What is the Doomsday clock?

About Doomsday clock:

• What is it? It is a symbolic timepiece showing how close the world is to ending.
• The hands of the clock are moved closer to or further away from midnight based on the scientists' reading of existential threats at a particular time.
• Purpose:
  • It warns how many metaphorical “minutes to midnight” humanity has left.
  • It is intended to warn the public and inspire action.
• How is the clock set? A Chicago-based non-profit organization called the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists updates the time annually based on information regarding catastrophic risks to the planet and humanity
• Origin and History:
  • The clock was created in 1947 by a group of atomic scientists, including Albert Einstein, who had worked on the Manhattan Project to develop the world's first nuclear weapons during World War Two.
  • When it was created in 1947, the placement of the Doomsday Clock was based on the threat posed by nuclear weapons.
  • In 2007, the Bulletin began including catastrophic disruptions from climate change in its hand-setting deliberations.
  • The furthest the clock has been set was 17 minutes to midnight, in 1991, after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
• What time is it now?
  • At 90 seconds to midnight, the "Doomsday Clock" is now the closest it has ever been to midnight.
  • It is the first time it has moved since it was set at 100 seconds to midnight in 2020.
  • Its setting reflects the revived fears of a nuclear war due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.