Humanity’s countdown to self-destruction just got even shorter. The Doomsday Clock, the chilling gauge of existential threats, has moved one second forward, now set at 89 seconds to midnight - the closest it has ever been in its 78-year history.

Atomic scientists moved their "Doomsday Clock" closer to midnight than ever before, citing Russian nuclear threats amid its invasion of Ukraine and other factors underlying the risks of global catastrophe.

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists set the symbolic Doomsday Clock at 89 seconds to midnight on Jan. 28. ↓ Read More

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists cited climate change, instability in the Middle East and the threat of pandemics as reasons the Earth is closer than ever to total destruction.