What is a Doomsday Clock?

Answer 1

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 "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 number of minutes before midnight, an arbitrary measure of the degree of nuclear threat, is updated periodically. The clock is currently set to five minutes to midnight, the most recent time adjustment having been made on January 17, 2007.


Time changes
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.

It was announced on 13 January, 2007 that the clock would move forward on 17 January, 2007 to reflect what the Board of Directors regard as worsening nuclear threats to the world. These include the indirect effects of climate change, which may increase nuclear weaponry through increased use of nuclear power (though some media reports implied that climate change itself was the reason for the time change).

The previous change was in 2002 when the clock was changed back to seven minutes to midnight, after recent deterioration in international relations. It has been moved 18 times in response to international events since its initial start at seven minutes to midnight in 1947:

The Doomsday Clock's minutes to midnight, 1947-2003.1949 - The Soviet Union tests its first atomic bomb. Clock changed to three minutes to midnight (four minutes closer to midnight).
1953 - The United States and the Soviet Union test thermonuclear devices within nine months of one another. Clock changed to two minutes to midnight (one minute closer, its closest approach to midnight to date).
1960 - In response to a perception of increased scientific cooperation and public understanding of the dangers of nuclear weapons, clock is changed to seven minutes to midnight (five minutes further from midnight).
1963 - The United States and Soviet Union sign the Partial Test Ban Treaty, limiting atmospheric nuclear testing. Clock changed to twelve minutes to midnight (another five minutes further).
1968 - France and China acquire and test nuclear weapons (1960 and 1964 respectively), wars rage on in the Middle East, Indian subcontinent, and Vietnam. Clock changed to seven minutes to midnight (five minutes closer to midnight).
1969 - The U.S. Senate ratifies the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Clock changed to ten minutes to midnight (three minutes further from midnight).
1972 - The United States and the Soviet Union sign the SALT I (Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty) and the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. Clock changed to twelve minutes to midnight (two minutes further).
1974 - India tests a nuclear device (Smiling Buddha), SALT II talks stall. Clock changed to nine minutes to midnight (three minutes closer to midnight).
1980 - Further deadlock in US-USSR talks, increase in nationalist wars and terrorist actions. Clock changed to seven minutes to midnight (two minutes closer).
1981 - Arms race escalates, conflicts in Afghanistan, South Africa, and Poland Cover of a 2002 Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists with the famous Doomsday Clock set at seven minutes to midnight. The clock can be seen in the "o" of Atomic in the title.add to world tension. Clock changed to four minutes to midnight (three minutes closer).
1984 - Further escalation of the arms race under the U.S. policies of Ronald Reagan. Clock changed to three minutes to midnight (one more minute closer).
1988 - The U.S. and the Soviet Union sign treaty to eliminate intermediate-range nuclear forces, relations improve. Clock changed to six minutes to midnight (three minutes further from midnight).
1990 - Fall of the Berlin Wall, success of anti-communist movements in Eastern Europe, Cold War nearing an end. Clock changed to ten minutes to midnight (four minutes further).
1991 - United States and Soviet Union sign the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. Clock changed to seventeen minutes to midnight (seven minutes further, its greatest distance from midnight so far).
1995 - Global military spending continues at Cold War levels; concerns about post-Soviet nuclear proliferation of weapons and brainpower. Clock changed to fourteen minutes to midnight (three minutes closer to midnight).
1998 - Both India and Pakistan test nuclear weapons in a tit-for-tat show of aggression; the United States and Russia run into difficulties in further reducing stockpiles. Clock changed to nine minutes to midnight (five minutes closer).
2002 - Little progress on global nuclear disarmament; United States rejects a series of arms control treaties and announces its intentions to withdraw from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty; terrorists seek to acquire nuclear weapons. Clock changed to seven minutes to midnight (two minutes closer).
2007 - Experts assessing the dangers posed to civilization have added climate change to the prospect of nuclear annihilation as the greatest threats to humankind. Updated to five minutes to midnight (two minutes closer)

Answer 2

From what I have read, the Doomsday Clock is a graphical representation that was developed in the post WWII years. It is a graphical representation of how close the human race is to wiping itself off the face of the plaet. It was particularly relevant when the USA and USSR were going through the cold war - relfecting tensions, etc. When proliferation of arms (arms race) increased and relations were bad, it was said that the doomsday clock was at 3minutes to midnight (the point at which we wipe ourselves off the planet).

When things settled down (fall of the USSR, non-proliferation treaties, etc) in the early 90's it was said that the clock went back to 20 to midnight or so. However, with the worry of terrorist attacks and climate change the clock has come back into our concoiusness - the hand moving ever closer to 12 midnight!

Answer 3

The "DOOMSDAY CLOCK" is not a clock at all. It is a method put forward by a group of scientist one of which is Stephen Hawkins, to try and give some sense of measurement to the eminent end of our planet. They use different method of setting that clock. THey just moved it ahead 2 minutes, nearer midnight. Midnight supposedly being the end of the world as we know it. Nuclear messes, warming of the planet etc... are all factors. When the Soviet Union fell apart, the clock went back a few minutes, but now it stands at near 3 minutes to midnight.

Answer 4

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. It was at 7 minutes 'til, then they moved it to 5 'til the other day..

Answer 5

first of all, you may all take it sluggish and relax approximately this stupid clock, why even situation questioning approximately it besides? i advise , are ya gonna be like "OH CRAP" if and whilst the tip of the international is right here?? is it going to even count to you? i comprehend for a actuality that i would be like huh, properly could have seen that coming. if something does ensue, merely be happy of the failings you have achieved in lifestyles, and ignore the rest.

Answer 6

Go to any National News web site and they have a BIG article on this in this mornings news. It was on my Homepage this morning