‘Doomsday Clock’ stuck at 100 seconds to midnight

The iconic “Doomsday Clock” — created by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists in 1947 to show how close the world is to ultimate destruction — is stuck at 100 seconds to midnight.

“The mishandling of this grave global health crisis is a wake-up call that governments, institutions, and a misled public remain unprepared to handle the even greater threats posed by nuclear war and climate change. Given this and the lack of progress in 2020 in dealing with nuclear and climate perils, the Doomsday Clock remains as close to midnight as it has ever been — just 100 seconds to midnight,” the organization said in a statement on Wednesday.

The clock was set at the exact same time last year, when nuclear threats and climate change were cited as the main influences. Those grim concerns persist.

“The US, Russia and the world’s nuclear powers must stop shouting at each other. It’s time to eliminate nuclear weapons, not build more of them. Likewise, with climate change: the U.S,. China and other big countries must get serious about cutting lethal carbon emissions — now. It’s 100 seconds to midnight. Wake up,” said former California governor Jerry Brown, executive chairman of the organization.

The decision itself is made by by a panel which includes 13 Nobel Laureates, said the group, which was founded in 1945 by Albert Einstein and University of Chicago scientists who helped develop the first atomic weapons in the Manhattan Project.