1655: Doomsday Clock - Revision history

Whoop whoop pull up: /* Explanation */ The Doomsday Clock's been cranked forward four seconds for 2026.

2026-01-29T15:29:34Z

‎Explanation: The Doomsday Clock's been cranked forward four seconds for 2026.

2603:9009:FAF0:B3F0:4CD5:42DC:68B7:3295: /* Explanation */

2025-11-30T19:22:58Z

‎Explanation

172.68.35.121: /* Explanation */ Fix typo

2025-04-04T21:41:33Z

‎Explanation: Fix typo

162.158.212.172: /* Explanation */

2025-01-30T03:37:06Z

‎Explanation

172.69.22.181: /* Explanation */ Changed "23th" to "23rd".

2025-01-06T05:31:12Z

‎Explanation: Changed "23th" to "23rd".

172.69.195.231: /* Explanation */

2024-09-10T12:44:50Z

‎Explanation

MrCandela: updated the doomsday clock stat from 2023 to 2024

2024-09-10T11:10:46Z

updated the doomsday clock stat from 2023 to 2024

172.70.43.196: Remove broken link

2023-07-15T11:39:48Z

Remove broken link

172.71.114.160: /* Explanation */ updated doomsday clock

2023-01-30T13:33:42Z

‎Explanation: updated doomsday clock

Sir Urquhart: Undo revision 289319 by 108.162.245.131 (talk)

2022-07-20T19:14:31Z

Undo revision 289319 by 108.162.245.131 (talk)

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 ==Explanation==
-The {{w|Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists}} is an academic journal which has a recurring feature known as the {{w|Doomsday Clock}}, which shows the Bulletin's judgment on the current state of the world. The idea is that when the clock hits midnight, the world ends (originally conceived as in a {{w|nuclear war}}), so how close the clock is to midnight is a scale of the world's current state of risk. Its setting as of the publication of this comic was at "three minutes to midnight" (11:57 PM or 23:57). Its current setting is (as of the most recent meeting on 28 January 2025) at "89 seconds to midnight" (11:58:31 PM or 23:58:31).
+The {{w|Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists}} is an academic journal which has a recurring feature known as the {{w|Doomsday Clock}}, which shows the Bulletin's judgment on the current state of the world. The idea is that when the clock hits midnight, the world ends (originally conceived as in a {{w|nuclear war}}), so how close the clock is to midnight is a scale of the world's current state of risk. Its setting as of the publication of this comic was at "three minutes to midnight" (11:57 PM or 23:57). Its current setting is (as of the most recent meeting on 27 January 2026) at "85 seconds to midnight" (11:58:35 PM or 23:58:35), the closest it has ever come to hitting midnight.
 {{w|Daylight saving time}} (DST) is a feature in many countries where in the summer months, everyone moves their clock forward an hour to artificially postpone sunset and thereby have a longer time of sunlight in the afternoon. The {{w|History_of_time_in_the_United_States#Start_and_end_dates_of_United_States_Daylight_Time|day before this comic came out}} (Sunday), most of the United States switched from standard time to DST. This makes it the first of [[:Category:Daylight saving time|several comics about DST]] that has been released in conjunction with the beginning of DST.

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 Another doomsday clock was used in [[1159: Countdown]], although here it was for a {{w|supervolcano}} eruption. A nuclear bomb, not yet exploded but with a short countdown, was the facilitator of the joke in [[1168: tar]].
-Within a year before this comics release Randall made several other comics about nuclear weapons, most recently January of 2016 with [[1626: Judgment Day]], and before that these two in 2015, [[1539: Planning]] and [[1520: Degree-Off]]. Nuclear weapons are also mentioned twice in ''[[Thing Explainer]]'', specifically they are explained in the explanation for ''Machine for burning cities'' about {{w|Thermonuclear weapon|thermonuclear bombs}}, but they are also mentioned in ''Boat that goes under the sea'' about a submarine that caries nukes. All three comics and both explanations in the book, does like this comic, comment on how crazy it is that we have created enough firepower to obliterate Earth several times (or at least scourge it for any human life). After these there was some time without nuclear bombs, but a new mushroom cloud was displayed in [[1736: Manhattan Project]], the week after such weapons invention was listed at 1950 CE.
+Within a year before this comics release Randall made several other comics about nuclear weapons, most recently January of 2016 with [[1626: Judgment Day]], and before that these two in 2015, [[1539: Planning]] and [[1520: Degree-Off]]. Nuclear weapons are also mentioned twice in ''[[Thing Explainer]]'', specifically they are explained in the explanation for ''Machine for burning cities'' about {{w|Thermonuclear weapon|thermonuclear bombs}}, but they are also mentioned in ''Boat that goes under the sea'' about a submarine that caries nukes. All three comics and both explanations in the book, like this comic, comment on how crazy it is that we have created enough firepower to obliterate Earth several times (or at least scourge it for any human life). After these there was some time without nuclear bombs, but a new mushroom cloud was displayed in [[1736: Manhattan Project]], the week after such weapons invention was listed at 1950 CE in [[1732: Earth Temperature Timeline]].
 <!--Should this actually be ==Trivia==, after the ==Transcript==?-->Most practical clocks will mechanically tie the movement of the hour hand to the minute hand, to ensure 'half past' minutes have a 'half-between' hour-hand rather than confusingly coincide with the hour-hand sitting over any digit (and then half-way between when the minute is near an "o'clock" time). Even if the hour hand ''is'' easily moved independently from the front, it is generally good practice to wind the minute hand round fully (to add an hour) back to the correct minute, and instead move the hour hand on ''that'' way.

@@ Line 26: / Line 26: @@
 <!--Should this actually be ==Trivia==, after the ==Transcript==?-->Most practical clocks will mechanically tie the movement of the hour hand to the minute hand, to ensure 'half past' minutes have a 'half-between' hour-hand rather than confusingly coincide with the hour-hand sitting over any digit (and then half-way between when the minute is near an "o'clock" time). Even if the hour hand ''is'' easily moved independently from the front, it is generally good practice to wind the minute hand round fully (to add an hour) back to the correct minute, and instead move the hour hand on ''that'' way.
-Clocks that can be adjusted by moving the hands (or any other control, such as an adjustment gear n the back of the unit) are also best always adjusted ''forward'' (as it is being, in this case), and are best changed for the "fall back" adjustment by sending the minute hand clockwise eleven (or, if relevent, twenty-three!) times round to get 'back' to the hour before.
+Clocks that can be adjusted by moving the hands (or any other control, such as an adjustment gear n the back of the unit) are also best always adjusted ''forward'' (as it is being, in this case), and are best changed for the "fall back" adjustment by sending the minute hand clockwise eleven (or, if relevant, twenty-three!) times round to get 'back' to the hour before.
 ==Transcript==

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 ==Explanation==
-The {{w|Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists}} is an academic journal which has a recurring feature known as the {{w|Doomsday Clock}}, which shows the Bulletin's judgment on the current state of the world. The idea is that when the clock hits midnight, the world ends (originally conceived as in a {{w|nuclear war}}), so how close the clock is to midnight is a scale of the world's current state of risk. Its setting as of the publication of this comic was at "three minutes to midnight" (11:57 PM or 23:57). Its current setting is (as of the most recent meeting on 23rd January 2024) at "90 seconds to midnight" (11:58:30 PM or 23:58:30).
+The {{w|Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists}} is an academic journal which has a recurring feature known as the {{w|Doomsday Clock}}, which shows the Bulletin's judgment on the current state of the world. The idea is that when the clock hits midnight, the world ends (originally conceived as in a {{w|nuclear war}}), so how close the clock is to midnight is a scale of the world's current state of risk. Its setting as of the publication of this comic was at "three minutes to midnight" (11:57 PM or 23:57). Its current setting is (as of the most recent meeting on 28 January 2025) at "89 seconds to midnight" (11:58:31 PM or 23:58:31).
 {{w|Daylight saving time}} (DST) is a feature in many countries where in the summer months, everyone moves their clock forward an hour to artificially postpone sunset and thereby have a longer time of sunlight in the afternoon. The {{w|History_of_time_in_the_United_States#Start_and_end_dates_of_United_States_Daylight_Time|day before this comic came out}} (Sunday), most of the United States switched from standard time to DST. This makes it the first of [[:Category:Daylight saving time|several comics about DST]] that has been released in conjunction with the beginning of DST.

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 ==Explanation==
-The {{w|Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists}} is an academic journal which has a recurring feature known as the {{w|Doomsday Clock}}, which shows the Bulletin's judgment on the current state of the world. The idea is that when the clock hits midnight, the world ends (originally conceived as in a {{w|nuclear war}}), so how close the clock is to midnight is a scale of the world's current state of risk. Its setting as of the publication of this comic was at "three minutes to midnight" (11:57 PM or 23:57). Its current setting is (as of the most recent meeting on 23th January 2024) at "90 seconds to midnight" (11:58:30 PM or 23:58:30).
+The {{w|Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists}} is an academic journal which has a recurring feature known as the {{w|Doomsday Clock}}, which shows the Bulletin's judgment on the current state of the world. The idea is that when the clock hits midnight, the world ends (originally conceived as in a {{w|nuclear war}}), so how close the clock is to midnight is a scale of the world's current state of risk. Its setting as of the publication of this comic was at "three minutes to midnight" (11:57 PM or 23:57). Its current setting is (as of the most recent meeting on 23rd January 2024) at "90 seconds to midnight" (11:58:30 PM or 23:58:30).
 {{w|Daylight saving time}} (DST) is a feature in many countries where in the summer months, everyone moves their clock forward an hour to artificially postpone sunset and thereby have a longer time of sunlight in the afternoon. The {{w|History_of_time_in_the_United_States#Start_and_end_dates_of_United_States_Daylight_Time|day before this comic came out}} (Sunday), most of the United States switched from standard time to DST. This makes it the first of [[:Category:Daylight saving time|several comics about DST]] that has been released in conjunction with the beginning of DST.

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:44, 10 September 2024
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	Within a year before this comics release Randall made several other comics about nuclear weapons, most recently January of 2016 with [[1626: Judgment Day]], and before that these two in 2015, [[1539: Planning]] and [[1520: Degree-Off]]. Nuclear weapons are also mentioned twice in ''[[Thing Explainer]]'', specifically they are explained in the explanation for ''Machine for burning cities'' about {{w\|Thermonuclear weapon\|thermonuclear bombs}}, but they are also mentioned in ''Boat that goes under the sea'' about a submarine that caries nukes. All three comics and both explanations in the book, does like this comic, comment on how crazy it is that we have created enough firepower to obliterate Earth several times (or at least scourge it for any human life). After these there was some time without nuclear bombs, but a new mushroom cloud was displayed in [[1736: Manhattan Project]], the week after such weapons invention was listed at 1950 CE.		Within a year before this comics release Randall made several other comics about nuclear weapons, most recently January of 2016 with [[1626: Judgment Day]], and before that these two in 2015, [[1539: Planning]] and [[1520: Degree-Off]]. Nuclear weapons are also mentioned twice in ''[[Thing Explainer]]'', specifically they are explained in the explanation for ''Machine for burning cities'' about {{w\|Thermonuclear weapon\|thermonuclear bombs}}, but they are also mentioned in ''Boat that goes under the sea'' about a submarine that caries nukes. All three comics and both explanations in the book, does like this comic, comment on how crazy it is that we have created enough firepower to obliterate Earth several times (or at least scourge it for any human life). After these there was some time without nuclear bombs, but a new mushroom cloud was displayed in [[1736: Manhattan Project]], the week after such weapons invention was listed at 1950 CE.
		+
		+	<!--Should this actually be ==Trivia==, after the ==Transcript==?-->Most practical clocks will mechanically tie the movement of the hour hand to the minute hand, to ensure 'half past' minutes have a 'half-between' hour-hand rather than confusingly coincide with the hour-hand sitting over any digit (and then half-way between when the minute is near an "o'clock" time). Even if the hour hand ''is'' easily moved independently from the front, it is generally good practice to wind the minute hand round fully (to add an hour) back to the correct minute, and instead move the hour hand on ''that'' way.
		+
		+	Clocks that can be adjusted by moving the hands (or any other control, such as an adjustment gear n the back of the unit) are also best always adjusted ''forward'' (as it is being, in this case), and are best changed for the "fall back" adjustment by sending the minute hand clockwise eleven (or, if relevent, twenty-three!) times round to get 'back' to the hour before.

	==Transcript==		==Transcript==

@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 {{w|Daylight saving time}} (DST) is a feature in many countries where in the summer months, everyone moves their clock forward an hour to artificially postpone sunset and thereby have a longer time of sunlight in the afternoon. The {{w|History_of_time_in_the_United_States#Start_and_end_dates_of_United_States_Daylight_Time|day before this comic came out}} (Sunday), most of the United States switched from standard time to DST. This makes it the first of [[:Category:Daylight saving time|several comics about DST]] that has been released in conjunction with the beginning of DST.
-[[Cueball]] is inside the office of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists and comes across the Doomsday Clock, which is apparently an actual clock. Citing a {{w|mnemonic}}, "Spring forward, fall back", referring to which direction to move the hour hand in the season when DST begins or ends, he pushes the hour hand forward one hour, so instead of the world being three minutes ''from'' the end of the world, it is now 57 minutes ''into'' it, so the final panel simply shows the world erupting in a {{w|Dr. Strangelove|''Dr. Strangelove''}}-esque [https://youtu.be/NFkryh6hC-k?t=23s nuclear apocalypse], with the typical mushroom cloud shape, with a ring around the stem, which is also displayed in the Wikipedia page on {{w|nuclear weapons}}.
+[[Cueball]] is inside the office of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists and comes across the Doomsday Clock, which is apparently an actual clock. Citing a {{w|mnemonic}}, "Spring forward, fall back", referring to which direction to move the hour hand in the season when DST begins or ends, he pushes the hour hand forward one hour, so instead of the world being three minutes ''from'' the end of the world, it is now 57 minutes ''into'' it, so the final panel simply shows the world erupting in a {{w|Dr. Strangelove|''Dr. Strangelove''}}-esque nuclear apocalypse, with the typical mushroom cloud shape, with a ring around the stem, which is also displayed in the Wikipedia page on {{w|nuclear weapons}}.
 This is an absurdist joke confusing the Doomsday Clock with an actual clock; the Doomsday Clock is a subjective measurement of risk, not of time, and as such is not subject to Daylight Saving Time. Furthermore, in the comic the Doomsday Clock does not just measure the world's risk but actively controls it; even if the Doomsday Clock were affected by DST, the doomsday scenario notably does not occur until Cueball adjusts the clock. Also Cueball would only ever adjust the clock like this, if he happened to come by just when the real time was 12:57 the day after DST (as it is not clear from an analog clock if it is AM or PM). When he spots the clock showing 11:57 at 12:57 he just thinks someone has forgotten this particular clock, (which happens a lot the day after DST), and he is thus just helpfully adjusting to the new correct DST time.

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+{{comic
 | number    = 1655
 | date      = March 14, 2016