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DoomsdayClock

FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

TheDoomsdayClockisasymbolicclockfacethatrepresentsa
countdowntopossibleglobalcatastrophe.Ithasbeenmaintainedsince
1947bythemembersofTheBulletinoftheAtomicScientists'Science
andSecurityBoard,[2]whoareinturnadvisedbytheGoverningBoard
andtheBoardofSponsors,including18NobelLaureates.Thecloser
theysettheClocktomidnight,themorevulnerablethescientists
believetheworldistoglobaldisaster.

Originally,theClock,whichhangsonawallinTheBulletin'sofficein
theUniversityofChicago,[3]representedananalogyforthethreatof
globalnuclearwarhowever,since2007ithasalsoreflectedclimate
change,[4]andnewdevelopmentsinthelifesciencesandtechnology
thatcouldinflictirrevocableharmtohumanity.[5] TheDoomsdayClockiscurrentlyat
twoandahalfminutesbefore
Themostrecentofficiallyannouncedsettingtwoandahalfminutesto midnight.[1]
midnightwasmadeinJanuary2017dueto"Theriseof'strident
nationalism'worldwide,UnitedStatesPresidentDonaldTrump's
commentsovernuclearweapons,andthedisbeliefinthescientificconsensusoverClimateChangebythe
TrumpAdministration."[6][7]

Contents
1 History
2 Symbolictimepiecechanges
3 Seealso
4 References
5 Externallinks

History
TheClock'sorigincanbetracedtotheinternationalgroupofresearcherscalledtheChicagoAtomicScientists,
whohadparticipatedintheManhattanProject.[3]AftertheatomicbombingsofHiroshimaandNagasaki,they
beganpublishingamimeographednewsletterandthenthemagazine,BulletinoftheAtomicScientists,which,
sinceitsinception,hasdepictedtheClockoneverycover.TheClockwasfirstrepresentedin1947,whenThe
BulletincofounderHymanGoldsmithaskedartistMartylLangsdorf(wifeofManhattanProjectresearch
associateandSzilrdpetitionsignatoryAlexanderLangsdorf,Jr.)todesignacoverforthemagazine'sJune
1947issue.AsEugeneRabinowitch,anothercofounderofTheBulletin,explainedlater,

TheBulletin'sclockisnotagaugetoregistertheupsanddownsoftheinternationalpower
struggleitisintendedtoreflectbasicchangesinthelevelofcontinuousdangerinwhichmankind
livesinthenuclearage...[8]
InJanuary2007,designerMichaelBierut,whowasonTheBulletin'sGoverning
Board,redesignedtheClocktogiveitamoremodernfeel.In2009,TheBulletin
ceaseditsprinteditionandbecameoneofthefirstprintpublicationsintheU.S.to
becomeentirelydigitaltheClockisnowfoundaspartofthelogoonThe
Bulletin'swebsite.InformationabouttheDoomsdayClockSymposium,[9]a
timelineoftheClock'ssettings,[6]andmultimediashowsabouttheClock'shistory
andculture[10]canalsobefoundonTheBulletin'swebsite.

The5thDoomsdayClockSymposium[9]washeldonNovember14,2013,in
Washington,D.C.itwasadaylongeventthatwasopentothepublicandfeatured
panelistsdiscussingvariousissuesonthetopic"CommunicatingCatastrophe".
TherewasalsoaneveningeventattheHirshhornMuseumandSculptureGarden Coverofthe1947
inconjunctionwiththeHirshhorn'scurrentexhibit,"DamageControl:Artand BulletinoftheAtomic
DestructionSince1950".[11]Thepaneldiscussions,heldattheAmerican Scientistsissuethatfirst
AssociationfortheAdvancementofScience,werestreamedlivefromThe featuredtheDoomsday
Clockatsevenminutesto
Bulletin'swebsiteandcanstillbeviewedthere.[12]Reflectinginternationalevents
midnight.
dangeroustohumankind,theClock'shandshavebeenadjusted23timessinceits
inceptionin1947asofJanuary26,2017,[13]whentheClockwasinitiallysetto
sevenminutestomidnight.

Symbolictimepiecechanges
In1947,duringtheColdWar,theClockwasstartedatsevenminutestomidnightandwassubsequently
advancedorrewoundperthestateoftheworldandnuclearwarfareprospects.TheClock'ssettingisdecidedby
TheBulletinoftheAtomicScientists'sScienceandSecurityBoardandiscompletelyarbitrarywithouta
specifiedstartingtime.TheClockisnotsetandresetinrealtimeaseventsoccurratherthanrespondtoeach
andeverycrisisasithappens,theScienceandSecurityBoardmeetstwiceannuallytodiscussglobaleventsin
adeliberativemanner.Theclosestnuclearwarthreat,theCubanMissileCrisisin1962,reachedcrisis,climax,
andresolutionbeforetheClockcouldbesettoreflectthatpossibledoomsday.[14]

DoomsdayClockgraph,19472015.Thelowerpointsonthegraphrepresentahigherprobabilityof
technologicallyorenvironmentallyinducedcatastrophe,andthehigherpointsrepresentalower
probability.
TimelineoftheDoomsdayClock[6]
Minutes
Year to Change Reason
midnight

1947 7 TheinitialsettingoftheDoomsdayClock.

TheSovietUniontestsitsfirstatomicbomb,officially
1949 3 4
startingthenucleararmsrace.

TheUnitedStatesandtheSovietUniontestthermonuclear
1953 2 1 deviceswithinninemonthsofoneanother.(Thisisthe
Clock'sclosestapproachtomidnightsinceitsinception.)

Inresponsetoaperceptionofincreasedscientificcooperation
andpublicunderstandingofthedangersofnuclearweapons
(aswellaspoliticalactionstakentoavoid"massive
retaliation"),theUnitedStatesandSovietUnioncooperate
andavoiddirectconfrontationinregionalconflictssuchas
the1956SuezCrisis.Scientistsfromvariouscountrieshelp
1960 7 +5
establishtheInternationalGeophysicalYear,aseriesof
coordinated,worldwidescientificobservationsbetween
nationsalliedwithboththeUnitedStatesandtheSoviet
Union,andthePugwashConferencesonScienceandWorld
Affairs,whichallowSovietandAmericanscientiststo
interact.

TheUnitedStatesandtheSovietUnionsignthePartialTest
1963 12 +5
BanTreaty,limitingatmosphericnucleartesting.

TheinvolvementoftheUnitedStatesintheVietnamWar
intensifies,theIndoPakistaniWarof1965takesplace,and
theSixDayWaroccursin1967.FranceandChina,two
1968 7 5 nationswhichhavenotsignedthePartialTestBanTreaty,
acquireandtestnuclearweapons(the1960GerboiseBleue
andthe1964596,respectively)toassertthemselvesasglobal
playersinthenucleararmsrace.

Everynationintheworld,withthenotableexceptionsof
1969 10 +3 India,Israel,andPakistan,signstheNuclearNon
ProliferationTreaty.

TheUnitedStatesandtheSovietUnionsignthefirst
1972 12 +2 StrategicArmsLimitationTreaty(SALTI)andtheAnti
BallisticMissile(ABM)Treaty.
Minutes
Year to Change Reason
midnight
Indiatestsanucleardevice(SmilingBuddha),andSALTII
talksstall.BoththeUnitedStatesandtheSovietUnion
1974 9 3
modernizemultipleindependentlytargetablereentryvehicles
(MIRVs).

UnforeseeableendtodeadlockinAmericanSoviettalksas
1980 7 2 theSovietAfghanWarbegins.Asaresultofthewar,the
U.S.SenaterefusestoratifytheSALTIIagreement.

TheClockisadjustedinearly1981.[15]TheSovietwarin
AfghanistantoughenstheU.S.'nuclearposture.President
JimmyCarterwithdrawstheUnitedStatesfromthe1980
SummerOlympicGamesinMoscow.TheCarter
1981 4 3 administrationconsiderswaysinwhichtheUnitedStates
couldwinanuclearwar.RonaldReaganbecomespresident,
scrapsfurtherarmsreductiontalkswiththeSovietUnion,and
arguesthattheonlywaytoendtheColdWaristowinit.
TensionsbetweentheUnitedStatesandtheSovietUnion
contributetothedangerofthenuclearannihilation.
FurtherescalationofthetensionsbetweentheUnitedStates
andtheSovietUnion,withtheongoingSovietAfghanWar
intensifyingtheColdWar.U.S.PershingIImediumrange
ballisticmissileandcruisemissilesaredeployedinWestern
1984 3 1 Europe.[15]RonaldReaganpushestowintheColdWarby
intensifyingthearmsracebetweenthesuperpowers.The
SovietUnionanditsallies(exceptRomania)boycottthe1984
OlympicGamesinLosAngeles,asaresponsetotheU.Sled
boycottin1980.
InDecember1987,theClockismovedbackthreeminutesas
theUnitedStatesandtheSovietUnionsigntheIntermediate
1988 6 +3 RangeNuclearForcesTreaty,toeliminateintermediaterange
nuclearmissiles,andtheirrelationsimprove.[16]

TheFalloftheBerlinWallandtheIronCurtain,alongwith
1990 10 +4 theunificationofGermany,meanthattheColdWarisnearing
itsend.

TheUnitedStatesandSovietUnionsignthefirstStrategic
ArmsReductionTreaty(STARTI),andthedissolutionofthe
1991 17 +7
SovietUniononDecember26.(Thisisthefurthestfrom
midnighttheClockhasbeensinceitsinception.)

GlobalmilitaryspendingcontinuesatColdWarlevelsamid
1995 14 3 concernsaboutpostSovietnuclearproliferationofweapons
andbrainpower.

BothIndia(PokhranII)andPakistan(ChagaiI)testnuclear
1998 9 5 weaponsinatitfortatshowofaggressiontheUnitedStates
andRussiarunintodifficultiesinfurtherreducingstockpiles.
Minutes
Year to Change Reason
midnight
Littleprogressonglobalnucleardisarmament.UnitedStates
rejectsaseriesofarmscontroltreatiesandannouncesits
intentionstowithdrawfromtheAntiBallisticMissileTreaty,
2002 7 2
amidconcernsaboutthepossibilityofanuclearterrorist
attackduetotheamountofweapongradenuclearmaterials
thatareunsecuredandunaccountedforworldwide.
NorthKoreatestsanuclearweaponinOctober2006,[17]
Iran'snuclearambitions,arenewedAmericanemphasison
themilitaryutilityofnuclearweapons,thefailureto
adequatelysecurenuclearmaterials,andthecontinued
2007 5 2 presenceofsome26,000nuclearweaponsintheUnited
StatesandRussia.[18]Afterassessingthedangersposedto
civilization,climatechangewasaddedtotheprospectof
nuclearannihilationasthegreatestthreatstohumankind.[19]
Worldwidecooperationtoreducenucleararsenalsandlimit
effectofclimatechange.[6]NewSTARTagreementisratified
byboththeUnitedStatesandRussia,andmorenegotiations
forfurtherreductionsintheAmericanandRussiannuclear
2010 6 +1 arsenalarealreadyplanned.2009UnitedNationsClimate
ChangeConferenceinCopenhagen,Denmarkresultsinthe
developingandindustrializedcountriesagreeingtotake
responsibilityforcarbonemissionsandtolimitglobal
temperatureriseto2degreesCelsius.

Lackofglobalpoliticalactiontoaddressglobalclimate
2012 5 1 change,nuclearweaponsstockpiles,thepotentialforregional
nuclearconflict,andnuclearpowersafety.[20]

Concernsamidcontinuedlackofglobalpoliticalactionto
addressglobalclimatechange,themodernizationofnuclear
2015 3 2 weaponsintheUnitedStatesandRussia,andtheproblemof
nuclearwaste.[21]
Riseofnationalism,UnitedStatesPresidentDonaldTrump's
commentsovernuclearweapons,thethreatofarenewedarms
racebetweentheU.S.andRussia,andthedisbeliefinthe
2017 212 12 scientificconsensusoverclimatechangebytheTrump
Administration.[7][22][23][24][25](Thisisthefirstuseofa
fractioninthetime,andtheclock'sclosestapproachto
midnightsince1953.)

Seealso
Apocalypticism Riskstocivilization,humans,andplanetEarth
Doomsdaydevice SvalbardGlobalSeedVault
Eschatology TheBomb(film)
Mutualassureddestruction
Riskstocivilization,humans,andplanetEarth
References
1."Timeline".

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