Why does a doomsday clock even exist?

[Dagan]

These fools are in the news again and telling everyone that they've moved the clock up to 85 seconds from midnight. Okay, narcissists. Thanks. Whatever. Who died and made them gods to decide when the world ends? I've always thought this was among the first evidences of an entity just creating dread and worry in global society. It helps nothing. It truly decides nothing. It's just folks being controlling a-holes and wanting to scare everyone into their narratives. Some of their desires may be decent, but most of them aren't necessary at all and aren't fully backed by repeatable evidence for what they claim is absolutely going to happen (when they say it will).

The whole thing started at 17 minutes until midnight from the beginning of it...roughly right after the cold war "ended" (wink, wink). How does one even decide that? Also, this is akin to every zealot out there that's constantly championing a religious prophecy to end the world. Why do so many people just want it all to end (and why do they want to be spot on correct for when it happens)? These people remind me of the trolls who constantly have to make the first comment on any topic online....and their comment is simply that...."first." LAME.

 

[Judge]

Meh. Little more than morbid amusement, I'd say.

 

[Tired]

First time I hear about it. The world may end - I will move on

 

[TBRS1]

These fools are in the news again and telling everyone that they've moved the clock up to 85 seconds from midnight. Okay, narcissists. Thanks. Whatever. Who died and made them gods to decide when the world ends? I've always thought this was among the first evidences of an entity just creating dread and worry in global society. It helps nothing. It truly decides nothing. It's just folks being controlling a-holes and wanting to scare everyone into their narratives. Some of their desires may be decent, but most of them aren't necessary at all and aren't fully backed by repeatable evidence for what they claim is absolutely going to happen (when they say it will).

The whole thing started at 17 minutes until midnight from the beginning of it...roughly right after the cold war "ended" (wink, wink). How does one even decide that? Also, this is akin to every zealot out there that's constantly championing a religious prophecy to end the world. Why do so many people just want it all to end (and why do they want to be spot on correct for when it happens)? These people remind me of the trolls who constantly have to make the first comment on any topic online....and their comment is simply that...."first." LAME.

It was intended as a graphic, at a time when it became possible to reduce the nuclear arsenal, to inform people how well it was going.

It has morphed into something else now, but I'm not sure what. Maybe just a vague warning that nobody will listen to.

 

[Judge]

It has morphed into something else now, but I'm not sure what. Maybe just a vague warning that nobody will listen to.

Reminds me of the "Ripley's Believe It Or Not" museum advertising...lol.

Much ado (and admission prices) about nothing.

 

[Princess Viola]

The Doomsday Clock nonsense is stuff you should take as seriously as like IDK the Razzies when it comes to movie awards (meaning 'not at all').

It's entirely ridiculous because it was created specifically for like 'how close we seem to be to nuclear war' (because the whole idea was created by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists) and that could - arguably - work because the threat of nuclear war is a pretty easily defined doomsday because once the first ICBM is fired, that's basically the end of human civilization and the 'midnight' scenario the clock is meant to show how close we are to.

What's also dumb is after the Cold War ended and the threat of nuclear war stopped being a thing people were worried about, they basically expanded it to include any possible doomsday scenario to remain relevant - even things where we have no idea where the 'midnight' point would be like climate change.

And IIRC they've been asked 'Why don't you have multiple clocks for different potential doomsday scenarios' but they don't so the end result is that we have a doomsday clock that's pretty much always ticking down to a comical degree and it no longer has any real impact.

Like I'm not gonna pretend the current situation in the world is flawless and perfect (and I'm trying to avoid getting into a discussion about politics because I know that's forbidden here) but are you really gonna tell me that right now, with the Doomsday clock at 85 seconds to midnight, we're at more risk for some kind of doomsday scenario than during the Cuban Missile Crisis?

(Also the fact that this thing went from minutes to midnight to seconds also shows how dumb it is as a concept - gotta drag it out as much as possible - wouldn't be surprised if they start doing milliseconds in the future lmao)

 

[Jumpinbare]

Mighty Mouse and the buzz saw.

Anyone who watched the old Mighty Mouse cartoons understands this one. The poor beautiful victim would be tied to a conveyor belt moving towards a buzz saw that would cut her in half. As Mighty Mouse was fighting the villian(s) to reach and rescue her, she is getting within inches of the saw. The next time she is shown, she is actually further away from the blade but still moving towards it. Back to the hero/villian fighting. Back to her, still inches from the saw, etc. Finally, when he reaches her and removes her from her doom, she is still an inch or two from the blade.

 

[TBRS1]

Mighty Mouse and the buzz saw.

Anyone who watched the old Mighty Mouse cartoons understands this one. The poor beautiful victim would be tied to a conveyor belt moving towards a buzz saw that would cut her in half. As Mighty Mouse was fighting the villian(s) to reach and rescue her, she is getting within inches of the saw. The next time she is shown, she is actually further away from the blade but still moving towards it. Back to the hero/villian fighting. Back to her, still inches from the saw, etc. Finally, when he reaches her and removes her from her doom, she is still an inch or two from the blade.

LOL - so far, that has matched every prediction of total annihilation coming from both science and religion.

It's much safer to predict that the world will carry on forever. So far, it has. When it doesn't, nobody will point fingers and laugh at the prophets of "It's OK" for being wrong.

Unfortunately, t-shirts that say "It'll be OK" don't sell as well as the ones that say "We're doomed!"

 

[Jumpinbare]

Unfortunately, t-shirts that say "It'll be OK" don't sell as well as the ones that say "We're doomed!"