What Time Is It?

Environmental & Science Education
Sustainability
Edward Hessler

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists advanced the Doomsday Clock 30 seconds today, January 25,  a reminder of how quickly and easily it is to slip on the slippery slope of nuclear war.

It is now two minutes to midnight, the symbolic apocalyptic hour. The clock is as close to this hour as it has ever been. The clock was advanced 30 seconds last year; the time then was two-and-a-half minutes to midnight.

The Bulletin consists of scientists and nuclear experts who set the clock's time each year. The clock, conceived in 1947, has varied from two minutes to midnight to 17 minutes before midnight. The minute hand can move forward and backward depending on the assessment of geopolitics made by expert scientists each year.

The timeline includes links to information scientists take into account when making their estimate, world nuclear arsenals, the cost of the nuclear fuel cycle, nuclear reactor construction 1951 - 2017, and an animation of global risk.

In its announcement of this change in the time, the BBC includes a clip of the press conference, what was behind the decision, a description of the Doomsday Clock, and other relevant information.