Don't bet on the Doomsday clock stunt

Posted on Tuesday, Jan 30, 2007 at 02:03 PM in Science

Did you know they advanced the time on the doomsday clock? Did you know we had a doomsday clock? Is the doomsday clock little more than a PR stunt? Sure, it looks bleak, so this dose of optimism should make you think again about our "imminent" destruction. There's also a predictions markey where you can bet on what's going to be our great undoing.

My first reaction was a sigh of relief. After all, the 1947 doomsday prediction marked the start of a golden age. Never have so many humans lived so long — and maybe never so peacefully — as during the past 60 years. The per-capita rate of violence, particularly in the West, seems remarkably low by historical standards. If the clock’s keepers are worried once again, their track record suggests we’re in for even happier days.