Agence France-Presse Washington reported on January 20 that the "doomsday bell" represents the judgment of authoritative scientists and security experts that human survival is in danger. The clock is still 100 seconds away from midnight this year: progress in areas such as COVID-19 vaccines is offset by a growing barrage of disinformation and other threats.
Rachel Bronson, president of the Atomic Scientists Gazette magazine, announced Thursday that the world is no safer this year than it was two years ago: Two years ago, the hands of the Doomsday Clock were moved to their current positions.
She told reporters on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the unveiling of the "Doomsday Bell": "If mankind is to avoid an existential catastrophe, a catastrophe that dwarfs all disasters in history, leaders of various countries must give much better answers in combating disinformation, valuing science, and cooperating." ”
In a full statement, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists said that the fact that the hands of the "Doomsday Clock" did not come closer to midnight did not mean that the threat had stabilized, "on the contrary, the 'Doomsday Bell' is still closer than ever to the catastrophe that destroys civilization, because the world is still in an extremely dangerous moment".
The idea of using the "doomsday bell" to symbolize the fragility of the world and the possibility of catastrophe was born in 1947. The time of the clock is set by the Board of Directors of the Bulletin of atomic scientists.
In a statement, the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists pointed to hopeful scenarios in early 2021, including the renewal of the New Start in Strategic Arms Treaty by the United States and Russia.
But the shadow of international tensions continues to hang over, including the recent Ukraine issue. At the same time, the United States, Russia and other countries continue to develop hypersonic weapons.
While COVID-19 has become a global scientific focus, governments must also be prepared to deal with other biological threats, including biological weapons programs and rising resistance of bacteria to antibiotics. According to the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, drug-resistant bacteria could trigger new outbreaks within 10 years. In particular, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists highlights that disinformation is eroding confidence in science and reducing the world's ability to meet challenges.
Source: Reference News Network