'Doomsday Clock' moves closer to midnight amid threats of climate change, nuclear war, pandemics, AI

[Jim__]

From phys.org

Former Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, second from left, and Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists member Robert Socolow, second from right, reveal the Doomsday Clock, set at 89 seconds to midnight, as fellow members Herbert Lin, left, and Suzet McKinney, right, watch during a news conference at the United States Institute of Peace, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, in Washington. Credit: AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein
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Earth is moving closer to destruction, a science-oriented advocacy group said Tuesday as it advanced its famous "Doomsday Clock" to 89 seconds till midnight, the closest it has ever been.

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists made the annual announcement—which rates how close humanity is from ending—citing threats that include climate change, proliferation of nuclear weapons, instability in the Middle East, the threat of pandemics and incorporation of artificial intelligence in military operations.

The clock had stood at 90 seconds to midnight for the past two years and "when you are at this precipice, the one thing you don't want to do is take a step forward," said Daniel Holz, chair of the group's science and security board.

The group said it's concerned about cooperation between countries such as North Korea, Russia and China in developing nuclear programs. Russia President Vladimir Putin has also talked about using nuclear weapons in his war against Ukraine.

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