It Is Five Minutes To Midnight

[Illuminattile]

IT IS 5 MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT
2007
The world stands at the brink of a second nuclear age. The United States and Russia remain ready to stage a nuclear attack within minutes, North Korea conducts a nuclear test, and many in the international community worry that Iran plans to acquire the Bomb. Climate change also presents a dire challenge to humanity. Damage to ecosystems is already taking place; flooding, destructive storms, increased drought, and polar ice melt are causing loss of life and property.

If you're not familiar with the Doomsday Clock, it's a symbolic countdown to nuclear Armageddon, maintained by a magazine called Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. It first appeared in 1947, when the time was 7 minutes to midnight (Armageddon). 1953 saw us hit 11:58 after the United States detonated "Ivy Mike", and the Russians detonated "Joe-4". That's the closest we've come to Armageddon. The clock had been at 7 minutes to midnight since 2002.

The Bulletin online
Article from The Guardian
Wikipedia article on the clock

Worried?

 

[PuffnScruff]

6-10-14-7-5

that clock needs to be fixed it doesnt keep time very well

worried? no. what is the point in living life being scared of something that might not happen becaus the big hand on the clock is broke "

 

[S O F I]

I'm not scared of Armageddon, it's the "thought of dying alone that really irks me".

 

[Chronic]

The Mayans predicted that this age would end on December 22nd, 2012.

 

[ARon]

Yeah a lot of people around here are buyin the Mayan thing. I've read into it a little, just when the calendar ends or whatever I think it was but its got quite the following around here, kind of weird.

 

[Illuminattile]

When I went to Mexico the tour guides were always harping on about it. Obviously I'm not buying it. My calendar ends on December 31st 2007, doesn't mean I think the world's gonna end then.

 

[S. Fourteen]

So, we're pretty much at the same spot as when this clock was made in the 60's.

 

[goymz]

Feels more like three minutes to twelve in my eyes.

 

[THEV1LL4N]

how do you work out the time on this clock? where does the 3 minutes to 12 come from? i kno very little about it. i was reading it in the newspaper. like all i kno is when they use more nuclear weapons, it gets closer 2 midnight.

 

[Illuminattile]

how do you work out the time on this clock? where does the 3 minutes to 12 come from? i kno very little about it. i was reading it in the newspaper. like all i kno is when they use more nuclear weapons, it gets closer 2 midnight.

These scientist types just decide how close to "midnight" we are based on what's going on in the world. Whenever they feel something significant has happened, they change the time.