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Doomsday Clock Ticks Closer To The Apocalypse

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CHICAGO (CBSMiami) -- This news probably won't brighten your day. Scientists announced Thursday that we've ticked 30 seconds closer to the end of the world.

The Doomsday Clock is now set at just two-and-a-half minutes to midnight.

What is the Doomsday Clock? It's a symbolic clock face that represents a countdown to possible global catastrophe.

It has been maintained since 1947 by the members of The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists' Science and Security Board.  The board adjusted the clock citing dangers to humanity like climate change and nuclear warfare as reasons for moving the clock.

"Wise public officials should act immediately, guiding humanity away from the brink," the organization said in a statement. "If they do not, wise citizens must step forward and lead the way."

It's the closest Earth has come to midnight since 1953 when it was set at two minutes. At that time, both the Soviet Union and the United States were testing hydrogen bombs.

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