Doomsday Clock

Germany’s Chancellor-to-be Friedrich Merz referred to the Doomsday Clock, stating that it was “five minutes to midnight for Europe,” highlighting deteriorating relations between the United States and its European allies.

• He urged Europeans to become self-reliant in response to geopolitical challenges.
• About: The Doomsday Clock is a symbolic representation of how close humanity is to a global catastrophe (nuclear war, climate change, emerging threats).
• Concept Origin: Imagined by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists in 1947 to assess the probability of nuclear destruction.
• Founders: Established by Albert Einstein, J. Robert Oppenheimer, Leo Szilard, and others who worked on atomic weapons.
• Purpose: Created to inform policymakers, scientists, and the public about existential threats.
• Design: The clock’s first design, showing the minute hand nearing midnight, was created by artist Martyl Langdorf in 1947. It was redesigned by Michael Bierut in 2007.
• Current Position of the Clock: Announced every January by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists.