What is “Doomsday Clock” and how does it actually work?
The Doomsday Clock is a symbolic clock that shows how close the world is to ending. Atomic scientists reset the Doomsday Clock every January. Midnight marks the theoretical extinction point. Apocalyptic threats can arise from political tensions, weapons, technology, climate change, or pandemic diseases. The clock’s hands move toward or away from midnight based on scientists’ readings of existential threats. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists updates the time each year with information about catastrophic risks to the planet and humanity. With 90 seconds to midnight, the Doomsday Clock is the closest it’s ever been to midnight. The clock was set to 90 seconds to midnight for the first time in 2023, reflecting the danger posed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
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Most people are familiar with the Doomsday Clock, which counts down the chances of humanity’s self-destruction amidst a global threat. Currently set at 89 seconds to midnight, the new timing for 2026 will be announced on Tuesday, January 27th.
But did you know that there is also a Doomsday Plane or the so-called Doomsday Fish?
Here’s what you need to know about the signs of impending doom, including details about the Doomsday Clock.
Oarfish are a sign of natural disasters
A rare deep-sea oarfish swims to bathers in the shallows.
Beachgoers in Mexico were surprised to see a rare oarfish in the shallows. In Japanese folklore, the sighting of an oarfish is a symbol of impending doom.
Sightings of oarfish do indeed serve as a symbol of “imminent doom,” but the catastrophe foreshadowed by the presence of oarfish in shallow waters is an earthquake, not so much the “last days.” But it’s still terrifying.
Multiple sightings have been made along the Southern California coastline, Mexico and Taiwan, bringing the total to about five since 2023.
According to travel agency Atlas Obscura, legend has it that this fish, also known as the oarfish, belonged to a servant of the sea god, the dragon god, who would surface in shallow waters to warn people of earthquakes and serve as a messenger to the palace.
Doomsday plane built just to protect the president and his staff
A “sign” of the impending apocalypse is the construction of another nuclear-resistant attack aircraft called the “Doomsday Plane.”
According to a May 2024 report in the Reno Gazette Journal, part of the USA TODAY network, Sierra Nevada received a “multi-billion dollar award” from the U.S. Air Force to develop a new E-4B Nightwatch aircraft.
The Doomsday Plane is intended to serve as an “airborne command center” for the president, secretary of defense, and members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during a national emergency.
The Air Force is scheduled to receive a next-generation E-4B replacement by 2036. The Doomsday plane was spotted earlier this month after flying over parts of the country, sparking healthy concern.
Will the Doomsday Clock ever be adjusted? And when?
According to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, the Doomsday Clock time for 2026 will be announced on Tuesday, January 27th at 10am ET. Scientists and world experts will provide insight into the time itself, and in particular why it moves closer and further away from midnight.
The closer we get to midnight, the greater the likelihood of a man-made global catastrophe, especially a global nuclear war.
Created in 1947, Doomsday Clock was created to convey the threat to humanity and the planet using images of the apocalypse (midnight) and modern representations of a nuclear explosion (countdown to zero).
Contributed by: Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, Seth Jacobson, USA TODAY NETWORK – New England
