Turn Back the Clock Virtual tour

April 8, 2020

We know you’re home so we’ve created the Turn Back the Clock virtual tour that you and your family can experience without leaving your house One of the most provocative symbols of the 20th century—the Doomsday Clock—inspires a virtual exhibit illustrating why it matters as much today as it ever has in its nearly 75 year history. Take the tour now!

Recently set at just 100 seconds to midnight, the Doomsday Clock reflects the urgency of man-made threats confronting humanity: nuclear risk, climate change, and disruptive technologies. Turn Back the Clock, a new virtual tour created by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, takes you through seven decades of history—from the dawn of the nuclear age to the significant global challenges we face today.

Turn Back the Clock was on exhibit for two years at Chicago’s renowned Museum of Science and Industry. You can now access this virtual tour from the comfort of your home—all you need is a computer. The tour allows you to zoom in and out of photo and video displays, enlarge panels and artifacts, and even turn around to “walk” back to previously-viewed sections of the exhibit. You can: Explore how the Clock has evolved over time to include man-made risks to humanity like nuclear weapons, climate change, and disruptive technology. Deepen your understanding of the urgent dialogue needed among scientists, policy makers, and the public. Discover your place in the history of the Clock by engaging with these issues and learning what you can do to make a difference. Take the tour, and see if you can find: 17 original artifacts from the dawn of the nuclear era from both the scientific world and popular culture; 8 reproduction letters and papers (including 2 eyewitness sketches of the Trinity Test); 6 questions to gauge opinions on issues of nuclear security and climate change; 3 oral histories with Manhattan Project scientists and engineers. The Doomsday Clock’s time changes, represented in an interactive digital timeline; And much more! Turn Back the Clock calls upon all of us—scientists, policy makers, and ordinary citizens—to take part in the dialogue and debate the important science and technology issues that have great impact on our lives. Start your journey—find the elements of the exhibit described above and let us know what you will you do to move the Doomsday Clock away from midnight. Email us: Feedback@thebulletin.org.

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