‘Doomsday Clock’ scientists say humanity is closer to peril than ever before

Humanity is closer to absolute catastrophe than ever before, according to an international group of scientists.

The Doomsday Clock — a metaphorical device used to measure the risk of existential threats to humanity first set in 1947 — was moved forward to 89 seconds to midnight, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists announced Tuesday. Increasing risks of nuclear weapons, climate change, biological threats, and the deployment of AI on the battlefield, were among the reasons cited for the change.

“The world has not made sufficient progress on existential risks threatening all of humanity,” Bulletin member Daniel Holtz said at a press briefing.

Former President of Colombia and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Juan Manuel Santos said the return of US President Donald Trump to the White House could be a reason for optimism, citing the president’s recent overtures to Russia and China over nuclear arms controls. Santos also pointed to the momentum behind the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which more than 90 countries have signed so far.

“There is a big chance that this time next year, we will be moving the hands of the clock back, not forward,” Santos said.