Learning English

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The story

A famous group of experts have warned that the world is the closest it has ever been to disaster. They’ve set the Doomsday Clock at 85 seconds to midnight.

The Doomsday Clock was developed by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists to warn about dangerous technologies and risks in the world. Doomsday means the end of the world, or a time when something very bad will happen. The idea is that the closer the Doomsday Clock is to midnight, the closer humanity is to being destroyed.

The Doomsday Clock was set up in 1947 as a way to track the risk of nuclear war. Scientists now consider other threats like climate change and artificial intelligence and update the clock every year.

Scientists moved the clock forward four seconds on Tuesday, indicating that the risk of disaster is getting worse.

News headlines

Doomsday Clock moves closer to midnight in stark ‘apocalypse’ warning
The Independent

Is humanity running out of time? World holds its breath as Doomsday Clock is updated
World Is One News

'Every second counts' - Doomsday Clock moves closer to midnight
BBC News

Key words and phrases

stark
clear, often serious

• This accident is a stark reminder of why health and safety policies are so important.

hold your breath
wait nervously or excitedly for something that’s about to happen

• The crowd held its breath as the gymnast began his routine.

every second counts
every moment is important

• If we’re going to finish the project on time, every second counts.

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