Inside the Doomsday Clock: How Experts Assess Humanity's Existential Threats
By
littlexsparkee
Kettled twice. Extra chewy, extra trustworthy.
Summary
The article provides an inside look at the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists and their Doomsday Clock, which was recently set to 85 seconds to midnight - the closest it has ever been to symbolic annihilation. It follows the deliberations of Nobel laureates and nuclear security experts as they assess global threats including nuclear weapons, climate change, biological risks, and disruptive technologies. The piece explores the scientific methodology behind the clock's setting, the emotional weight of the decisions, and humanity's capacity for survival in the face of existential threats.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledOn January 27, 2026, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists announced that the clock is now set at 85 seconds to midnight, the closest it has ever been.
A roomful of Nobel laureates and nuclear security experts, some 80 pairs of eyes, gaze out of the expansive windows of a 10th floor University of Chicago conference room, imagining their deaths by nuclear explosion.
Behind closed doors with the experts who study the end of the world—and what they know about humanity's capacity for survival.
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