Scientists Adjust `Doomsday Clock' as Threat Grows

[Mike Baker]

Scientists Adjust `Doomsday Clock' as Threat Grows (Update1)

By Alex Morales

Jan. 17 (Bloomberg) -- Scientists today moved the minute- hand on the symbolic ``Doomsday Clock'' to five minutes to midnight, to indicate growing concerns about the global nuclear threat.

The clock was set up in 1947 with a time of seven minutes to midnight, and movement of the minute-hand symbolizes growing or declining threat, with midnight representing destruction by nuclear war. For almost five years, the hand has stood where it began, at seven minutes to midnight. It has only been moved 17 times before, fluctuating between 2 and 17 minutes to midnight.

The hand was moved forward two minutes today, reflecting concerns that the world is heading toward ``a second nuclear age,'' and also that climate change poses a threat to stability, said Kennette Benedict, executive director of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, the magazine which set up the clock in 1947.

``Not since the first atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki has the world faced such perilous choices,'' Benedict said in a conference call with reporters, reading from the board's statement. ``We stand on the brink of a second nuclear age.''

The scientists decided to adjust the clock because of reasons including the perceived nuclear ambitions of Iran and North Korea, unsecured nuclear materials in Russia, and the continued ``launch-ready'' status of arms in the U.S. and Russia.

Sanctions

``North Korea's recent test of a nuclear weapon, Iran's nuclear ambitions, a renewed U.S. emphasis on the military utility of nuclear weapons, the failure to adequately secure nuclear materials, and the continued presence of some 26,000 nuclear weapons in the United States and Russia are symptomatic of a larger failure to solve the problems posed by the most destructive technology on Earth,'' the board said in its statement, published on the bulletin's Web site.

The United Nations on Dec. 23 imposed sanctions on Iran, following allegations by the U.S. that the Islamic Republic was using nuclear-power plans to disguise a weapons program, a violation of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. North Korea tested its first nuclear bomb Oct. 9, leading to a UN Security Council resolution banning sales of military equipment and luxury goods to the east Asian nation.

More at http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601102&sid=aTa7clkaxKCU&refer=uk

 

[Journeyman]

According to the Doomsday Clock's originators, the Clock "symbolizes the urgency of the nuclear dangers."

Yet now, it's ticked down from its 2002 position of 7 minutes to midnight in part because of "the expected consequences of climate change." Does this mean they believe a nuclear threat is no longer a sufficient justification for their Clock, and in order to keep their staffers employed they have to find another bandwagon to jump on?

More at http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601102&sid=aTa7clkaxKCU&refer=uk
The United Nations on Dec. 23 imposed sanctions on Iran...

And yet, the clock still ticked closer to midnight! Are they also saying that UN sanctions aren't worth the bandwidth to announce them in reducing a nuclear threat?!

Scandalous. Excuse me, my tree needs a hug 

 

[JesseWZ]

NOOO Don't hug your tree! The Atomic waste has mutated it and it will eat you.... alive.

 

[George Wallace]

I believe they did this as a result of all the 'fear mongering' about Global Warming by the Suzukiites and the revelation that if we had suffered an Nuclear War, that would have likely created a 'Nuclear Winter'.  Following that logic, some have developed a plan to counter Global Warming with Nuclear War.  The hope is to have the Nuclear Winter counter the affects of Global Warming, and we can live happily ever after.............but glow in the dark.  ;D

 

[Old Sweat]

George,

If we all glow in the dark, that will cut down the need for hydro and we will conserve energy.

 

[JesseWZ]

This just seems like a win win situation to me.

 

[niner domestic]

Well frig, and here I just got my VCR clock working and they do this!!!

 

[Centurian1985]

The clock is merely a marketing tool to garner attention for a bunch of theoriticians who otherwise would be ignored.  Nothing but cheap symbols and theatrics.  Its pretty easy to do when you can move the hands back whenever you want to...           

 

[Brad Sallows]

>The scientists decided to adjust the clock because of reasons including the perceived nuclear ambitions of Iran and North Korea, unsecured nuclear materials in Russia, and the continued ``launch-ready'' status of arms in the U.S. and Russia.

Aside from the perceived nuclear ambitions of nations which are unlikely to be able to goad anyone into a free-fire exchange of nuclear arsenals, what is different about the other factors that merits a greater threat now than this time last month?

 

[bleedingvamp]

Hey, uhm this may seem like a stupid question... but whats the Doomsday clock????  :-[

 

[CrazyCanuck]

A symbol

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

Curiously, they adjusted it just minutes after "24" finished last Monday night.......

 

[Mike Baker]

Curiously, they adjusted it just minutes after "24" finished last Monday night.......

Yeah, I was reading that the producers have "went to far" with this and they only air the show to keep the idea that domestic terrorism can still happen, even a nuclear one.

Here is the link http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=2795969&page=1

 

[MarkOttawa]

Some relevant facts here:

The end is nigher than you thought
http://www.damianpenny.com/archived/008675.html

Mark
Ottawa

 

[Kilo_302]

I have to admit, the clock is a pretty arbitrary way of exposing "threats" to human civilization. But if it helps underline current issues, I don't really have a problem with it. Including global warming on the list is good, because global warming exists, and it will probably be the most significant security threat to Canadians in this century (I use the word security in a critical sense, not just in the military or defense definition).