In news that has been warmly received by apocalyptic preppers all over the world, members of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists have decided to keep the symbolic Dooms Day clock at three minutes to midnight, the closest the metaphorical countdown to the destruction of mankind has been since the heights of the Cold War in the 1980s.
The Bulletin scientists listed a plethora of keep-you-up-at-night reasons as to why they clock is still perilously close to the planet’s doom, with the growing unease between the former Cold War enemies the USA and the Russian Federation top of the agenda; the escalating diplomatic difficulties between the two countries in Syria and regarding Crimea means future deals on controlling the number of arms are unlikely. And while the Obama administration has signed a historic deal with Iran, North Korea’s recent test of its nuclear capabilities means disarmament by the world’s nuclear powers is highly improbable.
The scientists also weighed up the bad news from NASA that 2015 was officially the warmest year on record, chalking down the Paris accord on climate change as a tepid success. The rise of terrorist groups like Boko Haram and Isis, the advancement of artificially-created biological weapons, and the threat of murderous technology all mean the clock’s minute hand is remaining fixed.
“The decision not to move the minute hand of the Doomsday Clock is not good news,” said Lawrence Krauss, chair of the Bulletin’s Board of Sponsors.
The periodical The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists was first created in 1945, in the philosophical fallout of the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. The mythical Doomsday Clock was first set two years later, designed as a simple way to inform the public about the growing likelihood of nuclear war. In the 70-year history of its publication, the scope of the clock has widened to include other factors and the Bulletin’s board have updated it 22 times.
