Why Yes, There Is a North Korean Nuclear Threat To Write About

By Scott Smith in News on Oct 17, 2006 5:45PM

Though the recent nuclear tests by North Korea and the subsequent sanctions by the United Nations haven’t been addressed here, we've been following it closely. Far be it for us to be accused of ignoring a story with such major international and national impact, especially since it hits home in this story from the L.A. Times about the Doomsday Clock located at the University of Chicago.

The members of the academic journal, The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, monitor the clock and adjust it according to the perceived threat of nuclear war. The clock counts down to midnight, and was first set at 11:53 in 1947. Since then the clock has moved forward or backward 17 times. The clocks hands were last moved in 2002, and the scientists say they’ve received several inquiries as to whether the clock will be adjusted again in the way of North Korea’s actions. The group will decide whether to change the clock when it meets next month.

The clock resides at U. of C., as it is the site of the first atomic reaction. In December of 1942, Enrico Fermi split the atom, which led to the harnessing of nuclear energy.