Out of the Darkness

editorial Five minutes from disaster

Nuclear weapons, nuclear power and climate change are driving the march of the Doomsday Clock towards midnight.

The hands of the Doomsday Clock have Certainly the outcome of the most recent moved a minute closer to midnight. round of climate talks (J. Tollefson, Nature Established by the Bulletin of the Atomic 480, 299–300; 2011), held in Durban, South Scientists, since 1947 the clock has Africa in December 2011, gives little cause symbolized the state of world affairs, for optimism. Intense late-night bargaining with the minutes left before the midnight produced the Durban Platform for the hour representing how close the planet negotiation of a new climate treaty by 2015 — may be veering towards disaster. As the but the Kyoto Protocol it succeeds will have Bulletin itself was founded by Manhattan expired by the end of this year. Still no major Project physicists in the wake of the atomic carbon-producing economy outside Europe is bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it committed to a reduction in emissions. has been primarily concerned with issues Another cause for concern for the surrounding the use and proliferation of Bulletin’s board straddles the issues of both nuclear weaponry. But the current setting nuclear materials and the environment — of the Doomsday Clock, at five minutes to that is, the safety of nuclear power. The midnight, now reflects a greater spectrum of earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan global threat, notably that of climate change. in March 2011 caused meltdown at the In 1947, the clock was set initially at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, and seven minutes to midnight. By 1949, it revealed how poorly prepared its operators stood at three minutes to the hour, as the were to manage the disaster. Investigations Soviet Union stepped up its nuclear weapons into the incident have been hampered by testing and the arms race began, and by © ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/SELENSERGEN a lack of transparency that led Japanese 1953 the world was a mere two minutes politicians, including former Prime Minister from doomsday. However, in 1963 the clock the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, who Yukio Hatayama, to call (T. Taira and was wound back to 12 minutes to midnight are tasked with setting the clock, have Y. Hatoyama, Nature 480, 313–314; 2011) for when, one year on from the Cuban missile signalled their concern not only over the nationalization of the power plant. (Brighter crisis, the Soviet Union and the United States failure to curtail weapon stocks in the news, as Nature Physics goes to press, is signed the Partial Test Ban Treaty, putting United States and Russia, but also over the that the Main Ring of J-PARC’s accelerator an end to all atmospheric testing of nuclear spread of nuclear capability — notably to complex at Tokai is resuming operation weapons. The signing of the Strategic Arms India, Pakistan and North Korea — and the following the disruption, particularly to the Reduction Treaty by these superpowers in developing nuclear ambitions of Iran. But laboratory’s neutrino-physics programme, 1991 rolled the clock hands back to a happy the advance of the clock by two minutes caused by last year’s earthquake.) 17 minutes to the hour. in 2007 was also driven by another worry: The Doomsday Clock may be merely a Since then, although the Cold War had that damage to the planet by carbon- symbol, but to all it is a means of remaining come to an end, the clock hands have mostly emitting technologies could be catastrophic mindful of the dangers of the past and aware crept forward. The board of directors of and “irremediable”. of the dangers of the present. ❐ Out of the darkness

The web blackout symbolized concern over potential legislation, which we share.

For one day last month, the English- was unprecedented. But the Obama presidential nomination came out against language pages of Wikipedia went dark. administration had already voiced the acts. The blackout of that site and an estimated its disapproval in a White House The Research Works Act, introduced in 7,000 others was in protest against the statement refusing support for Congress in December 2011, is also causing Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), on the legislation that “reduces freedom of concern among scientists and the library slate in the US Congress. Days later, the expression, increases cybersecurity community. Nature Publishing Group, to consideration of the bill in its present risks or undermines the dynamic, which Nature Physics belongs, does not form was halted, and a vote on the related innovative global Internet.” And support SOPA, PIPA or the Research Works Protect IP Act (PIPA) postponed. in a debate ahead of last month’s Act — statements on its position can be The protest and public outcry contentious South Carolina primary, found at http://www.nature.com/npg_/ at the prospect of web ‘censorship’ all four candidates for the Republican press_room/index.html. ❐

NATURE PHYSICS | VOL 8 | FEBRUARY 2012 | www.nature.com/naturephysics 101