מדעני אטום הזיזו את שעון יום הדין קרוב יותר לחצות כסימן לסכנה מיידית לעולם

Atomic scientists today moved their doomsday clock closer to midnight than ever before. They cited nuclear threats, military conflicts, and technological advances as factors underlying the risks of global catastrophe. In setting the clock closer to midnight, we send a stark signal. Because the world is already perilously close to the precipice, any move towards midnight should be taken as an indication of extreme danger and an unmistakable warning. Every second of delay in reversing course increases the probability of global disaster. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists set the clock to 89 seconds before midnight, the theoretical point of annihilation. That is one second closer than it was set last year. Scientists say that countries with nuclear weapons are increasing the size and role of their arsenals, while arms control treaties are in tatters. They also say that advances in disruptive technologies, including biotechnology, AI, and in space, have far outpaced policy regulation and a thorough understanding of their consequences. The Chicago-based non-profit created the clock in 1947 during the Cold War to warn the public about how close humankind was to destroying the world.