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Doomsday Clock Moved Two Minutes Forward, To 23:57

An anonymous reader writes As reported by CNN and Time, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists has moved their famed Doomsday Clock two minutes closer to midnight. Now at 23:57, this clock attempts to personify humanity's closeness to a global catastrophe (as caused by either climate change or nuclear war). According to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, this change is due to a lack of action regarding climate issues, the continued existence of nuclear weapon stockpiles, and the increased animosity that now exists between the United States and Russia.

19 of 216 comments (clear)

  1. IMO by Osgeld · · Score: 4, Insightful

    its horseshit scare tactics that dont work anymore over nonsense bullshit that has no leg to stand on

    so who cares, move it to 1 am, doesnt mean a damn thing

    1. Re:IMO by Applehu+Akbar · · Score: 5, Insightful

      In the days when the Doomsday Clock was published by actual atomic scientists, it measured their perception of how imminent the Cold War danger was. The end of Communism cut the Doomsday Clockers adrift, much as Salk vaccine did to the March of Dimes.

      So are the SJWs who found this thing in the attic and dusted it off advancing the clock because of carbon, or because of Islam? Let me guess...

    2. Re:IMO by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

      its horseshit scare tactics that dont work anymore over nonsense bullshit that has no leg to stand on

      so who cares, move it to 1 am, doesnt mean a damn thing

      Uh, I could be spitballing here, but maybe, just maybe, the original designers of the clock felt that humanity should fucking care.

      Or perhaps it was created to point out that they should. It's not called the Bake-A-Cake clock.

      And don't get me started on horseshit scare tactics. Politics have caused more panic and damage with global warming than 10,000 clocks ever could.

    3. Re:IMO by rossdee · · Score: 3, Insightful

      "so who cares, move it to 1 am, doesnt mean a damn thing"

      They'll do that in March anyway.

    4. Re:IMO by Jane+Q.+Public · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Climate Change Deniers have taken to calling themselves Skeptics precisely because of this negative connotation to our cause, just as AGW proponents changed to talk of Climate Change when they saw that Global Warming was no longer winning over the masses with their fear-mongering.

      Yep, it is hilarious considering that those deniers are part of the religious right (often stating their reason for denying climate change is something about god). To them, skeptics have the negative connotation. I guess they can't ask for people to believe their claims "on faith" anymore.

      Wrong on both counts.

      First, your revisionist history does not match recorded history. Most of the people you call deniers have ALWAYS labeled themselves skeptics. There are some just plain disbelievers, who disbelieve based on faith. But the majority of them follow the actual science.

      Second, most of these skeptics are NOT right-wing religious fanatics.

      Both of these myths have been promoted by the True Believers: the alarmists who can't back up their claims with real science.

      The recent declaration of 2014 as "the hottest year" -- when it wasn't anything of the kind -- is a wonderful illustration of the idiocy behind CO2 warming alarmism. Self-described Climate Scientists claimed the satellite temperature record would be the most accurate ever. And it is. But now that the satellite data is disproving their pet theory, they just leave that data out.

      It's really quite hilarious.

  2. Oh yay, more about the bullshit clock by Sycraft-fu · · Score: 5, Insightful

    You know, when something says that we are so close to destruction for over half a century... well you have to wonder why anyone would put any stock in it. It is a bit hard to reconcile with being on the edge of destruction, and yet everything continuing to not be destroyed.

  3. Re:Fear by CurryCamel · · Score: 3, Insightful

    or alternatively - go do something already!
    Looking at all the smart(ass) comments on slashdot gives me hope that 'living in harmony and peace' is not beyond our intelligence capabilities as the human race (how hard can it be?!?). Somebody just needs to kick the cynics' collective butt.
    Fair try with the clock. 7/10.

  4. ^^Winner by TrollstonButterbeans · · Score: 2, Insightful

    The risk of nuclear war was very real during the Cold war. Today, those countries are trading partners and run in a far more responsive manner, Russia is a democracy.

    The idea of the Doomsday clock being closer than the cold war is silly.

    Take the clock, put it in the trash. Disband the committee. Perhaps the symbol helped awareness during the Cold war but this is just a joke now.

    --
    Priest: "Universe from nothing, no laws of physics, sped up time"+ huge discrepancies. Creationism? No. Big Bang Theory
    1. Re:^^Winner by quenda · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Russia is a democracy.

      Ha, good one Trollston! You had me there for a minute.

    2. Re:^^Winner by Opportunist · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Which one isn't? Even though I'd debate the intelligence of some agencies, but the first part?

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  5. you can't boil this down to one variable by Karmashock · · Score: 3, Insightful

    maybe when it was just the US vs USSR this might have been almost workable but at this point you really need a different clock for every nuclear power.

    And short of that, this stupid clock is meaningless.

    --
    I've decided to stop wasting my time responding to AC trolls/sockpuppets... so if you want a response from me... login.
  6. Re:More Global Warming Alarmism!!!!!!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Global warming is a hoax.

    Try to separate reality from politics. Al Gore and the rest of the billionaire elite may well be using Global warming as an excuse to keep us peons down yet such actions are independent of and speak nothing about whether global warming itself is occurring nor does it shed any light on what potential consequences if any may be. These are things that require careful research and consideration to arrive at an understanding that isn't completely worthless.

    It is possible to concurrently agree with a climate prediction while strongly disagreeing about what should be done about it.

    A wealth redistribution program

    Gasoline is a wealth redistribution program if ever there was one with hard earned dollars going to fund cartoon empires with medieval sensibilities all around the globe.

    The claims more and more outrageous. What's next? Amber Alerts over gasoline guzzlers? EPA patrols at night to enforce a driving curfew or carpools?

    Doubtful "elite" have appetites for things which also negatively affect them. Taxing shit they dislike to death so peons can't afford is more their style.

    Want to stop 'man made' global warming? Kill yourself. End overpopulation. Starting with the UN and every politician.

    As an agent of the Aschen confederation you should demonstrate more patience.

  7. Re:Wow you sure showed me! by Imrik · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Genes aren't the only things that are hereditary. Many behaviors are learned from the environment rather than being innate to a person's biology.

  8. Wait a second... by Cheviot · · Score: 4, Insightful

    When did they add climate change to the Doomsday Clock and what makes the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists experts on how much closer global warming puts us to global catastrophe?

  9. Re:Balderdash by Isaac-1 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Make that was given, regardless of if you are an Obama supporter or not, you must admit many of the resasons he was given the prize so early in his presidency were not based on actions, but based on campaign promises that never came to passs.

  10. Re:More Global Warming Alarmism!!!!!!!! by Chas · · Score: 4, Insightful

    A wealth redistribution program

    Gasoline is a wealth redistribution program if ever there was one with hard earned dollars going to fund cartoon empires with medieval sensibilities all around the globe.

    Yeah. But with gasoline. You get...gasoline. Something for something.

    With "carbon credits" you get...what? Some guy going "Good for you dude! And thanks for the cash!". Something for nothing.

    --


    Chas - The one, the only.
    THANK GOD!!!
  11. Re:What a surprise by Opportunist · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Wait, there's a left now in US politics? When did that happen?

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  12. Re:Balderdash by Livius · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Obama got it for not being Bush, which at the time was a major step forward for world peace.

  13. Re:Balderdash by phayes · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Has world peace made a major step forward in the years Obama has been President? No. In fact by abandoning Iraq before they were ready Obama fostered the Islamic State which we will be spending the next few presidencies working on.

    Obama was indeed handed the NPP for not being Bush but that says more about the NPP's political leanings and how irrelevant the NPP is than anything else.

    --
    Democracy is a sheep and two wolves deciding what to have for lunch. Freedom is a well armed sheep contesting the issue