The Doomsday Clock

A quote of the day from the WSJ.com's very readable Morning Brief e-mail newsletter. They used this as their quote of the day ... and it is a stark reminder about some of the big issues we face these days.

"Since Hiroshima and Nagasaki, no nuclear weapons have been used in war, though the world has come uncomfortably close to disaster on more than one occasion. But for good luck, we would all be dead. As we stand at the brink of a second nuclear age and a period of unprecedented climate change, scientists have a special responsibility once again to inform the public and advise leaders about the perils that humanity faces. We foresee great peril if governments and society do not take action now to render nuclear weapons obsolete and prevent further climate change. As scientists, we understand the dangers of nuclear weapons and their devastating effects, and we are learning how human activities and technologies are affecting climate systems in ways that may forever change life on Earth," legendary cosmologist and mathematician Stephen Hawking said, as the group of scientists who runs the Doomsday Clock -- a countdown to Armageddon begun in 1947 -- was moved two minutes closer to midnight at 11:55 to reflect climate change and the nuclear programs of North Korea and Iran, as the Times of London reports.