5 minutes to midnight - does this frighten you. 2015 update, now it is 3 minutes to midnight

[Logios]

The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists (BAS) has announced their new evaluation of the world situation setting the "Doomsday Clock" 1 minute forward to 5 minutes to midnight (midnight = total annihilation).

This clock was initially set to 7 minutes to midnight in 1947 by some of the same scientists who developed the first nuclear weapons. The highest setting of this was in 1953 where the clock was set to 11:58 due to US and SU nuke tests and the lowest in 1991 when the Strategic arms Reduction Treaty was signed (also by US and SU).
The BAS reason the new setting mostly it seems due to lack of international regulation of nuclear power and fissible materials through conventions and general inactivity on the climate change front. Recent developments in Iran and the Fukushima accident are also factors.
The Arab spring and the Occupy movement is mentioned by the BAS as positive factors, but could that not lead to political instability? (from my own point of view here)
http://www.thebulletin.org/content/m...er-to-midnight
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doomsday_Clock
Now what are your thoughts about this my fellow Total Warriors, is the world coming to an end soon or do they just cry wolf. Could this have some kind of political bias (I could not find indications of this). What do you think the clock will be set to next year, and what do you think could move it forward or back.

[hellheaven1987]

The world would continue without human race, get over it you arrogant humans!!

[Enemy of the State]

This is stupid. Nuclear war simply isn't a threat right now nor will it be in the forseeable future.

[Vanoi]

This is stupid. Nuclear war simply isn't a threat right now nor will it be in the forseeable future.

The clock is stupid, but this will become a big problem in the future. More nations will get them which could cause many potential problems.

[ash874]

This is stupid. Nuclear war simply isn't a threat right now nor will it be in the forseeable future.

this is stupid
why do you think its not a threat? what will you do if russia blows up dc?

[Enemy of the State]

this is stupid
why do you think its not a threat? what will you do if russia blows up dc?

Why on earth would Russia blow up DC?

[ash874]

Why on earth would Russia blow up DC?

no reason
not the point also
the point is what makes you think that its inconceivable that some one will use a nuke?
there is this idea that no country would use it because it will be wiped out
thats an unfounded idea

[a tw player]

thats an unfounded idea

The last 60 years of no use of nuclear weapons? The only scenario I can see nukes being used, in the foreseeable future of course, is by terrorists whom "MAD" would not apply to. However, the chances of these falling into terrorist hands is low (although the chances of this increases as more "unstable" countries gain control of nukes; NK, Pakistan, Iran).

[mike^_^]

no reason
not the point also
the point is what makes you think that its inconceivable that some one will use a nuke?
there is this idea that no country would use it because it will be wiped out
thats an unfounded idea

The very same reason that no one used gas warfare in World War Two. Doing so will open up the door to unmitigated escalation, and in the case of two countries like Russia and the United States, having enough nukes to destroy every major city in each respective country, it becomes pointless.

I know your government probably tells you that if Iran gets a nuke, Tel Aviv is gone. However, Israel has more than enough nuclear weapons to literally turn Iran into a glass parking lot.

[EmperorBatman999]

So this clock has been set to a minute ahead because of Iran and North Korea making threats?

Quite frankly, the height of the threat of a global Nuclear War was with the Cuban Missile Crisis. And we survived that, I don't think any situation like this can possibly happen again anytime soon.

[Logios]

So this clock has been set to a minute ahead because of Iran and North Korea making threats?

Quite frankly, the height of the threat of a global Nuclear War was with the Cuban Missile Crisis. And we survived that, I don't think any situation like this can possibly happen again anytime soon.

The BAS included climate change and biological warfare threats in 2007, the adjustment is not only because of Iran and North Korea. The clock is set annually and therefore no changes were made at that time in 1962 and the crisis was resolved and a partial test ban treaty signed before the 1963 adjustment. this set the clock 5 minutes back from 11:53 to 11:48. (It is all on the wiki page in the OP)
And sure the clock is a gimmick, but sometimes gimmicks are needed. How else could a quantitative measure of the threat to our existence be put forward.

[Axeman]

So this clock has been set to a minute ahead because of Iran and North Korea making threats?

Quite frankly, the height of the threat of a global Nuclear War was with the Cuban Missile Crisis. And we survived that, I don't think any situation like this can possibly happen again anytime soon.

Quite frankly, the threat of a global war has come and gone the great war. We survived that, I don't think any situation like this can possibly happen again anytime soon.

-1920s/30s mindset.

[Rolling Thunder]

Why on earth would Russia blow up DC?

Because Communism, of course.

[Holger Danske]

This is stupid. Nuclear war simply isn't a threat right now nor will it be in the forseeable future.

They said that the Great War would be the War to end all Wars... Chew on that.

[MadBurgerMaker]

Hopefully the first bombs drop on that stupid clock.

[Armenum]

Who cares? This doesn't mean anything at all...

7,000th post!

[Phier]

This clock was initially set to 7 minutes to midnight in 1947

The war was over, ONE country had nuclear weapons, and not very many of them, and it was at 7 minutes? I think they need a different scale.

Anyways, this is well meaning attention whoring, nothing more.

[Thorn777]

is this part of the anti-Iran propaganda being on a roll ATM?

Im indeed scared by that.

[Logios]

is this part of the anti-Iran propaganda being on a roll ATM?

Im indeed scared by that.

They review the status annually, so not unless ATM is since 1947 or something else from the internet.

The war was over, ONE country had nuclear weapons, and not very many of them, and it was at 7 minutes? I think they need a different scale.

Anyways, this is well meaning attention whoring, nothing more.

I can somehow agree on the first, but who would benefit from the attention, it is not like the BAS has any prominent figureheads to profile them.

[Phier]

I can somehow agree on the first, but who would benefit from the attention, it is not like the BAS has any prominent figureheads to profile them.

It was all over the news this morning, so obviously it got attention. I said well meaning attention whoring, because they do mean well, I don't think its really a self aggrandizing thing.