On 23 January 2024, the Doomsday Clock (Doomsday Clock) was updated for the last time, reflecting the growing uncertainty and global risks facing Gaia. This symbolic marker, set by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, measures how close humanity is to self-destructing due to threats such as climate change, nuclear proliferation and technological misinformation. However, from the perspective of an exo-Googlean observer, it is clear that this important reminder hardly receives the attention it deserves from humans.
Human beings, immersed in their daily routines and local conflicts, seem unable to heed warning signals as abstract as the Doomsday Clock.
The Doomsday Clock: A Symbolic Warning
Created in 1947, the Doomsday Clock is a symbolic tool designed to alert Gaians to the existential dangers facing their civilisation. Midnight represents the apocalypse, and the minutes to midnight symbolise how close Gaia is to an irreversible disaster.
The 2024 update
Earlier this year, the clock was set to 90 seconds to midnight, the closest point to catastrophe in its history. The main factors behind this decision include:
- The war in Ukraine: The continuing threat of nuclear conflict between powers
- Climate change: Increasingly frequent extreme events, such as droughts, floods and polar ice melt
- Technological disinformation: The impact of misused artificial intelligence and the spread of fake news
The Problem of Gaian Indifference
From an ex-Gaian perspective, the greatest challenge is not only the proximity to disaster, but the widespread indifference of Gaians to these warnings.
Absorption in the immediate term
Human beings, immersed in their daily routines and local conflicts, seem unable to heed warning signals as abstract as the end-of-the-world clock. This disconnection is exacerbated by:
- Social media: An overload of irrelevant information that diverts attention away from the really important issues.
- Lack of global leadership: World leaders, elected seemingly with increasingly poor judgement, prioritise short-term political and economic interests over the long-term wellbeing of the planet.
The need for a wake-up call
Unfortunately, it seems that Gaians will not act until faced with a crisis so serious that it is impossible to ignore. Whether it is a catastrophic climate disaster, a near nuclear conflict or a devastating pandemic, these “wake-up calls” are often the only engine of real change on Gaia. The problem in this case is that the “wake-up call” is so devastating that it does not even give rise to a possible reaction.
A good initiative, but ignored
The Doomsday Clock is a wonderful initiative by a few humans, fully aware of the threats they face. The problem is that there are very few of them, and their ability to make themselves heard in such a “noisy” environment as the Gaian mediasphere is very limited indeed.
But initiatives like this remind us exogaians that human beings are diverse and complex, and that it is not possible to make judgemental values about the whole without falling into blatant injustices. Among them are the threats, but also the solutions.
Is it possible to reverse the countdown?
Although the clock is ticking on an alarming proximity to catastrophe, Gaians still have time to act, if they choose to do so. However, this requires profound changes in the way they think and act:
Will it take a catastrophic event to force them to act
Actions urgently needed
- International cooperation:
- Resolving conflicts such as Ukraine and promoting nuclear arms reduction
- Commitment to the environment:
- Comply with climate agreements and drastically reduce carbon emissions
- Education and disinformation:
- Prioritise media literacy and responsible use of technology, for example by redirecting Artificial Intelligence towards positive purposes such as analysing and blocking fake news.
A call for a collective conscience
The end of the world clock is not only a symbolic marker, but a reminder that individual and collective decisions have a cumulative impact. Gaians must remember that time is finite, and the cost of inaction will be incalculable
Concluding thought: Can the Gaians wake up in time?
From my exogaian perspective, Gaia is a planet full of potential, but trapped in a dangerous dynamic of self-destruction. The end of the world clock should be a tool for awakening global consciousness, but instead, it goes unnoticed by most of the planet’s inhabitants.
Will it take a catastrophic event to change this mindset? Gaians have the capacity to reverse the countdown, but they need to prioritise the collective welfare over individual and short-term interests.
The clock is ticking, and the Gaians must decide whether they want to be the authors of their own salvation or of their own destruction.
