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I read that the Doomsday Clock is about to be moved forward. What exactly is it, anyway?

2007-01-12 09:48:56 · 7 answers · asked by kittyluvr0223 3 in News & Events Current Events

7 answers

It's not a real clock. It's a symbol representing how close the world is to self destruction. When it reaches "midnight" , the world will self-destruct. The closest it has been is two minutes 'til midnight when tensions between The U.S. and Soviets were at their peak. Right now I think it's at seven minutes 'til, and probably will move closer when they make the move they've announced.

2007-01-12 10:00:33 · answer #1 · answered by crazydave 7 · 0 0

When it was created by the magazine's staff (Bulletin of Atomic Scientists) in 1947, it was initially set at seven minutes to midnight and has moved 17 times since then.
The symbolic clock, maintained by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, currently is set at seven minutes to midnight, with midnight marking global catastrophe. The following web site offers more information about the clock and a timeline. Hope this helps> http://www.thebulletin.org/doomsday_clock/timeline.htm

2007-01-12 10:00:04 · answer #2 · answered by tpbthigb 4 · 0 0

The Doomsday Clock is a symbolic clockface maintained since 1947 by the Board of Directors of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists at the University of Chicago. It uses the analogy of the human race being at a time that is a 'few minutes to midnight' where midnight represents destruction by nuclear war. The clock has appeared on the cover of each issue of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists since its introduction.

The clock was started at seven minutes to midnight during the Cold War in 1947, and has subsequently been moved forwards or backwards at intervals, depending on the state of the world and the prospects for nuclear war. Its setting is relatively arbitrary, set by the Board of Directors at the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists in response to global affairs. The setting of the clock has not always been fast enough to cope with the speed of global events, either; one of the closest periods to nuclear war, the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, reached its head and resolution in a number of weeks, and the clock either could not be changed or was not changed to reflect any of this at the time. Nevertheless, the changing of the clock usually does provoke attention, which is presumably the goal of the Bulletin Directors.

The clock was last changed in 2002 back to seven minutes to midnight, after recent deterioration in international relations. Each time nuclear conflict comes closer, it is moved forward. Conversely, the minute hand moves back as world events improve. It has been moved 17 times in response to international events since its initial start at seven minutes to midnight in 1947:

On October 11, 2006, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists released a statement[1] in response to North Korea's recent nuclear test:

North Korea's recent underground nuclear test is part of a worrisome trend of increased nuclear proliferation. Before making a decision about moving the hands of the Clock, however, the Board of Directors is also watching to see how the international community responds to North Korea's actions.

The press release also outlined concerns with Russia, Pakistan, and Al Qaeda, and concluded by stating:

While we continue to follow closely the actions surrounding North Korea's first nuclear test, we are mindful as well of the larger context of nuclear proliferation and disarmament. All these considerations continue to inform the Board's decisions about the state of global security.

On January 12, 2007, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists in a press release noted that the Doomsday clock was to be moved forward to highlight the "Most Perilous Period Since Hiroshima and Nagasaki."

The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists (BAS) will move the minute hand of the "Doomsday Clock" on January 17, 2007, the first such change to the Clock since February 2002. 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. [2]

The official announcement will take place on January 17th, 2007 at 14:30 hours GMT

2007-01-12 09:57:43 · answer #3 · answered by qsleonard 2 · 1 0

first of all, you are able to desire to all take a while and relax approximately this stupid clock, why even situation thinking approximately it besides? i propose , are ya gonna be like "OH CRAP" if and whilst the tip of the international is right here?? is it going to even matter to you? i understand for a certainty that i would be like huh, nicely could desire to have seen that coming. if something does take place, purely be chuffed of the failings you have finished in life, and neglect the rest.

2016-12-13 04:18:11 · answer #4 · answered by ? 3 · 0 0

It's going to be move to 4 minutes, a little closer, but you really don't want to know what it is, it's the end of you and me and everything else.♦

2007-01-12 10:54:02 · answer #5 · answered by Glenn N 3 · 0 0

it's a hypothetical clock showing us how many minutes we are removed from ww3

2007-01-12 16:41:28 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

Is that not what witnesses have at the side of there bed! Ooops sorry! I have not got a clue!

2007-01-12 09:57:35 · answer #7 · answered by AZRAEL Ψ 5 · 0 0

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