An American scientific magazine has announced that the ``Doomsday Clock'', which symbolizes the remaining time until ``the last day of mankind'', is the shortest ``1 minute and 30 seconds remaining'' so far, and Russia's military invasion of Ukraine. He warned that the world is in an unprecedented and dangerous state.
The American science magazine "Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists" held a press conference in Washington, U.S.A. on the 24th. 1 minute and 30 seconds remaining."
The announcement of the Doomsday Clock began in 1947 with 7 minutes remaining, and after the end of the Cold War it was returned to 17 minutes remaining. was the shortest.
This year is even shorter than this, and it is said that it is the closest ever to "the last day of mankind".
As for the reasons, Russia's military aggression against Ukraine was cited as the number one reason, and Russia's threat to use nuclear weapons risks escalating the conflict through accidents or miscalculations, and the conflict could get out of hand. I point out that there is also a gender.
There is also a danger that Russia's military aggression will release radioactive material from the Chernobyl and Zaporizhia nuclear power plants in Ukraine.
In addition to China's move to expand its nuclear arsenal, North Korea's nuclear and missile development, the situation in Ukraine has weakened global efforts to combat climate change, and the spread of infectious diseases such as the new coronavirus. He pointed out that there are risks, and strongly warned that the world is in an unprecedented and dangerous state.
"Doomsday Clock" remaining time transition
The "Doomsday Clock" has been published by American scientific journals since 1947 to warn about the threat of nuclear war. It has been.
In 1947, when it was first announced, it was said that there was "7 minutes left" until "The Last Days of Mankind". It was the shortest "remaining 2 minutes" until then.
From the 1960s to the 1970s, there was a time when international treaties aimed at nuclear disarmament came into effect, but from the latter half of the 1970s to the 1980s, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. deepened, and in 1984 it was returned to "3 minutes remaining".
After that, as the cold war ended and the momentum for nuclear disarmament increased, in 1991 there was "17 minutes left", and "the last day of mankind" was the furthest it had ever been.
However, since then, in addition to nuclear threats such as nuclear development by North Korea and Iran, the hands of the "Doomsday Clock" have progressed due to climate change and the spread of new coronavirus infections, and the period from 2020 to last year is three years. It was the shortest 'remaining 1 minute and 40 seconds' so far in a row.
"Remaining time" so far
1947 "7 minutes"
1949 "3 minutes"
1953 "2 minutes"
1960 "7 minutes"
1963 "12 minutes"
1968 "7 minutes"
1969 "10 minutes"
1972 "12 minutes"
1974 9 minutes
1980 7 minutes
1981 4 minutes
1984 3 minutes
1988 6 minutes
1990 10 minutes
1991 17 minutes
1995 14 minutes
1998 9
2002 7 minutes
2007
5 minutes
2010 6 minutes
2012 5 minutes
2015 3 minutes
2016 3 minutes
2017 2 minutes 30 seconds
2018 2
2019 2 minutes
2020
1 minute 40 seconds
2021
1 minute 40 seconds
2022 1 minute 40 seconds