Humanity is closer to a looming catastrophe than ever, according to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, who today moved the hand on the "Doomsday Clock" to 89 seconds before midnight.
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This is the closest we’ve come to disaster. The Bulletin, a nonprofit organization co-founded by Albert Einstein in 1945, has long warned of trends that are pushing humans toward collapse or extinction. Last year, the organization set its famous Doomsday Clock at 90 seconds to midnight. This year, it moved a second closer because of the ongoing threats from nuclear weapons, climate change, biological weapons, and infectious diseases, as well as technologies like artificial intelligence (AI).
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While there were no new risks of nuclear annihilation in 2024, the Council found that the long-term buildup of nuclear capability around the world means that ongoing conflicts could quickly turn nuclear due to miscalculation or hasty decision-making. The United States is fully engaged in the nuclear arms, the nonprofit wrote, recently embarking on an expensive modernization of its nuclear arsenal.
Greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise globally, with investments in climate change adaptation and mitigation remaining too low, according to the board, which cited the 2024 Climate Policy Initiative report that found that investments need to increase fivefold to avoid the worst economic losses.
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Additionally, artificial intelligence is becoming a greater concern, the board wrote, particularly because it facilitates the spread of misinformation and fake news.
Source: livescience
