Doomsday Clock Moves to 90 seconds before midnight, closest to doomsday ever

On January 24, 2023, the Doomsday Clock was moved to 90 seconds before midnight, meaning that the Clock's current setting is the closest it has ever been to midnight since its inception in 1947. This adjustment was largely attributed to the risk of nuclear escalation that arose from the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and decision of NATO countries, Germany, Poland and USA to supply Ukraine with modern tanks which came to light on the same day. The current 90 seconds to midnight is the closest the Doomsday Clock has been to midnight in its 76 year history.

The Doomsday Clock was first introduced by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists in 1947, soon after the end of World War II and the beginning of the nuclear age. The clock was meant to serve as a symbol of the danger posed by the newly developed atomic bombs and the possibility of global catastrophic events. Since then, the clock's time has been adjusted over the years to reflect changes in the global threat level and the urgency of taking action to address these threats. The clock has become a widely recognized symbol of the dangers facing humanity and a call to action to address these challenges before it is too late.

The Doomsday Clock has been adjusted 26 times since its inception in 1947. The clock's time has been adjusted to reflect changing global threat levels and the urgency of taking action to address various threats to humanity, including nuclear weapons proliferation, climate change, and the rise of disinformation. The clock's time has ranged from as far as 17 minutes to midnight in 1991, to as close as 100 seconds to midnight in 2021. The clock's movements serve as a reminder of the continued need for action to address the various threats facing humanity and to strive for a safer and more secure world.

The Doomsday Clock is maintained by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, a non-profit organization of scientists and experts. The clock's minute hand is adjusted based on current events, with the clock's current time representing the perceived likelihood of a global disaster occurring in the near future. The closer the clock is to midnight, the closer the world is perceived to be to catastrophe.

Previously the Doomsday Clock was moved in January 2021, when it was set to 100 seconds to midnight, the closest it has ever been. That time the minute hand was moved 20 seconds closer to midnight, reflecting increasing concern among the scientists and experts who maintain the clock about the ongoing threats posed by nuclear weapons, climate change, and disinformation.

Each movement of the Doomsday Clock was broadcasted on live television and covered by major news outlets because it serves as a symbolic representation of the current global threat level and the urgency of taking action to address these threats. The announcement of the clock's time is meant to call attention to the pressing issues of our time, such as nuclear weapons proliferation, climate change, and the rise of misinformation, and to encourage leaders and citizens to take action to address these issues before it is too late. By presenting the information to a wide audience, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists hopes to raise awareness and spur action on these important issues.

The movement of the Doomsday Clock on January 24, 2023 represents an opinion by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists that we are now ever closer to all-out nuclear war, even closer than during the Cuban missile crisis of 1963. During the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, the Doomsday Clock was set to seven minutes to midnight, its closest setting up to that point. The crisis was a defining moment of the Cold War and brought the world closer to nuclear conflict than ever before. The setting of the clock reflected the heightened sense of global danger and the urgency of taking action to avoid a catastrophic outcome. The resolution of the crisis and the subsequent signing of the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty helped to reduce tensions and move the clock back from the brink.