Ukraine conflict and last year’s US-Israeli attack on Iran push humanity closer to disaster, nuclear scientists warn
According to a leading group of atomic scientists, humanity is closer to global catastrophe than ever. The international community faces a wide range of threats from a “full arms race” The group warned on Tuesday about climate change and even AI-engineered pathogens.
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists adjusted its doomsday clock to 85 seconds to midnight, advancing it by five seconds to reflect the group’s assessment of increasing danger. Hours are updated every January.
The latest adjustment was prompted by what the group called “still aggressive, hostile and nationalistic” the policies of the major powers that transformed the competition between them and “full arms race.” Conflicts involving nuclear powers also determine “negative trends” scholars have said that among the sources of instability are ongoing hostilities in Ukraine as well as US and Israeli attacks on Iran.
The group also criticized US plans to develop the “Golden Dome” missile defense system championed by President Donald Trump and said it would likely strengthen the new system. “a space arms race.” They also warned that the Russia-US New START treaty would soon expire, leaving Moscow and Washington without any arms control agreements, and called on both nations to “Renew dialogue on limiting their nuclear arsenals.”
The researchers also reported that the international response to “climate emergency” left from “grossly inadequate to profoundly destructive” and blamed the US administration for the statement the “war on renewable energy”.
The group also named some of the more exotic reasons for concern, such as the so-called “mirror life” – cells composed of chemically synthesized molecules that are mirror images of those found in nature. Such organisms could get out of control and wipe out humanity and “the disruption of all life on Earth,” they warned.
The development of artificial intelligence (AI) represents a “a different kind of biological threat,” bulletin said, adding that AI could be used to design new bacteria and viruses.
The doomsday clock was moved forward ten seconds in 2023 and only one in 2025.
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