Scientists have identified a link between rising mortality and the approach of Judgment Day

American researchers have discovered an unexpected correlation between the position of the hands on the symbolic Doomsday Clock and mortality rates from various diseases and mental disorders. The results of this unusual study were published in the authoritative journal Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (BAS).

Created in the post-war year of 1947 by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, the Doomsday Clock initially served as a metaphorical indicator of the threat of nuclear catastrophe. Over the past decades, the symbolic significance of the clock has expanded substantially, including a whole spectrum of global challenges - from climate change to cyber threats and political instability. Despite the wide recognition of this symbol and discussions surrounding it, until now, no one had investigated the possible relationship between the movement of the clock hands and public health indicators.

During the study, scientists identified a disturbing pattern: the approach of the hands toward the symbolic midnight, signifying global catastrophe, correlates with increased mortality from Alzheimer's disease, suicides, accidents, as well as causes related to alcohol and drug use. Paradoxically, researchers recorded a simultaneous decrease in mortality rates from oncological diseases, HIV infection, and diabetes. These contradictory data point to the complexity of the interaction between socio-political factors and public health.

The authors of the study emphasize that the obtained results represent only the initial stage in understanding the complex relationships between global threats and the health status of the population.

On January 28, specialists decided to move the hand of the Doomsday Clock one second closer to midnight - to the mark of 89 seconds. Daniel Holtz, chairman of the science and security board of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, noted that this is the closest position to symbolic midnight in the entire history of the clock's existence.