The hands of the worldwide Doomsday Clock in Hyde Park remained at 90 seconds to midnight in its annual reset, after global threats cast “menacing shadows” on the clock deliberations and “ominous trends continue to point the world toward global catastrophe,” the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists said Tuesday morning.

       The scientists, who developed and oversee the clock, cited unprecedented dangers in the world, including the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war; the risk of nuclear acceleration; the climate crisis and related disasters, including 2023 recorded as the hottest year on record; evolving biological threats and the proliferation of artificial intelligence and other disruptive technologies.

       Advertisement

       The metaphorical clock, located on the campus of the University of Chicago in the lobby of the Keller Center, is a symbol for how close humanity is to destruction from self-made technologies and advancements. It warns how many metaphorical “minutes to midnight” the human world has left, according to the university.

       [ At ‘Climate Cafés,’ mental health experts and environmentalists create a community to tackle climate anxiety ]

       In 2023, the clock was set to 90 seconds to midnight, marking the closest the clock approached midnight since it was created in 1947.

       Advertisement

       TODAY'S TOP VIDEOS

       Rachel Bronson, president and CEO of the Bulletin, warned that the clock hands not moving closer to midnight is not a sign that the outlook of the world has improved.

       “Make no mistake: resetting the Clock at 90 seconds to midnight is not an indication that the world is stable,” Bronson said in a release. “Quite the opposite. It’s urgent for governments and communities around the world to act.”

       [ The story of how the Doomsday Clock began ticking 75 years ago, the brainchild of a Chicago artist ]

       In 2022, scientists set the clock to 100 seconds, or 1 minute and 40 seconds, to midnight.

       Scientists at the Bulletin say the clock can be turned back if governments and global leaders take steps to curb the dangers facing societies affected by nuclear warfare and climate change.

       The Bulletin was formed out of atomic scientists involved in the Manhattan Project, the secret government mission to create the first atomic bomb, who wanted to warn the public of the dangers of nuclear weapons. In recent years, the clock has adjusted to changing threats to the world to address climate change and digital technology.

       Since its inception, the farthest the clock has been to midnight was 17 minutes in 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the signing of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.

       aguffey@chicagotribune.com