Doomsday clock: history and meaning of the doomsday clock

You have probably heard of the doomsday clock and asked yourself what meaning and history it actually has. In this article we have put together everything you need to know for you.

Doomsday clock - that's its meaning

The end of the world clock was invented by the magazine "Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists" and shows how close the world is to the demise.

• The symbolic clock was put into operation in 1947 and was 7 minutes to 12 at the time. If the clock ever struck 12, there was a catastrophic event and humanity was threatened with extinction.
• The setting of the doomsday clock is still done by the "Bulletin of the Atomic Scientist". It is readjusted every year. You can read the status of the clock and the reasons for it on the official website of the project.
• If you would like to hear daily about current movements in world politics, you can also follow the Twitter account of the BAS. Here is often tweeted about relevant and interesting topics.
• The Doomsday Clock is controlled by all possible global developments. In the event of natural disasters, wars or dangerous political developments, the doomsday clock moves closer to the 12.
• If the events are good, however, the clock also moves away from the 12th. These include disarmament contracts, peace negotiations or efforts to protect the climate.

The history of the Doomsday Clock

The Doomsday Clock has been changed many times since 1947. It responds annually to the latest developments around the world.

• One of the worst years for the Doomsday Clock was 1968. Because of the Vietnam War and the nuclear tests of the Soviet Union, 5 minutes were subtracted from the clock. After some positive developments, she was back to 7 minutes to 12.
• Germany also had an impact on the doomsday clock. In 1990, the fall of the Wall and the reunification of Germany added 4 minutes to the clock.
• In 2017, the watch was changed for the first time by an election. After Donald Trump became president of the United States and commented on a potential nuclear war, the BAS supervisory board introduced the doomsday clock half a minute.
• Another half a minute was deducted in 2018. The reason for this was the nationalistic developments in the industrialized countries and climate change. As a result, it stands at 2 minutes before midnight in 2018, just like in 1953.

In the next articles we will show you when the world could end and which 7 scenarios could trigger the end of the world.