The Doomsday Clock ticked the closest it has ever been to midnight, aka the predicted end of the world, on Tuesday.
The Doomsday Clock, which is run by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, has been ticking away since 1947, when it analyzed world events to determine if humanity is in danger of wiping itself off the planet.
On Tuesday, the metaphorical clock struck 90 seconds to midnight, which is the closest it has ever been to “the end of the world.” Researchers say several things prompted them to push the hands forward; for starters, the scientists are on edge because of “Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the increased risk of nuclear escalation.”
They are also nervous about climate change, the likelihood of future infectious disease outbreaks and the “unabated” spread of disinformation.
The closest the hand was set to midnight was two minutes until 2020, when it was set to 100 seconds until midnight.
“The possibilities that the conflict can spin out of anyone’s control remains high.”,” Bulletin President Rachel Bronson told ABC News.
It should be noted the Bulletin doesn’t see their Doomsday Clock as “a forecasting tool,” saying it highlights all the apocalyptic threats humanity faces.
So, when was the clock the farthest from midnight? That was back in 1991 when the Cold War ended and the clock was set to 17 minutes to midnight. Ironically, the Bulletin noted that conditions today reflect “a time of nuclear danger not seen since the height of the Cold War.”