Humanity’s Doomsday Clock Is Down to 89 Seconds to Midnight — But What Does It Mean?

For some reason, humanity is obsessed with the idea of our own self-destruction. There are countless movies, novels, comics, and songs about this very phenomenon. Political initiatives and social wellness programs have been predicated on reacting to this belief as well.

And there's even a counter that's meant to gauge just how close we are to subsequently ensuring the death of our own species. It's called the Doomsday Clock. But what are the particulars of what this clock actually means?

In 1947, artist Martyl Langsdorf created a design that resonated with audiences who read Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. The piece was inspired by discussions about mankind's creation of atomic weaponry. There was a distinct concern that the ability to kill human beings en masse with these bombs would ultimately lead to mankind's downfall.

Fears that technology would supplant humanity are a persistent trend throughout the history of our species. It's one that dates back to the myth of Icarus, who was the son of a brilliant inventor Daedalus who discovered a way to fly. Daedalus created a pair of wax wings that enabled him and Icarus to soar above the clouds.

However, he got too close to the sun and the wax melted, causing the wings to melt, which caused him to crash into the sea and drown.

Some may interpret this story as: "Well, the next inventor should figure out how to make wings out of sun-resistant materials." Or they could see it as a need to not want to jump the gun in a situation, allowing enthusiasm to overtake common sense and planning.

Other artistic works also echo these themes: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein or the Terminator movies with their warnings about artificial intelligence are additional examples of humanity effectively decreasing the time we've got left on our Doomsday Clock.

Today, the Doomsday Clock has been utilized to include other purported threats to humanity on a global scale. "Nuclear war, climate change, biological risks, and disruptive technologies," is what Newsweek says the clock's meant to assess.

President of the Bulletin, Rachel Bronson says that despite the ominous moniker, "The Doomsday Clock is about urgency, not fear. The design is a metaphor that warns the public about how close we are to destroying our world with dangerous technologies of our own making," she told Newsweek.

Recently, the clock has been moved a second closer: It's now at 89 seconds to midnight. Vox writes that "nuclear risk(s) around Ukraine and the disintegration of nuclear arms control; the growing impacts of climate change ... threat of new diseases like bird flu; AI progress ... disinformation and cyber insecurity."

All of these have contributed to the Doomsday Clock moving closer and once it hits midnight, humanity's supposedly doomed.

In 2018, the clock was at two minutes to midnight. In 2020, it was bumped down to 100 seconds, then 90 in 2023, and now in 2025, it's at 89.

And while massive natural catastrophes can't be accounted for (just ask the dinosaurs about the climate change they experienced), hopefully, humanity will focus more on enriching their lives instead of constantly just complaining about how other folks suck so much more than they do.