The doomsday clock is at two-and-a-half minutes to midnight. The doomsday clock is a illustration of how close we are to a man-made global catastrophe, published by " The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists’ Science and Security Board".
Last time it was at that level has been 1953, during the tests of the Hydrogen-Fusion bombs.
Source: Wikipedia
The main reasons are
- Rise of nationalism
This already-threatening world situation was the backdrop for a rise in strident nationalism worldwide in 2016
- Trump
Donald Trump, made disturbing comments about the use and proliferation of nuclear weapons and expressed disbelief in the overwhelming scientific consensus on climate change.
- Conflict USA and Russia
both countries (USA and Russia) continued wide-ranging modernizations of their nuclear forces, and serious arms control negotiations were nowhere to be seen
- North Korea
North Korea conducted its fourth and fifth underground nuclear tests and gave every indication it would continue to develop nuclear weapons delivery capabilities.
The full statement is available here.
I consider this bulletin as a calibration to reality and a big F**K YOU in the direction of nationalism and the disbelief in science.
Although I’m a big Fallout fan and like the concept of the famous Vaultec Vaults, it’s not that we should now go and dig a whole in case of some president having a loose finger on the Atomic Football. But it is worrisome.
And I use it as reason to motivate more people to do a HAM-radio course :-)