(Thumbnail image: Flickr)

“The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists moved its so called Doomsday Clock back one minute to six minutes to midnight. The clock symbolizes how close mankind is to self destruction.”

Since 1947, scientists have used the clock as a symbol of just how close the world is to its own annihilation, represented by midnight.  This is the first time the group of scientists moved the clock back by just one minute, signaling a positive change, but still a small one. (Turnbacktheclock.org)

We’re looking at perspectives from New Tang Dynasty Television, NPR, True/Slant, The Washington Post, and ABC.

Nuclear warfare, climate change, biotechnology: choose your poison. The group in charge of maintaining the doomsday clock, which includes 19 Nobel laureates, says these factors are most likely to lead to the world's annihilation.  New Tang Dynasty TV reports that the U.S. played a role in changing the clock, both in the past and this time.

“A key to the positive alteration is the U.S. governments’ orientation toward international affairs, largely spearheaded by President Barack Obama. The last reset was in 2007 when the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists moved it forward by two minutes citing North Korea’s test of a nuclear weapon, Iran’s nuclear ambitions and a renewed U.S. emphasis on the military utility of nuclear weapons.”

NPR reports that climate change efforts also influenced the scientists, but the group doesn’t want the clock change to give anyone the impression that we’re in the clear just yet.

“The one minute really means the clock's ticking, and if we don't act on this at this really almost unique time, this unique opportunity to do something, then it's quite likely we're going to move much closer to midnight.”

Colin Horgan, a contributor for True/Slant, asks why we rely on the clock metaphor at all. He describes the paranoia the scientists could create if they move the clock toward midnight rather than away.

“You can imagine the response, especially on the Internet, a medium that, to put it mildly, is so obsessed with the destruction of the entire human race that if it were to have a Doomsday Clock of its own, it would be permanently set somewhere between 11:59:30 and 11:59:59.”

The number of nuclear weapons in the world has decreased by 4,000 over the past three years.  The Washington Post reports that despite the progress, some still see imminent doom in our future.

“Hollywood still churns out apocalyptic movies ('The Road,' '2012' and 'Knowing' premiered over the past 10 months), and 50 million Americans still believe the world will end in their lifetimes, according to Nicholas Guyatt, author of 'Have a Nice Doomsday: Why Millions of Americans are Looking Forward to the End of the World.'”

ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel reminds us that even if we’re just 6 minutes away from total destruction, there’s always time for a laugh.

“I guess we should be glad it’s not moving forward….The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists moved the infamous doomsday clock back.  The clock measures the liklihood that civilization will be toppled by a human-caused catastrophe – we’re now six minutes to midnight….yeaah boy. That’s who I want wearing it…”

So how close do you think we are to destroying the planet? And do you agree with the scientists decision to move the clock back a minute?

Writer: Jennifer Herseim

Producer: Nathan Giannini