89 Seconds to Midnight: Humanity on the Edge

A science advocacy group warns that Earth is edging closer to destruction, advancing its 'Doomsday Clock' to 89 seconds till midnight. The clock measures humanity's proximity to annihilation due to threats like climate change, nuclear tensions, and AI in military use, urging global cooperation to avert disaster.

The Earth is alarmingly moving closer to potential cataclysm, as heralded by a scientifically driven advocacy group, which on Tuesday adjusted its ominous 'Doomsday Clock' to 89 seconds before midnight—the closest it has ever been.

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists made this chilling annual proclamation, which evaluates how near humanity is to its end, focusing on threats like climate change, nuclear armament proliferation, instability in the Middle East, pandemic risks, and the integration of artificial intelligence into military operations.

Previously set at 90 seconds before midnight for the last two years, Daniel Holz, the head of the group's science and security board, emphasized, "when you are at this precipice, the last thing you want to do is step forward." The group particularly pointed to nuclear collaboration between countries such as North Korea, Russia, and China, alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin's perilous rhetoric regarding nuclear use in the Ukraine conflict. The group asserts the clock can retreat if nations unite to tackle these existential threats.

(With inputs from agencies.)