In 2026, the Doomsday Clock was moved four seconds closer to midnight, to 85 seconds - this is the closest the hand has been to midnight since the clock was created in 1947. The clock is a metaphor for how close humanity is to destroying itself, with midnight representing the end of human civilization. The hand's placement originally depended on how close the world was to nuclear annihilation, taking factors such as conflict and political instability into account; however, it has also included the threat of climate change since 2007. The clock's hand is set annually by members of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, and its position can move closer to or further from midnight, depending on the current state of global affairs. Reasons for the most recent move relate to an increasingly fragile world order and the willingness of great powers to use force to achieve their goals.Â