Editing Doomsday Clock (section)

{{short description|Symbol which represents the likelihood of a human-made global catastrophe}}
{{about|the symbol of global catastrophe|other uses|Doomsday Clock (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024|cs1-dates=l}}
{{Infobox recurring event
| name               = Doomsday Clock
| logo               = File:Doomsday clock (1.5 minutes).svg
| logo_size          = 120px
| logo_caption       = The Doomsday Clock pictured at its setting of "89 seconds to midnight", last changed in January 2025
| first              = {{start date|1947|06}}
| last               = January 28, 2025
| frequency          = Annually
| organized          = [[Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists]]
| website            = {{Official URL}}
}}
The '''Doomsday Clock''' is a symbol that represents the estimated likelihood of a human-made [[Global catastrophic risk|global catastrophe]], in the opinion of the [[nonprofit organization]] ''[[Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists]]''.<ref>{{cite news |title=Science and Security Board |language=en-US |work=Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists |url=http://thebulletin.org/science-and-security-board |access-date=January 3, 2015 |archive-date=March 16, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170316152503/http://thebulletin.org/science-and-security-board |url-status=live }}</ref> Maintained since 1947, the Clock is a [[metaphor]], not a prediction, for threats to humanity from unchecked scientific and technological advances. That is, the time on the Clock is not to be interpreted as actual time. A hypothetical global catastrophe is represented by midnight on the Clock, with the ''Bulletin''{{'}}s opinion on how close the world is to one represented by a certain number of minutes or seconds to midnight, which is then assessed in January of each year.  The main factors influencing the Clock are [[nuclear warfare]], [[climate change]], and [[artificial intelligence]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Morrison|first1=R. |date=January 23, 2024|title=Doomsday Clock is 90 seconds to midnight as experts warn “ai among the biggest threats” to humanity|website=Tom’s Guide|url=https://www.tomsguide.com/news/ai-a-threat-to-the-end-of-the-world-doomsday-clock-stays-at-90-seconds-to-midnight}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://thebulletin.org/how-many-hiroshimas-does-it-take-describe-climate-change|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130929095819/https://thebulletin.org/how-many-hiroshimas-does-it-take-describe-climate-change/ |archive-date=September 29, 2013 |title=How Many Hiroshimas Does it Take to Describe Climate Change? |last=Stover |first=Dawn |date=September 26, 2013 |website=Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The ''Bulletin''{{'}}s Science and Security Board monitors new developments in the [[life sciences]] and technology that could inflict irrevocable harm to humanity.<ref name="2007PressRelease">{{cite news |title='Doomsday Clock' Moves Two Minutes Closer To Midnight |url=http://thebulletin.org/press-release/doomsday-clock-moves-two-minutes-closer-midnight |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130826180458/https://thebulletin.org/press-release/doomsday-clock-moves-two-minutes-closer-midnight/ |archive-date=August 26, 2013 |work=Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists |access-date=April 6, 2015 |date=January 17, 2007}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

The Clock's original setting in 1947 was 7 minutes to midnight. It has since been set backward 8 times and forward 18 times. The farthest time from midnight was 17 minutes in 1991, and the closest is 89 seconds, set in January 2025.<ref name="Lukiv2025"/>

The Clock was moved to 150 seconds (2&nbsp;minutes, 30&nbsp;seconds) in 2017, then forward to 2 minutes to midnight in 2018, and left unchanged in 2019.<ref name=bulletin2019>{{Cite web |url=https://thebulletin.org/doomsday-clock/current-time/ |title=Doomsday Clock 2019 Time |date=January 24, 2019 |website=Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190124194613/https://thebulletin.org/doomsday-clock/current-time/ |archive-date=January 24, 2019 |access-date=January 24, 2019 |url-status=dead}}</ref>{{cbignore}}<!-- must access web page as of specified date --> It was moved forward to 100 seconds (1&nbsp;minute, 40&nbsp;seconds) in 2020,<ref name="james">{{cite web | last=James | first=Sara | title='If there's ever a time to wake up, it's now': Doomsday Clock moves 20-seconds closer to midnight | website=ABC News | publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-24/doomsday-clock-moves-closest-to-midnight-in-73-year-history/11896294 | access-date=January 24, 2020 | date=January 24, 2020 | archive-date=January 24, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200124004440/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-24/doomsday-clock-moves-closest-to-midnight-in-73-year-history/11896294 | url-status=live }}</ref> 90&nbsp;seconds (1&nbsp;minute,&nbsp;30 seconds) in 2023,<ref name="bulletin2023">{{Cite web |url=https://thebulletin.org/2023/01/press-release-doomsday-clock-set-at-90-seconds-to-midnight/ |title=Doomsday Clock set at 90 seconds to midnight |date=January 24, 2023|website=Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists |access-date=January 24, 2023 |archive-date=January 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124152126/https://thebulletin.org/2023/01/press-release-doomsday-clock-set-at-90-seconds-to-midnight/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and 89 seconds (1&nbsp;minute,&nbsp;29 seconds) in 2025.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=2025 Doomsday Clock Statement |url=https://thebulletin.org/doomsday-clock/2025-statement/ |access-date=2025-01-28 |website=Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists |language=en-US}}</ref>