Scientists Set to Move Doomsday Clock Forward

[eric&gen 0]

WASHINGTON (Jan. 12) - The keepers of the "Doomsday Clock" plan to move its hands forward next Wednesday to reflect what they call worsening nuclear and climate threats to the world.

The symbolic clock, maintained by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, currently is set at seven minutes to midnight, with midnight marking global catastrophe.

The group did not say in which direction the hands would move. But in a news release previewing an event next Wednesday, they said the change was based on "worsening nuclear, climate threats" to the world.

"The major new step reflects growing concerns about a 'Second Nuclear Age' marked by grave threats, including: nuclear ambitions in Iran and North Korea , unsecured nuclear materials in Russia and elsewhere, the continuing 'launch-ready' status of 2,000 of the 25,000 nuclear weapons held by the U.S. and Russia, escalating terrorism, and new pressure from climate change for expanded civilian nuclear power that could increase proliferation risks," the release reads.

The clock was last pushed forward by two minutes to seven minutes to midnight in 2002 amid concerns about the proliferation of nuclear, biological and other weapons and the threat of terrorism.

When it was created by the magazine's staff in 1947, it was initially set at seven minutes to midnight and has moved 17 times since then.

It was as close as two minutes to midnight in 1953 following U.S. and Soviet hydrogen bomb tests, and as far away as 17 minutes to midnight in 1991 after the superpowers reached agreement on a nuclear arms reductions.

[mrc 0]

What's so scary about this?

[eric&gen 0]

Its the end of the world before we know it? Seems like were headed that way.

[Fandango 1,439]

WASHINGTON (Jan. 12) - The keepers of the "Doomsday Clock" plan to move its hands forward next Wednesday to reflect what they call worsening nuclear and climate threats to the world.

The symbolic clock, maintained by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, currently is set at seven minutes to midnight, with midnight marking global catastrophe.

The group did not say in which direction the hands would move. But in a news release previewing an event next Wednesday, they said the change was based on "worsening nuclear, climate threats" to the world.

"The major new step reflects growing concerns about a 'Second Nuclear Age' marked by grave threats, including: nuclear ambitions in Iran and North Korea , unsecured nuclear materials in Russia and elsewhere, the continuing 'launch-ready' status of 2,000 of the 25,000 nuclear weapons held by the U.S. and Russia, escalating terrorism, and new pressure from climate change for expanded civilian nuclear power that could increase proliferation risks," the release reads.

The clock was last pushed forward by two minutes to seven minutes to midnight in 2002 amid concerns about the proliferation of nuclear, biological and other weapons and the threat of terrorism.

When it was created by the magazine's staff in 1947, it was initially set at seven minutes to midnight and has moved 17 times since then.

It was as close as two minutes to midnight in 1953 following U.S. and Soviet hydrogen bomb tests, and as far away as 17 minutes to midnight in 1991 after the superpowers reached agreement on a nuclear arms reductions.

[pedroh 21]

OH NOES!!

OMGF LYK3 t3h 3ND 0f T3h!!

NERF the end of the world!!

[KarenCee 3]

How many times has this been "news"?

[Alanlvsjudy 0]

Heh, I can see it now...In the face of impending doom, some scientist tells his wife "honey you and the kids go on to the shelter without me, I *have* to go move the clock to midnight"

Its just a symbol, rather meaningless in and of itself. If you want to see scary #######, watch the news...

[KarenCee 3]

Heh, I can see it now...In the face of impending doom, some scientist tells his wife "honey you and the kids go on to the shelter without me, I *have* to go move the clock to midnight"

Its just a symbol, rather meaningless in and of itself. If you want to see scary #######, watch the news...

So true! The daily news is enough to scare the chit outta most anyone.

[LaL 418]

and here i am just waiting for dec 21, 2012! thanks for enlightening me

[peejay 327]

Its the end of the world before we know it? Seems like were headed that way.

Kind of similar to an old song by REM. Cool tune. One of my favorites.

But seriously. I grew up during the Cold War and constantly was reminded that the commies were going to nuke us into crispy critters on a moment's notice. We had to watch grim civil defense films in school and drop to the floor under our desks covering our heads whenever the school principal decided to conduct a nuclear attack drill by setting off an alarm over the PA speakers in the classroom. A really wacky thing to do to impressionable elementary school kids. Nowdays that would be considered child abuse. That was the 50's and 60's era USA.

The clock doesn't scare me. I've lived most of my life with one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel.

[eric&gen 0]

I don't want a world war or nothing bad to happened but look at the signs. All over the world problems with IRAN, IRAQ and NORTH KOREA etc. Global warming, earthquakes tsunami's.