaders. In addition, anything that causes you to question or forego extra toppings on your convenience food is to be avoided as well. Doomsday clocks, nutritional information and living "within ones means" are all notions and fancies you'll not find tolerable in this the year of our lord 2014.