[DBYCZ]

I wonder why they chose to use a clock, something that only ever moves in one direction, as their analogy.

Maybe a thermometer would be more optimistic, as that can rise and fall.

[glbrew]

The doomsday clock goes in both directions, it went "backwards" significantly for 10+ years after the Cold War.

[bb88]

Specifically in 1991 at the end of the Cold War, it was set back to 17 minutes.