The atomic experts who manage the Doomsday Clock moved its hands one minute nearer to midnight Tuesday. The symbolic clock measures our recognized time before worldwide annihilation. Although it had gained a minute in 2010, that time was lost today over issues of nuclear weapons, nuclear power and global warming. 

Article resource: Doomsday Clock clicks one minute closer to 12

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A group of University of Chicago experts worked on the first atomic bomb. This Bulletin of Atomic Researchers created the symbolic clock in 1947. The BAS has been watching out for the eventual end of humanity since then.

Lost ground gained in 2010

The U.S. and Russia made some nuclear agreements last year. This caused the clock to be shifted from 11:55 to 11:54. Unfortunately, that changed back to 11:55 on Tues. According to the BAS:

"Despite the promise of a new spirit of international cooperation, and reductions in tensions between the United States and Russia, the Science and Security Board believes that the path toward a world free of nuclear weapons is not at all clear, and leadership is failing."

All because of the nuclear problem in Japan

The BAS believes that human beings are not being responsible enough with the powers we have as shown with the Japanese catastrophe.

"How can complex systems like nuclear power stations are made less susceptible to accidents and errors in judgment?" the BAS statement asked.

Earliest time for clock

The earliest time the clock has observed was in 1991, when it was set at 17 minutes before midnight. In that post-cold war year, the two super powers made a pact to cut nuclear arsenals. The clock has being going towards midnight since then. With anything going on in the world, it makes sense. In 1984, there was a standoff between the U.S. and Soviet Union. That was a bad year for the clock. IT got moved to 11:57. That is the closest the clock has ever been to midnight.

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