The world “did not become safer”: the hands of the clock of Revelation, which since 1947 symbolizes an impending catastrophic event for the planet, were kept at 100 seconds from midnight, from the fatal blow to the world, as no improvement in the global situation from 2020 until today.
The dangers posed by nuclear weapons, climate change and pandemics have increased over the past year, largely due to “a malfunctioning information system that undermines rational decision-making,” said the non-governmental organization Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, which manages this iconic clock. an allegory of human exposure to global dangers.
“We are stuck in a dangerous period that brings neither stability nor security,” said Professor Sharon Squasoni. “The clock of Revelation continues to hang over our heads, reminding us that we need to work to ensure a safer and healthier planet,” added Rachel Bronson, the NGO’s president.
“If humanity wants to avoid an existential catastrophe that would erase everything it has experienced, leaders must do a better job of tackling misinformation, taking science into account and working together,” Bronson said.
Compared to previous years, the issue of information is now considered critical by the organization.
Herb Lynn, a digital security expert, commented that no “reasonable argument” was enough to convince those with strong beliefs that were causing “cracks in our common sense of what is true.”
According to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 2021 did not bring any significant change for the climate.
“Last year (…) we had the dome of heat over North America, fires around the world, droughts and floods, but this is just one example of what to expect if we do not reduce carbon dioxide emissions to zero.” explained Raymond Rierhabert, a professor of physics at Oxford University.
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists was founded in 1945 by Albert Einstein, Robert Oppenheimer and other scientists who worked on the Manhattan Project to build the first atomic bomb. The scientific council of the organization consists mainly of American university professors and experts in environmental and nuclear safety.
When the Apocalypse clock was “created” it showed 7 minutes before midnight. In 1991, with the end of the Cold War, the markers went back to 17 minutes before midnight. In 1953, 2018 and 2019 they showed 2 minutes before midnight.
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