Doomsday Clock still close to midnight

The Doomsday Clock – which indicates how near our planet is to annihilation – stands at 100 seconds to midnight for the second year running, the closest it has ever been


1945: Scientists working on Manhattan Project – developing world’s first nuclear weapons – create Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists of Chicago (BAS)

1947: BAS launches Doomsday Clock

2021: Remains at 100 seconds to midnight amid threat from Covid-19, climate change and potential nuclear war


UPS AND DOWNS SINCE 1947

1947: Doomsday Clock introduced 
Clock stands at 7 minutes to midnight

1949

1953: U.S. and Soviet Union start testing hydrogen bombs

1960
1963
1968 
1969
1972
1974
1980 
1981

1984: U.S.-Soviet relations reach lowest point in decades

1988
1990

1991: Cold War officially ends 
U.S. and Russia cut nuclear arsenals. Clock stands at 17 minutes to midnight

1995
1998
2002
2007
2010
2012
2015
2020

01 minutes to midnight (doomsday hour)
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
	1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020


Source: Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
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