{"id":364063,"date":"2025-01-31T07:00:07","date_gmt":"2025-01-31T06:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=364063"},"modified":"2025-01-31T07:00:09","modified_gmt":"2025-01-31T06:00:09","slug":"the-doomsday-clock-is-about-to-strike-midnight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=364063","title":{"rendered":"The Doomsday Clock is About to Strike Midnight!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Watts Up With That?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guest \u201cLet\u2019s run out the clock!\u201d by David Middleton<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s amazing that these clowns didn\u2019t explicitly blame this on President Trump:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Closer than ever: It is now 89 seconds to midnight<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In 2024, humanity edged ever closer to catastrophe. Trends that have deeply concerned the Science and Security Board continued, and despite unmistakable signs of danger, national leaders and their societies have failed to do what is needed to change course. Consequently, we now move the Doomsday Clock from 90 seconds to 89 seconds to midnight\u2014the closest it has ever been to catastrophe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[\u2026]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In regard to nuclear risk, the war in Ukraine, now in its third year, looms over the world; the conflict could become nuclear at any moment because of a rash decision or through accident or miscalculation. Conflict in the Middle East threatens to spiral out of control into a wider war without warning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

[\u2026]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The impacts of climate change increased in the last year as myriad indicators, including sea-level rise and global surface temperature, surpassed previous records.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[\u2026]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the biological arena, emerging and re-emerging diseases continue to threaten the economy, society, and security of the world. The off-season appearance and in-season continuance of highly pathogenic avian influenza\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[\u2026]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An array of other disruptive technologies advanced last year in ways that make the world more dangerous. Systems that incorporate artificial intelligence\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[\u2026]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The dangers we have just listed are greatly exacerbated by a potent threat multiplier: the spread of misinformation, disinformation, and conspiracy theories that degrade the communication ecosystem and increasingly blur the line between truth and falsehood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[\u2026]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Seven paragraphs full of \u201cmisinformation, disinformation, and conspiracy theories\u201d followed by a stern warning about spreading \u201cmisinformation, disinformation, and conspiracy theories\u201d \u2026 I couldn\u2019t make this sort of schist up if I was trying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nuclear Risk<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n

[T}he conflict could become nuclear at any moment because of a rash decision or through accident or miscalculation\u2026<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

That risk left the White House on January 20, 2025, right after preemptively pardoning his entire crime family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Climate Change<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n

Sea-level rise and global surface temperature, surpassed previous records\u2026<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

According to NASA<\/a> sea level has risen by 100.9 mm since 1993. That\u2019s almost four whole inches!!! Enough to swamp four quarters or a baseball card or even a beer can!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Sea level actually receded a bit since last June\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

2024 was the warmest year in the satellite era\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Roy Spencer, PhD<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

2024 beat the previous record by a whopping 0.4\u00a0\u00b0<\/strong>C. Let\u2019s apply some scale and context::<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

It\u2019s currently about 1.4\u00a0\u00b0<\/strong>C warmer than when \u201cThe Ice Age Cometh<\/a>\u201c\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If not for the warming allegedly caused by capitalism, it would still be just as cold now as it was in March 1975:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Science News March 1, 1975<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Seems kind of mild compared to the Cuban Missile Crisis or Soviet tanks rolling into Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Afghanistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pandemics and Skynet and Free Speech! Oh My!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n

The off-season appearance and in-season continuance of highly pathogenic avian influenza\u2026<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Breitbart<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The price of eggs sucks! But\u2026 89 seconds to Doomsday? Not!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Systems that incorporate artificial intelligence\u2026<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

AI is a long way from Skynet<\/a> I Googled my favorite garbled lyric from the Toto song Africa<\/em>: \u201cThere\u2019s nothing that a hundred men on Mars could ever do.\u201d The Google AI confirmed my garbled lyric:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The actual lyric is, \u201cThere\u2019s nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do.\u201d Now I know how Captain Kirk<\/a> was able to short circuit androids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

The dangers we have just listed are greatly exacerbated by a potent threat multiplier: the spread of misinformation, disinformation, and conspiracy theories that degrade the communication ecosystem and increasingly blur the line between truth and falsehood.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Remember when this was a misinformation conspiracy theory that would get you banned from social media?<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Breitbart<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The Shamdemic and 2020\u00a0coup de<\/em>\u00a0d\u2019\u00e9tat<\/em>\u00a0clearly demonstrated this principle:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The notion that we are much closer to Doomsday now than when we were losing the Cold War is clearly the perfect example of \u201cthe spread of misinformation, disinformation, and conspiracy theories that degrade the communication ecosystem and increasingly blur the line between truth and falsehood.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, January 1980<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

So\u2026 I say\u2026 Let\u2019s run out the clock!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Let these clowns keep on crying wolf right on down to midnight. I\u2019m pretty sure we\u2019ll still be\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n