Doomsday Clock: Annihilation of Humanity Closer Than Ever Before

89 seconds until doomsday: In light of the unstable global situation, scientists are warning of a global catastrophe. Researchers from the "Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists" have set the symbolic time until the end of the Earth to 89 seconds for the first time, as they announced in Washington. In 2023, the researchers had set the hands of the "doomsday clock" to 90 seconds before midnight for the first time and left it that way in 2024.

Doomsday in 89 Seconds: Scientists Warn of Disaster

They have now taken a step further and warned: "The world is on a course with unprecedented risks, and the continuation of the current course is a form of madness."

The former Colombian president and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Juan Manuel Santos said: "With 89 seconds before midnight, the doomsday clock is closer to disaster than ever before in its history." Humanity is faced with existential threats.

Danger from Climate Change, Nuclear Weapons, Health Crises, and Misinformation

"The threat of a nuclear conflict is as great as never before," Santos warned. The only remaining major arms control agreement between the USA and Russia is due to expire next year. The climate crisis is also escalating. "2024 was the hottest year since records began, triggering devastating climate shocks." It is therefore particularly alarming that US President Donald Trump has announced the United States' withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement.

"The US's announcement to withdraw from the World Health Organization is another worrying decision that will have enormous impacts on global health security," he lamented. The increase in outbreaks of infectious diseases is alarming. Urgent action is also required to curb the spread of misinformation and conspiracy theories.

"Doomsday Clock" Invented in 1947

The symbolic status of the "doomsday clock" is announced once a year. In 2020, the clock was symbolically set to 100 seconds before midnight for the first time. The danger of humanity annihilating itself through a nuclear war or self-inflicted global warming is, in the researchers' view, now greater than ever since the clock was invented in 1947.

(APA/Red)

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