The Doomsday Clock — now at 89 seconds to midnight — will receive its 2026 update on Jan. 27 at 10 a.m. ET, when experts will explain the reasoning behind any change. Oarfish strandings (about five reported since 2023 in Southern California, Mexico and Taiwan) are folkloric earthquake omens rather than literal evidence of apocalypse. Meanwhile, the U.S. has contracted Sierra Nevada Corp. to build a next-generation E-4B "Doomsday Plane" as an airborne command center, with delivery expected by 2036.
Is Doomsday Imminent? What the Doomsday Clock, the 'Doomsday Fish' and the Doomsday Plane Really Mean
A look at the 2025 edition of the Doomsday Clock, which shows that humanity is about 89 seconds away from a global catastrophe.
Most people know the Doomsday Clock — a symbolic measure of humanity's risk of catastrophic self-destruction — currently set at 89 seconds to midnight. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists will announce the clock's 2026 setting at 10 a.m. ET on Tuesday, Jan. 27, when scientists and global experts explain why the minute hand moved closer to or farther from midnight.
The Doomsday Clock: What to Expect
The Doomsday Clock was created in 1947 to translate complex global threats into a single, compelling image: how close the world is to “midnight,” a metaphor for catastrophic global harm. The closer the clock is to midnight, the greater the symbolic risk of large-scale human-made disaster — historically, especially nuclear war, but increasingly including climate change, disruptive technologies and other existential threats.
Oarfish: The So-Called "Doomsday Fish"
Oarfish are deep-sea animals whose rare appearances near shore have long inspired folklore. In Japanese legend the oarfish (called "ryūgū no tsukai") was seen as a messenger of the sea god Ryūjin and an omen of earthquakes when it surfaced in shallow water. Since 2023, about five oarfish sightings or strandings have been reported in Southern California, Mexico and off Taiwan. While eerie, these sightings are better understood as folkloric earthquake signals than literal signs of apocalypse.
The Doomsday Plane: A Modern Contingency
On the modern-security front, the U.S. is developing a next-generation version of the E-4B Nightwatch — often nicknamed the "Doomsday Plane." A May 2024 report from the Reno Gazette Journal (part of the USA TODAY Network) says Sierra Nevada Corporation won a multibillion-dollar Air Force contract to build the replacement. The E-4B functions as an airborne command center for the president, the defense secretary and the Joint Chiefs of Staff during a national emergency. The Air Force expects delivery of the replacement by about 2036. A Doomsday-designated aircraft was also observed flying over parts of the U.S. recently, drawing public interest.
Why These Symbols Matter
Together, the clock, the oarfish stories and the Doomsday Plane show how society mixes ancient myths and modern preparations when confronting risk. The Doomsday Clock remains a symbolic but influential tool that sparks public discussion about the real geopolitical, environmental and technological threats facing the planet.
What to watch: Tune in at 10 a.m. ET on Jan. 27 for the Bulletin's 2026 Doomsday Clock announcement and expert commentary explaining the decision.
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