A clock representing the time remaining until civilization is destroyed in a nuclear war. It became a famous symbol of nuclear destruction when it first appeared on the cover of the June 1947 issue of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. The cover depicted a large clock face, called “The Clock of Doom, ” that was set at seven minutes to midnight, and an editorial stated that the clock “represents the state of mind of those whose closeness to the development of atomic energy does not permit them to forget ... the survival of civilization ... hangs in the balance.” The hands on the clock have been moved sixteen times to reflect global tensions and cooperation. It has been set as close as two minutes to midnight and as far back as seventeen minutes in 1991 with the signing of the START I Treaty. In 1998 it was reset to nine minutes when India and Pakistan tested nuclear weapons, world diplomacy failed on nuclear issues, and earlier agreements were not fully implemented.
See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.
