Cause of Death - 100 Seconds to Midnight

Cause of Death – 100 Seconds to MidnightEpisode: S8 E7: 100 Seconds to Midnight: The Apocalypse Has Entered the Podcast The Doomsday Clock has never been closer to midnight. On January 27, 2026, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists moved the Clock from 89 seconds to midnight to 85 seconds—the closest it has ever been to catastrophe. But the Clock isn’t predicting the end of the world. It’s a warning. This year, that warning comes from several directions at once: nuclear weapons, climate change, biological threats, artificial intelligence and other disruptive technologies, and the erosion of international cooperation. The frightening part isn’t simply that these risks exist. It’s that they increasingly interact with one another. The Doomsday Clock: What Does It Actually Mean? The Doomsday Clock grew out of the Manhattan Project. In 1945, scientists who had helped develop the atomic bomb formed the organization that became the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. In 1947, artist Martyl Langsdorf designed its famous magazine cover: a clock set at seven minutes to midnight. Originally focused on nuclear danger, the Clock later expanded to include climate change, biological threats and disruptive technologies. In 2026, the Bulletin also emphasized a risk underlying all of them: weakening international cooperation. The Clock isn’t telling us catastrophe is inevitable. It’s telling us we are running out of margin for error. Risk #1: Nuclear Weapons Nuclear weapons are the original reason the Clock exists, and they remain an immediate catastrophic risk. The Bulletin pointed to continuing conflicts and nuclear brinkmanship, deteriorating arms-control relationships and modernization of nuclear arsenals. The concern isn’t simply how many weapons exist; communication and systems designed to prevent escalation have weakened. The Bulletin calls for renewed dialogue, restraint and international cooperation to reduce nuclear risk. Risk #2: Climate Change Climate change is already changing systems on which civilization depends. Global temperatures remain extraordinarily high, atmospheric carbon dioxide continues to reach record levels, and a warming atmosphere and ocean contribute to both flooding and drought. The effects can cascade through water supplies, food security, migration and infrastructure. Then there is another growing pressure: data centers. The Data Center Connection AI and other computational technologies require enormous computing power, electricity and cooling. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s 2025 United States Data Center Energy Usage Report, published in June 2026, estimates data centers could account for 11.8% of U.S. electricity consumption by 2030, with modeled scenarios ranging from 9.5% to 15.3%. Cooling can require water, while electricity generation can have an indirect water footprint. That matters especially where water is already scarce. Water Scarcity: The Bigger Picture The Middle East and North Africa show how climate, technology and water scarcity can collide. The World Bank identifies MENA as a hotspot of unsustainable water use. Meanwhile, Gulf countries are investing heavily in AI and data-center infrastructure while confronting severe water constraints. The Rio Grande offers another example. It is already stressed by drought, reduced snowpack, heat, reservoir conditions, agriculture and groundwater pressures, while data-center development adds new attention to industrial water use in New Mexico. Important distinction: data centers did not cause the Rio Grande’s water crisis. The question is how we responsibly add new water and energy demands where those resources are already stressed. Risk #3: Biological Threats The Bulletin identified several biological concerns. Mirror Life: Scientists have raised concerns about synthetic organisms built from molecular structures that are mirror images of those found in nature. A self-replicating mirror organism could potentially evade biological systems and defenses; the Bulletin characterized this as a potentially existential risk. AI-Designed Biological Threats: AI can help design proteins and biological systems, offering enormous benefits but also potential for misuse. Biological Weapons: International controls depend heavily on cooperation and shared norms, safeguards the Bulletin warned have weakened. Public Health Preparedness: Natural disease can also become catastrophic when surveillance, preparedness, expertise and public trust are inadequate. Risk #4: Artificial Intelligence & Disruptive Technologies AI can amplify other risks. It can accelerate biological research, influence military decision-making, contribute to misinformation and be incorporated into systems where mistakes could have extraordinary consequences. The Bulletin has specifically raised concerns about AI in military systems, including nuclear command and control. It also warns about degradation of the information environment: collective action becomes harder when people cannot agree on basic facts. The Risk Beneath the Risks Perhaps the most important part of the 2026 announcement isn’t any individual threat. It’s the loss of cooperation. Nuclear weapons, climate change, biological threats and AI don’t respect national borders. A virus doesn’t stop at a border. Carbon dioxide doesn’t stop at a border. A nuclear exchange doesn’t stay neatly contained. AI-generated information can cross the world in seconds. The question is whether humanity can cooperate well enough to manage problems no country can control alone. So… Are We Doomed? No. Midnight is not destiny. The Bulletin identifies actions that could reduce these risks, including renewing nuclear arms-control negotiations; strengthening biotechnology safeguards; establishing safeguards against AI-assisted biological threats; reducing fossil-fuel consumption and investing in climate resilience; developing international rules for military AI; protecting nuclear command-and-control systems from unsafe AI integration; rebuilding public-health preparedness and biological surveillance; improving data-center efficiency and sustainability; managing water resources more effectively; and restoring international cooperation and diplomatic communication. The Clock is a warning—not a prediction. Warnings are useful precisely because there is still time to respond. The Bigger Question The question isn’t:“How close are we to midnight?” The better question is:“What are we going to do with the time we have left?” The history of the Clock is, in many ways, a history of technological capability moving faster than our ability to govern it. We invented the atomic bomb before we figured out how to live with it.We’re developing artificial intelligence faster than we understand all of its consequences.We’re altering the climate faster than we’re adapting our infrastructure.We’re gaining unprecedented biological capabilities while struggling to maintain the institutions that protect us from biological threats. The technology isn’t necessarily the problem. The problem is whether our ability to manage the technology can keep pace with our ability to create it. And that’s why the Clock is sitting at 85 seconds. Not because midnight is inevitable. Because the margin for error is getting smaller. Sources & Further Reading The Doomsday ClockBulletin of the Atomic Scientists — 2026 Doomsday Clock StatementBulletin of the Atomic Scientists — Nuclear RiskBulletin of the Atomic Scientists — Climate ChangeBulletin of the Atomic Scientists — Biological ThreatsBulletin of the Atomic Scientists — Disruptive TechnologiesBulletin of the Atomic Scientists — Doomsday Clock TimelineBulletin of the Atomic Scientists — Doomsday Clock FAQ Climate, Water & Data CentersLawrence Berkeley National Laboratory — United States Data Center Energy Usage Report: 2025 UpdateWorld Bank — Beyond Scarcity: Water Security in the Middle East and North AfricaWorld Bank — Finding Institutional Solutions to Water Scarcity in MENAWorld Bank — Electricity and Water Access in MENAUAE Government — WaterUAE Government — Water Security Strategy 2036UAE Energy & Water Atlas — Water SecurityMiddle East Council on Global Affairs — AI, Data Centers, Water & Energy in the Gulf The Rio GrandeMeta — Restoring Water in Our Data Center CommunitiesMeta — 2024 Volumetric Water Benefits ReportFact Check — Meta’s New Mexico Data Center and the Rio Grande About Cause of Death – 100 Seconds to Midnight Cause of Death – 100 Seconds to Midnight explores threats that could bring civilization to the brink—and the people, science and solutions that might keep us from getting there. Please rate, review and share the podcast. Stay ConnectedWebsite — www.causeofdeath100secs.netEmail — [email protected] — Cause of DeathInstagram — @CauseofDeathpodThreads — @causeofdeathpodcastFacebook — @COD100SecsTwitter/X — @CauseofDeath10TikTok — @causeofdeath100secs Support the PodcastApple Podcasts — Subscribe through Apple SubscriptionsPatreon — Support Cause of DeathKo-Fi — Support Cause of DeathMerch — Cause of Death Merchandise on TeePublic Music“Time Off” by Damma Beatz NetworksCause of Death – 100 Seconds to Midnight is a proud member of the Darkcast Network.Twitter/X — @darkcastnetworkFacebook — @DarkcastNetworkJackie is also a member of the Southern Gothic Network. And One More Thing… Please share the show with someone who needs to hear it. The goal isn’t simply to stare at the Clock. It’s to figure out how to move the hands back. Hashtags#CauseofDeath100secs #85Seconds #DoomsdayClock #BoardofAtomicScientists #GlobalSolutions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Healthcare Show Notes: You can reach me on the website at www.causeofdeath100secs.net or you can email me at [email protected]. My Link Tree can be found at: https://linktr.ee/CauseofDeathpod Hello and welcome to Cause of Death – 100 Seconds to Midnight. I’m your host, Jackie Moranty. This episode is going to be a little different since I’m going to give you a glimpse into my life. I normally try to keep my personal life out of the podcast, or at least limit it to entertaining anecdotes that are related to whatever topic I’ve chosen to teach you about. This time, you’re going to be immersed in a personal journey that I’ve been experiencing over the last couple of years. This story will hopefully, give you all some insight about the American healthcare system and the ways that it fails us. It’s 90 Seconds to Midnight and in one of the most powerful countries in the world, only two classes of people can afford healthcare, the very rich and the very poor. I’ve taken the link to my GoFundMe out since I’ve met my goal. Thank you all so much for donating. https://agentsync.io/blog/loa/the-history-of-health-insurance-past-present-and-future https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/u-s-spending-healthcare-changed-time/#Annual%20change%20in%20price%20and%20quantity%20indexes%20of%20health%20services,%201980-2022,%20index%20numbers%202017=100 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK500098/ https://developmentalpolitics.org/platform-of-policy-recommendations/homelessness-in-the-u-s/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw2Je1BhAgEiwAp3KY71ecsxQGxcCSgQ_9r1NC6z_hyPTyzahtd011WpvpffS2uHLdELsT4BoCRCUQAvD_BwE https://www.audacy.com/wwjnewsradio/news/national/medical-debt-is-forcing-people-into-homelessness https://consumers4qualitycare.org/medical-debt-puts-housing-out-of-reach-for-millions-of-consumers/#:~:text=Nearly%20half%20of%20those%20people,likelihood%20of%20experiencing%20poor%20health.   Music: Time Off by Damma Beatz You can reach me on: Instagram: @CauseofDeathpod Threads: @causeofdeathpodcast FB: @COD100Secs Twitter: @CauseofDeath10 TikTok: @causeofdeath100secs Please don’t forget to rate and review on any of the platforms found here: www.causeofdeath100secs.net You can support Cause of Death here: Subscribe on Apple Subscriptions Patreon: https://www.Patreon.com/JackieMoranty Ko-Fi: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You can reach me on the website at www.causeofdeath100secs.net or you can email me at [email protected]. My Link Tree can be found at: https://linktr.ee/CauseofDeathpod This has been my podversary episode. Three years ago, I had an idea that I could mix my passion for infectious disease with history and help others understand how governments, citizens and researchers view disease. Two years ago, I added the 100 Seconds to Midnight episodes to introduce the concept of global disaster. This year, I’m sprinkling in a bit of humor to break up the infectious disease and disaster. Show Notes for Dragons: “Don’t Slay the Dragons” by Dr. Ben Dover “The Dangers of Dragons: Elimination of an Invasive Species” by Dr. Fran Kenstien Darkcast Network – Promo by Yours Truly Podcast Promos: Missing Magnolias Creepy Tapas Disturbing Interests Special Guests: Jason Usry  as Dr. Ben Dover - https://www.santamaybe.com/ https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0882426/ Nina Innstead as Dr. Fran Kenstien – https://www.ninainnsted.com/ https://www.alreadygonepodcast.com/ CJ John as Puff the Magic Dragon – https://beyondtherainbowpodcast.com/ Thank you all for lending your voices to this episode! I’m grateful for all of you. Music: Time Off by Damma Beatz You can reach me on: Instagram: @CauseofDeathpod Threads: @causeofdeathpodcast FB: @COD100Secs Twitter: @CauseofDeath10 TikTok: @causeofdeath100secs Please don’t forget to rate and review on any of the platforms found here: www.causeofdeath100secs.net You can support Cause of Death here: Subscribe on Apple Subscriptions Patreon: https://www.Patreon.com/JackieMoranty Ko-Fi: https://www.ko-fi.com/causeofdeathluckycharmsunplugg Merch can be found at: https://www.teepublic.com/user/causeofdeathluckycharmsunplugged Please share this podcast with everyone you know. Cause of Death – 100 Seconds to Midnight is a proud member of the Darkcast Network. Find us at @darkcastnetwork on Twitter and @DarkcastNetwork on Facebook. I am also a proud member of the Ossa Collective Network. Cause of Death – 100 Seconds to Midnight can be found on all major podcast platforms. Tags: #causeofdeath100secs #dragons #invasive species #wildlifeconservation #podversary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You can reach me on the website at http://www.causeofdeath100secs.net or you can email me at mailto:[email protected]. My Link Tree can be found at: https://linktr.ee/CauseofDeathpod When I was in college, I had a Microbiology professor who swore that cats were out to kill us all. She told everyone in any class that she taught that cats carried every disease known to man and they were going to pass them all to us. Cats were single-handedly going to end humankind. Now, she knew this wasn’t true and if you’ve listened to any of my past episodes, you know it’s not true, but today, I’m going to talk about a parasite that cats carry that could have a significant impact on cat owners. Toxoplasma gondii Show Notes: https://www.cdc.gov/dpdx/toxoplasmosis/index.html https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/toxoplasmosis/health_professionals/index.html#tx https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/toxoplasmosis/gen_info/faqs.html https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/toxoplasmosis-cats https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK563286/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3162817/ https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1743814-overview?form=fpf https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/cmr.00115-19 https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/infectious-diseases/extraintestinal-protozoa/toxoplasmosis https://www.cell.com/trends/parasitology/abstract/0169-4758(88)90018-X https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK7752/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3109627/ https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/toxoplasma-gondii https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/229969-overview?form=fpf https://parasitesandvectors.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13071-020-04528-x https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-24092-x https://parasitesandvectors.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13071-020-04445-z https://www.childrenshospital.org/conditions/congenital-toxoplasmosis https://www.nature.com/articles/s41537-022-00292-2 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/j.1550-7408.2008.00345.x https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19744303/ https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/j.1863-2378.2009.01276.x https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/229969-overview?scode=msp&st=fpf&anfErrHint=true&icd=login_error_gg_mismatch_fpf&client=205502&urlCache=aHR0cHM6Ly9lbWVkaWNpbmUubWVkc2NhcGUuY29tL2FydGljbGUvMjI5OTY5LW92ZXJ2aWV3P2Zvcm09ZnBmJnNjb2RlPW1zcCZzdD1mcGYmc29jaWFsU2l0ZT1nb29nbGU&su=EXUHB2/fkQ9sBjQl7hkqDIHTs0Xd4JxI8gikIGYJMIgmCZ+wTe/gcdb9CztGtN/y&form=login https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1863-2378.2009.01276.x https://www.scielo.br/j/mioc/a/c3zTqcQyh8DMhN3NpCddHGs/ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/24416205_Toxoplasma_gondii_1908-2008_homage_to_Nicolle_Manceaux_and_Splendore https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Toxoplasma-gondii%3A-1908-2008%2C-homage-to-Nicolle%2C-Ferguson/fe26b8691f59bebf521dd5530b978b23240e68d5 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0020751909001064 https://www.academia.edu/61852031/Toxoplasma_gondii_1908_2008_homage_to_Nicolle_Manceaux_and_Splendore https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/229969-overview?form=fpf https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4612-2476-1_27 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19430635/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3535705/ https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4612-2476-1_27 https://parasitesandvectors.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1756-3305-6-334 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0020751909000964 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0020751909000964#bib76 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0020751909000964#bib102 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0020751909001064 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0020751909000940 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0020751909000605... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You can reach me on the website at http://www.causeofdeath100secs.net or you can email me at mailto:[email protected]. My Link Tree can be found at: https://linktr.ee/CauseofDeathpod I wanted to take a moment to discuss some recent happenings in the world of epidemiology. I’m going to talk about some diseases that I’ve addressed in previous episodes, and some that I haven’t touched on yet, but all of them have been in the news recently. I won’t be getting into the etiology and pathology of these diseases in this episode. If I haven’t talked about some of these yet, they’re on the list, so I’ll address that when the full episode drops. Update Show Notes: Atypical Canine Respiratory Disease https://www.newsweek.com/dog-respiratory-illness-map-update-spread-more-states-1864961 https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/02/13/mysterious-dog-respiratory-illness-update/72576739007/ https://news.yahoo.com/potentially-fatal-mystery-illness-dogs-060159255.html https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2024/01/mystery-dog-illness-pandemic/677047/ https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/us-finds-no-novel-pathogens-genetic-testing-mystery-illness-dogs-2023-12-22/ https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/06/well/family/dog-respiratory-illness-safety.html https://today.umd.edu/a-mysterious-illness-is-spreading-among-dogs-nationwide-heres-what-you-need-to-know https://www.today.com/health/mystery-dog-illness-2023-rcna125553 https://www.marketwatch.com/guides/pet-insurance/mystery-dog-illness/#:~:text=Source%3A%20Pexels-,What%20Is%20the%20Mystery%20Respiratory%20Illness%20in%20Dogs%3F,are%20familiar%20with%20kennel%20cough. https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/veterinarians-warn-mystery-illness-killing-215133668.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAACW7Uiy5HxjmcaF_D2-9o6GtGfm7nAlb4yFctYG-nBn8ZuRRj2zUIbIt0Ee3BkLxcLsMm9sNrIKQL5rnE0pFuq9kJQCpVbNxBDlq8s5orvebvkQdldpZUyPjwlgtcNyM67E9i3DIL-__We_mNiJ1Bzz-QAv0gptdCA6HJff0_Woj https://gazette.com/life/pets/dog-respiratory-illness-in-decline-in-colorado-springs-nationwide/article_57fcffde-d4fd-11ee-8e3a-ab7269181439.html https://roanokevet.com/the-mysterious-dog-disease-key-facts/ https://www.denverpost.com/2024/02/05/mysterious-canine-respiratory-disease-colorado-decreasing-dogs-cough/ Bird Flu Outbreak https://www.science.org/content/article/bird-flu-may-be-spreading-cows-milking-and-herd-transport https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2024/04/04/1242711884/bird-flu-h5n1-cattle-eggs-humans-vaccine https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2024/04/04/1242711884/bird-flu-h5n1-cattle-eggs-humans-vaccine https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/growing-concerns-about-bird-flu-cases-in-u-s-farm-animals-and-risk-to-humans https://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/spotlights/2023-2024/h5n1-analysis-texas.htm https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/avian-influenza-bird-flu/tests-confirm-avian-flu-new-mexico-dairy-farm-probe-finds-cats-positive https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2024-04-04/bird-flu-in-cows-and-a-human-worries-scientists-time-for-vigilance?embedded-checkout=true https://www.statnews.com/2024/04/05/bird-flu-cdc-urges-doctors-watch-for-h5n1-in-farm-workers/ https://www.wsj.com/finance/commodities-futures/bird-flu-spreads-to-cattle-raising-fears-on-farms-9293b953 https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections/livestock https://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/mammals.htm https://www.dshs.texas.gov/news-alerts/dshs-reports-first-human-case-avian-influenza-texas https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/p0401-avian-flu.html Syphilis Studies https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/30/health/syphilis-cdc.html#:~:text=With%20more%20than%2084%20cases,rounded%20out%20the%20top%20five.) https://www.cdc.gov/std/statistics/2022/default.htm https://www.cdc.gov/std/syphilis/stats.htm https://www.statnews.com/2024/01/30/syphilis-rates-epidemic-united-states/... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices