The "Doomsday Clock" of
The hands of the clock were initially moved forward to 90 seconds to midnight last year. In moving the clock forward in 2023, The Bulletin, founded by Albert Einstein and scientists who helped develop the first atomic weapons in the Manhattan Project, issued a statement declaring it was: "A time of unprecedented danger."
"Largely" but "not exclusively," said The Bulletin in 2023, the clock was moved "to 90 seconds to midnight-- the closest to global catastrophe it has ever been-- "because of the war in Ukraine. It went on: "Russia's thinly veiled threats to use nuclear weapons remind the world that escalation of the conflict-- by accident, intention, or miscalculation-- is a terrible risk," said the statement. "The possibility that the conflict could spin out of anyone's control remains high."
On this Tuesday, January 23, The Bulletin, in keeping the clock at 90 seconds to midnight issued a statement that said: "Ominous trends continue to point the world toward global catastrophe."
Said Dr. Rachel Bronson, president and CEO of The Bulletin, "Make no mistake: resetting the clock at 90 seconds to midnight is not an indication that the world is stable. Quite the opposite. It's urgent for governments and communities around the world to act."
The hands of the Doomsday Clock are set every year by the Bulletin's Science and Security Board which includes 10 Nobel laureates.
Last year, The Bulletin's statement quoted Antonio Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations, as saying it had become "a time of nuclear danger not seen since the height of the Cold War."
Since, there have been additions to that nuclear danger.
Take North Korea.
Said the Newsweek headline this month: "North Korea Issues Ominous Warning About Nuclear Strike This Year." The subhead: "North Korea Ramps Up Preparations For War With U.S."
The headline of the Associated Press story: "North Korea's Kim says military should 'thoroughly annihilate' US, South Korea if provoked." AP's piece on January 1st included: "In a meeting yesterday with commanding army officers, Kim said it is urgent to sharpen 'the treasured sword' to safeguard national security, an apparent reference to the country's nuclear weapons program."
The Agence France-Presse article the day earlier began: "North Korean leader Kim Jong Un wrapped the year with fresh threats of a nuclear attack on Seoul and orders for a military arsenal build-up to prepare for a war that can 'break out any time'".[North Korean] state media reported".Kim lambasted the United States during a lengthy speech."
And in Newsweek last week, the article was headlined: "Kim Jong Un Has Decided To 'Go to War,' North Korea Watchers Warn." It quoted researchers at the Stimson Center saying Kim "has made a strategic decision to go to war" and the story said they regarded "the situation on the Korean Peninsula is now more dangerous than it has been at any point since the Korean War."
But now, unlike during the Korean War 70 years ago, North Korea has nuclear weapons and rockets to deliver them.
Consider Iran. The headline last week in the Daily Express: "Iran 'one week' away from nuclear bomb, warns ex-UN inspector as West braces for a showdown." The article quoted nuclear weapons expert David Albright saying: "Iran can quickly make enough weapon-grade uranium for many nuclear weapons, something it could not do in 2003. Today, it would need only about a week to produce enough for its first nuclear weapon."
The New York Times this month reported "the Iranian nuclear program has suddenly been put on steroids." The headline of its article: "From Lebanon to the Red Sea, a Broader Conflict with Iran Looms." The subhead: "With its proxies attacking from many vantage points and its nuclear program suddenly revived, Iran is posing a new challenge to the West-- this time with Russia and China on its side."
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