“IT’S the end of the world as we know it.” This popular song lyric came from the band R.E.M., and despite the song being released in 1987, the lyric still resonates. However, that may be out of obliviousness. In fact, this “ending world” has been the status quo for a while, and the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists knows it.

THE Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists is an organization that manages the Doomsday Clock. This clock represents the time humanity has left until ultimate destruction based on events/threats of the time. Right now, a big part of the clock, and the aspect it’s most well-known for, is climate change, however that didn’t start the clock; it began with nuclear threat.

IN 1947, the Doomsday Clock began from an artist named Martyl Langsdorf who created the clock itself as a cover for the Bulletin. The Bulletin, at the time, was a recently turned magazine that talked about the issues of human destruction. Therefore, the design of the clock combined with the magazine and its message birthed the Doomsday Clock.

OVER the years, there have been many updates to the clock, whether it’s a tick down or a tick up. The closer the time is to zero, the closer humanity is to ultimate, unspecified disaster. A tick down means something harmful is happening, think war threats to wealthy countries that have access to nuclear weaponry or AI data centers shutting down the power of entire towns. But what are some of the most important time jumps, and what caused them?

1949: 3 minutes to midnight. This was the first time the clock ever changed times, dropping four minutes. The time change was due to the warning of Soviet nuclear usage. The testing of a nuclear weapon in the Soviet Union meant the U.S. had to start getting serious. This is where, “the arms race begins,” states thebulletin.org.

1953: 2 minutes to midnight. The U.S. has now developed a hydrogen bomb, a weapon far more powerful than it has seen before. This shifted the view of the country and boosted its power far beyond what it had been. Worries spread throughout the world of devastating warfare. Here is where anxiety peaks in the 20th century for the Bulletin.

1981: 4 minutes to midnight. National pride or suicide? President Jimmy Carter promotes the usage of nuclear weaponry to influence a U.S. win in the Cold War. But do atomic bombs actually win a war? What are the repercussions of a war of that nature? Do either country ever make peace knowing they harmed one another so greatly?

1984: 3 minutes to midnight. Turns out war isolates countries. Who knew? Two of the greatest superpowers of the time stop speaking and tension grows high. Yet, the U.S. turns to provoke yet another arms race based in the stars. The reason the clock was set that low wasn’t because of the powers that could form, but the power that had already. The tension and fear that a slight misstep could trigger fallout.

2015: 3 minutes to midnight. This is the point when climate change really starts to become a priority. Global leaders have largely ignored pressing issues scientists have posed about the state of the environment and have continued in harmful processes. Not only that, but treaties about limiting nuclear development have been ignored largely by Russia and the U.S.

2023: 90 seconds to midnight. The Ukrainian war showed the true colors of countries and how they interacted with the ongoing war. Russia, one of the biggest countries in the world, annexed parts of Ukraine, and launched a war on its people for control. Mistrust spread throughout the world and a dependency on natural gas increased as a result of countries opting to not buy Russian oil. Nuclear threats grew and public distrust came with.

2026: 85 seconds to midnight. This is the closest humanity has ever been to destruction, just seconds away. Despite warnings from last year’s 89 seconds, many huge countries like Russia and the U.S. haven’t strained from aggressiveness and have instead weaponized for a power-hungry take over.  Wars across the globe like Israel and Palestine, ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, and a civil war in Sudan have increased fears.

THERE is also the issue of artificial intelligence and its growing capabilities. The power it takes and the water it consumes sucks the earth of its resources. According to the UN, the world is in a “global water bankruptcy.” Despite pushy governments telling its citizens it’s their fault, it is shown that this is largely theirs. A fault of ignorance.

THE doomsday clock, unlike the threatening name implies, is not something to fear-monger but rather to motivate. It exists as a warning to all that if action is not promptly taken, the world will reach the point of no return or eventually start a nuclear fallout. Everyone should act together to stop said events from occurring. Luckily, there are several ways to help.

WRITE to officials and lawmakers. Protest the influences of weaponry and war. Vote for people who vow to use their voice to empower the earth and keep it safe from unnecessary battles. Restrict personal usage of AI to keep from hindering the environment further from the catastrophic pain it has already caused.

THE world is in peril but not officially, not yet. If the world takes a stand to stop, the governments will listen.