What unusual scientists have noticed
Stuck at λεπτά two minutes before midnight remains the "Apocalypse Clock", according to members of the Science and Security Council of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, in their annual report on how close the world is to total destruction.
However, the scientists admitted that their decision to leave the indicators in the same position as last year is "unusual", as the risk of nuclear disaster is still extremely high, as it was a year ago.
Council members, in a press conference they gave, expressed strong concern about the danger of a nuclear war, even talking about the possibility of a country launching an attack "by mistake".
As they pointed out, the hands of the clock have been found so close to midnight only once in the past: in 1953, when the United States and the former Soviet Union were conducting hydrogen bomb tests.
The Council also reiterated its concerns about climate change, a factor they have been taking into account since 2007.
This year, the Council included former California Gov. Jerry Brown, who has called on politicians to "listen" to scientists, especially on climate change issues. "We look like passengers on the Titanic who do not see the iceberg in front of them but enjoy their dinner listening to music," Brown said.
The Council seeks to draw attention to the risk of a nuclear holocaust and to encourage dialogue on this issue.