The Doomsday Clock is a symbolic representation of the likelihood of a human-caused global catastrophe. It is maintained by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, a nonprofit organization that was founded in 1945 by scientists who had worked on the Manhattan Project to develop the first atomic weapons. The clock is set based on the organization's assessment of the dangers posed by nuclear weapons, climate change, and emerging technologies.
The clock is set on a scale from 0 to 100, with 0 being the furthest from catastrophe and 100 being the closest. The clock was first set at 7 minutes to midnight in 1947, and since then, it has been adjusted 22 times. The closer the clock is set to midnight, the greater the perceived threat of global catastrophe.
In January 2021, the clock was adjusted to 100 seconds to midnight, the closest it has ever been, due to a combination of factors including the increasing threat of nuclear war, the failure of world leaders to address the dangers of climate change, and the erosion of democratic institutions around the world. The clock serves as a reminder of the urgent need for action to address these global threats and to create a safer and more sustainable world.