Soob

Politics, Foreign Policy, Current Events and Occasional Outbursts Lacking Couth

Apocalypse?

I hadn't realized there was an actual clock that encompassed "doomsday." Given that it's been around for 60 years, that doesn't say much for me, I suppose.
At any rate:

The Australian:

Atomic scientists say we're two minutes closer to doomsday than we were in 1998.

The hands of the doomsday clock were moved to seven minutes to midnight, up from nine minutes to midnight when it was last reset four years ago.

For 55 years the clock has been maintained by a publication called the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. The chair of the Bulletin's board says it is never moved in response to a single threat. George Lopez says the time change this year reflects the greater possibility of terrorism, and concerns about the security of nuclear weapons material stockpiled around the world.


maltaStar:

In a symbolic gesture, Nobel laureate scientist Stephen Hawking warned that the world is on the brink of a second nuclear age as the historic doomsday clock is only five minutes away from armageddon midnight, after being moved a further two minutes...

"As we stand at the brink of a second nuclear age and a period of unprecedented climate change, scientists have a special responsibility once again to inform the public and advise leaders about the perils that humanity faces.

"We foresee great perils if governments and society do not take action now to render nuclear weapons obsolete and prevent further climate change."


As much as I respect Dr. Hawking this seems a bit alarmist in my opinion. That said, such warnings (however dramatic) might well serve a valuable non-political mitigation to otherwise rash policy.

I don't necessarily agree with the doomsday clock but I do like the fact that it exists.

0 comments: