Doomsday clock 2018 live: Scientists reveal how much closer we are to nuclear armageddon

Doomsday clock set at two minutes to midnight

Scientists are about to announce just how doomed we are.

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, which controls the clock, is hosting its annual update today. Various luminaries will reveal how close to "midnight" they believe us to be; the closer we are, the higher the chance of global annihilation.

We are getting close to being in more danger than ever before. And scientists could well say today that we are at the most dangerous point ever recorded since the clock began.

The threat of nuclear Armageddon still hovers over the Earth. But it has also been accompanied by other threats, which the scientists now consider – including the looming danger of climate change, and the failure of politicians to tackle it.

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[25 January 2018 12:20 · Andrew Griffin]

The time is currently at two-and-a-half minutes to midnight. (Including the half minute was a bizarre choice that scientists added for the first time last year. It's clumsy to look at and sort of defeats the point, but was presumably decided so that the clock didn't reach two minutes to, the furthest along it's ever been.)

It's probable that it will be moved forward again: there's the threat of nuclear war, climate change deniers in the White House, and growing concern around the world. But maybe they'll find cause for optimism? We'll find out at 3pm.

[25 January 2018 14:54 · Andrew Griffin]

Just a few minutes now until we learn what time it is. And also get to hear how the scientists made their decision.

While it's the former that grabs the headlines, the latter can often be just as interesting; the clock is only really a metaphor for their worries, so you can often learn more from why they made their decision rather than what the decision is.

[25 January 2018 15:02 · Andrew Griffin]

The event is live. No announcement yet – the Bulletin are just laying out how the Doomsday Clock works.

https://clock.thebulletin.org/

[25 January 2018 15:03 · Andrew Griffin]

There are many topics we considered to formulate our answer, the Bulletin explains. For most of our history we concentrated on nuclear war. But starting in 2007, climate change became more of a concern. And now technology and other developments are becoming even more challenging.

[25 January 2018 15:04 · Andrew Griffin]

We're at two minutes to midnight. That's as close as we've ever been.

[25 January 2018 15:11 · Andrew Griffin]

We're seeing a potential return to a nuclear arms race, the experts warn.

[25 January 2018 15:18 · Andrew Griffin]

Here's our full report on the scientists' announcement that we're as close to apocalypse as ever before www.independent.co.uk/news/science/doomsday-clock-2018-live-latest-update-midnight-minutes-trump-tweets-nuclear-war-a8177816.html

[25 January 2018 15:20 · Andrew Griffin]

"There is indeed room for hope. Hope that citizens will mobilise [and compel] their politicians to make choices that move us back from the brink."

[25 January 2018 15:21 · Andrew Griffin]

It's not just nuclear war or climate change that the scientists are worried about. It's that those are happening at a time when trust in media and politicians is lower than it's ever been before, making it harder than ever to respond to those threats.

[25 January 2018 15:24 · Andrew Griffin]

Lawrence Krauss, who served on the Bulletin's board, is talking at length about the dangers of the media and science having their reputation eroded. He's making a plea for an "infrastructure" to keep information safe.