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End of the world: The clock is ticking
When will the world go down? Every year, scientists revise the Doomsday Clock, showing how much time we have left. This year does not look good.
The Doomsday Clock is famous. In 1947, the doomsday clock appeared for the first time on the cover of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists magazine. It should alert humanity to the extent of the nuclear threat. At that time, the clock was seven minutes to twelve. Since then, it is renewed every year. In 2016 we seem to be dangerously close to the end of the world.
Scientists have set the clock to 11:57 this year. Three minutes to twelve - humanity was near the end of the world last in the Cold War era of 1984. The reasons given are the progressive climate change, but also the behavior of the world powers in dealing with nuclear weapons. The board members of the magazine agree: It does not look good.
Year by year, scientists are calling for greater attention in dealing with our fellow human beings and our environment by setting the World Clock. We are about to destroy our world - without many being really aware of it. Only when we are so drastically shown how close we are to an end of the world, maybe - hopefully - will anything change. The clock is ticking.
(ww4)
BREAKING NEWS: Just announced, the Doomsday Clock remains at Three Minutes to Midnight.
Posted by Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists on Tuesday, January 26, 2016
