Originally created as an analogy for the threat of global nuclear war, the Doomsday Clock still hangs on a board in the University of Chicago – and still ticks over with doomsday predictions.

Fastidiously maintained by the the Science and Security Board of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists since 1947, the closer the clock is to midnight – the closer the world is to civilisation-threatening technological catastrophe.

Each year, the board compiles a list of international threats, particularly nuclear arsenals and climate change, and decides where the minute hand on the Doomsday Clock will rest.

The board writes:

As always, new technologies hold the promise of doing great good, supplying new sources of clean energy, curing disease, and otherwise enhancing our lives. From experience, however, we also know that new technologies can be used to diminish humanity and destroy societies. We can manage our technology, or become victims of it. The choice is ours, and the Clock is ticking.

This year, the board decided not to lower their expectations of doomsday. Considering the icy relationship between the United States and Russia, who both have massive nuclear arsenals, their five-minute estimate may even be generous.

After Russia offered political asylum to Edward Snowden, Barack Obama cancelled a summit with Russia’s Vladimir Putin. Which kinda means that there has been little to no progress on plans to shrink nuclear arsenals.

The board also mentioned that worldwide efforts to curb climate change are failing. The United States, European Union and Australia all show a half-arsed commitment to renewable energy, while Japan simply refuses to voluntarily reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

See you next doomsday.

[Source : LiveScience]