THE symbolic clock is ticking. On January 26th, the Science and Security Board of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, in consultation with the Bulletin’s Board of Sponsors and its 15 Nobel laureates, unveiled its latest Doomsday Clock. The current time: two and a half minutes to midnight.
The Bulletin, which began in 1945 as a mimeographed newsletter published by Manhattan Project scientists, has been setting the symbolic clock for the past 70 years. Its first one, set in 1947, read 11:53pm—seven minutes to midnight. It was meant to convey to the public and to world leaders the nuclear dangers they faced—dangers sparked, of course, by the Manhattan Project itself. The closer the clock is to midnight, the greater the existential threat. And we haven’t been closer to the bell tolling for over 60 years.
And it’s no longer only nuclear threats that move the clock’s hands. It’s also climate change—which Donald Trump has called a “hoax” and “created by the Chinese”—and “emerging technologies in the life sciences.” (Think, basically, GMO pandemics and killer robots.)
Both Mr Trump’s pre-election comments and...Continue reading
Source: United States http://ift.tt/2j9eccg
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