seven minutes to midnight

Have you been feeling bad lately,

High prices for fuel.
The WOT.
Debt and Credit card rates through the roof.
The Mortage bubble about to burst.
Work sucking, employer demanding time more for less cash.
ATS posts doom and gloom!

Well you are not alone,

The Doomsday Clock has been moved back to it's original start setting.

11:53 pm

Posted on Mon, Aug. 22, 2005 Edging closer to doomsday

Column by Mike Shannon

In 1947 a group of concerned atomic scientists created what became known as the Doomsday Clock. It was set at seven minutes to midnight. The purpose of this clock was to use a universally recognized device in such a way that the laymen of the world could more readily grasp not only the danger of nuclear annihilation but precisely how close we were/are to experiencing it. It has over the years fluctuated from a low of two minutes 'til midnight during height of the Cold War in the 1950s, to a high of 17 in the years following the disintegration of the Soviet Union. Due to the recent expansions of the nuclear arsenals of India, Pakistan, North Korea and now Iran, it is back to its original starting point.

www.bradenton.com...

Hi SIRR1.

Can you explain your point of this post? I'm not to sure what it all means.

Are you pointing toward that we're nearing a nuclear doomsday or something?

This 7 mins to midnight then 2 minutes I wasn't sure on what you meant.

Thanks in advance

I had forgotten all about the doomsday clock. Thanks for reminding me.

I may be a little older than the average member but I remember when I was just starting high school (1984) it was 3 minutes to midnight. This was just after The Day After was shown on TV and I was very worried we would all die soon (teenagers can be so dramatic).

I find this disturbing.

Here's some more info on the doomsday clock.
www.thebulletin.org...

it's a fascinating thing...thanks sirr1, but what was it before? it seems to me it has been at 7 minute to... since 2002 per the above link

So am I correct in thinking the closer to midnight the more dangerous it is?

That seems to be the jist from the last link I looked at. Stalling nuclear disarmament seems to make the clock go closer to midnight.

Yes MrDog, you are correct. The closer the clock is to midnight, the closer the world is to nuclear annihilation.

Holy maloney. Well thanks for the post SIRR1. I never knew about this but now will keep a vigilant eye on the clock.

There are many factors now that I suppose will change the clock again.

Iran, North Korea.

When does the clock get updated? It seems random.

Fuzzy memory here, but I seem to recall that it is changed when global events occur. There is no set time of the year when it is changed and can remain at one time for years.

The last change was in 2002, as worldwatcher mentioned. Probably has a lot to do with 9-11.

Iran and North Korea will probably have some effect on the clock but I think that the US's reactions to them will have more influence on it.

Well it's definitely something to keep an eye on anyway.

Thanks anyway Duzey.

The doomsday clock still around? I guess so and I kind of agree with their decision to move it 7 minutes till midnight.

Bulletin Bored

Originally posted by Duzey
The closer the clock is to midnight, the closer the world is to nuclear annihilation.

No, the closer the clock is to midnight, the closer the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists says the world is to nuclear annihilation.

The difference is extremely significant.

Speaking as one of billions who has been terrorized by this clock since childhood, I consider that difference to be essential to keep in mind.

This is a political advocacy group. It's also a business. Notice that they sell subscriptions to their bulletin. For money.

The clock is a publicity tool, not a mystic omen sanctioned by God.

It's just someone's opinion, and believe it or not, they could be wrong.

That said, even a stopped Doomsday Clock is right twice an epoch.



[edit on 8/24/2005 by Majic]

When the Doomsday clock was first conceived, biological warfare wasen't really the threat it is now. If nuclear war is it's only consideration 7min seems about right, but with bio I'd say it's back to about 2min till.

It's not healthy to be paranoid about the end times. Celebrate every day and dont think about the future unless you want to lose all perspective and go mad.

Somebody wants us to be scared so they can manipulate us easier.

The Only Thing To Fear

Originally posted by whaaa
Somebody wants us to be scared so they can manipulate us easier.

Direct hit on target.

People who are afraid don't have time to think. People who think don't have time to be afraid.

Fear is a tool of control, not the herald of salvation.

Those who promote fear reveal themselves in doing so.

Only sorrow can come of it.

Originally posted by Majic
The difference is extremely significant.

Speaking as one of billions who has been terrorized by this clock since childhood, I consider that difference to be essential to keep in mind.

Quite right and an important distinction.

I had forgotten just how deeply that fear ran until I saw SIRR1's post. Between that clock and the TV movie The Day After I was terrified of nuclear war.

It's also a business. Notice that they sell subscriptions to their bulletin. For money.

Duly noted. I am glad they have decided to make many of their older articles available on the web for free. I'm interested in what they have to say but even more interested in not spending my money. If they are going to start advertising the Clock again, I want to know what events it is being based on. I only have about 12 years worth of issues to catch up on.

It's just someone's opinion, and believe it or not, they could be wrong.

And here I thought that only happened to me.

While I think the 'younger crowd' needs to be aware of just how scared people were back then and how much worse it can get (and being outside the US, I may have a different perspective of it than you), I certainly wouldn't want them to have to live with the kind of fear most of us did back then.

That is why I find the the Doomsday Clock disturbing. Publicity tool, yes. Incredibly effective publicity tool, hell yes. So effective that I remembered exactly how scared I was in an instant. Why should the kids today have to suffer from the same paranoia and feeling of impending doom that we did 20 years ago?