The world is now just 89 seconds from midnight on the Doomsday Clock, the closest it has ever been to symbolic global catastrophe.
So what is the Doomsday Clock, and should we be worried about it?
Set by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, the clock reflects the world’s risk of self-destruction from threats like nuclear war, climate change and unregulated technologies.
It has never moved closer to midnight in its 78-year history.
On Thursday morning’s episode of The Briefing, we sat down with Alexandra Bell, the President and CEO of the Bulletin of The Atomic Scientists, the publication behind the Doomsday Clock, about what’s got us here and the tools we have to fix it.
First set in 1947, the Doomsday Clock was created by scientists including Albert Einstein to serve as a visual warning of global threats.
While it doesn’t predict the future, it signals how close humanity is to risks of existential threat.
“People should be aware of the threat. They should understand the danger they’re in, but also be aware that there are solutions to these problems,” Bell said.
“These problems are human-made problems, and thus humans are capable of solving these problems… it’s doomsday, but with a positive spin.”
Subscribe to The Briefing, Australia’s fastest-growing news podcast on LiSTNR today. The Briefing serves up the latest news headlines and a deep dive into a topic affecting you. All in under 20 minutes.