Two more were lost in 2015 because the United States and Russia began modernizing their nuclear weapons programs-and the threat of climate change was added to the previous worries of nuclear destruction. The clock lost another two minutes in 2007 thanks to North Korea’s nuclear tests and the uncertainty of Iran’s nuclear actions. These actions resulted in a loss of two minutes the clock read 11:53. rejected arms control treaties, probably as a reaction to 9/11, and announced it was withdrawing from the previously signed Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. We hadn’t gained any ground by 2002-in fact, we lost some. The clock lost eight minutes, putting us back in the 10-minute window at 11:51. In 1998, India and Pakistan both tested nuclear weapons and countries around the world increased military spending. Unfortunately, the good times didn’t last long. The clock gained a whopping 14 minutes, putting us at 11:43, the furthest we have ever been from midnight. By 1991, more treaties had been signed, the Berlin Wall had been torn down, the Soviet Union had dissolved, and the Iron Curtain had fallen. 1991 // 17 Minutes to Midnightīut then things started to look up. These factors resulted in a loss of six minutes, putting us closer to midnight than we had been since 1953. The arms race was spiraling out of control, terrorists were becoming more active, and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan had sharpened the division between the United States and the USSR. and the USSR weren’t as agreeable as they had been during nuclear negotiations, and discussions had kind of stalled. 1984 // Three Minutes to Midnightīy the early 1980s, the U.S. The clock lost another three minutes and was reset to 11:51. and Soviet treaties were offset by India, which tested its own nuclear device in 1974. The three treaties equaled five minutes gained on the clock, putting us back at 11:48. Senate passed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Soviet Union signed the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty and the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. 1972 // Twelve Minutes to Midnightīetween 19, the U.S. Due to those events, the clock lost five minutes, putting us at 11:53. 1968 // Seven Minutes to MidnightĪlthough things were looking up regarding the Soviet Union, by 1968, France and China had developed nuclear arsenals and the U.S. and the Soviet Union signed the Partial Test Ban Treaty, which limited nuclear testing. The clock was at 11:48 thanks to increased studies and scientific understanding of the dangers of nuclear weapons. 1963 // 12 Minutes to MidnightĪ decade later, the clock had not only gained back those five minutes-it had doubled them. and the Soviet Union were testing nuclear weapons. But there was good reason: It was the time period during which the U.S. 1953 // Two Minutes to Midnightīy 1953, the clock had lost five minutes, putting the time at 11:58. Here are 11 of those adjustments and why they happened. Since then, it’s been readjusted 25 times. When the Doomsday Clock was first “set” in 1947, during the Cold War, we were at 11:53 p.m. Rachel Bronson, the group’s president and CEO. seconds to midnight is the closest the clock has ever been set to midnight, and it’s a decision our experts do not take lightly,” said Dr. “We are living in a time of unprecedented danger, and the Doomsday Clock time reflects that reality. In a statement, the organization said the reset is due largely to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the continuing climate crisis. “Midnight” on the clock represents doomsday, and, obviously, the closer the hands are to midnight, the closer we are to nuclear oblivion. If you haven’t heard of the Doomsday Clock, here’s a brief and terrifying synopsis for you: It was created in 1947 at the University of Chicago as an easy analogy to show people how close we are to Armageddon at any given moment. On January 24, 2023, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists announced that its Doomsday Clock was being shifted to 90 seconds to midnight-30 seconds closer to theoretical nuclear annihilation than the last time it was reset in 2020.
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