"Well that sure is reassuring": Memes erupt as netizens react to Doomsday Clock moving its closest to global catastrophe

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists set the Doomsday Clock to 89 seconds before midnight this year. The panel of international scientists, who decide when humanity is closer to global disaster, cited the Russian nuclear threat, political tension in other world hot spots, the climate crisis, and the military’s use of Artificial Intelligence as the causes of global catastrophe. Netizens have since taken to X to react to the same.

Last year, the Doomsday Clock was set to 90 seconds. The BAS, a Chicago-based non-profit organization, said in their press statement:

“Conflict in the Middle East threatens to spiral out of control into a wide war without warning.”

They added that the use of AI “in military targeting” especially as it has been seen in the Middle East and Ukraine poses a threat, including the spread of “misinformation, disinformation and conspiracy theories,” that can also pose a “threat multiplier.”

The BAS then stated that U.S., China, and Russia can collectively “destroy civilisation” and that the three countries:

“Have the primary responsibility to pull the world back from the brink.”

For those uninitiated, the Doomsday Clock is a symbolic timepiece that measures when the world will come to an end through dangers made by humankind. The closer the clock moves to midnight, it signals that humanity is coming closer to its end. The clock was created in 1947 by the founders of the BAS, Albert Einstein, Eugene Rabinowitch, and J Robert Oppenheimer.

While reacting to the Doomsday Clock’s latest revelations, one X user said:

Several others took the announcement in jest and said online:

“Theater kid activities,” an X user said.

“So you’re saying I should write my will now,” another platform user said.

“Just enough time to make a hot pocket,” an internet user said.

The Doomsday Clock describes itself on its official website as a “metaphor,” “logo,” and “brand.” The time is set annually with a board of scientists and experts in climate science, nuclear technology, and Nobel laureates discussing the dangers created by and for humanity. Meanwhile, some other reactions read:

“Somebody should tell them about Daylight Savings Time,” an X user said.

“Lmao ok boomer,” another internet user said.

“Someone speed it up,” a platform user commented.

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“Blindly continuing on the current path is a form of madness”: The BAS explains the reason behind the Doomsday Clock being set at 89 seconds

The BAS revealed that countries are increasing the size of their nuclear arsenals and spending “hundreds of billions of dollars” to invest in weapons that could destroy civilization. They added that countries that do not possess any nuclear weapons are also taking to creating their own, subsequently leading to the possibility of a nuclear war.

They also shared that climate change has increased since last year and surpassed previous records. The BAS shared that the world is dealing with extreme weather conditions as governments are failing to implement policies and funding that can halt global warming.

The BAS also added that the appearance of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) poses a risk to humanity alongside pathogens escaping high-containment biological laboratories acting as a threat.

They added:

“Blindly continuing on the current path is a form of madness… The United States, China, and Russia have the collective power to destroy civilization… Despite their profound disagreements, they should take that first step without delay. The world depends on immediate action.”

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The Doomsday Clock is currently located in the BAS office at the University of Chicago.