Here’s what you need to know about the Doomsday Clock, and yeah, it’s pretty scary

We have something to share with you, and it’s pretty dim. The Doomsday Clock — which gives the countdown to a potential global catastrophe — just moved 30 seconds closer to midnight. This is no laughing matter. Doomsday preppers, start your engines.

In case you’re unfamiliar with this whole Doomsday Clock stuff, here’s a little rundown. The “clock” represents how close we are to something astronomical happening — with “the end” being midnight. Scientists from the University of Chicago created it back in 1947, and set it just seven minutes before midnight. This was the year the Cold War began. And in case you’re wondering, the furthest the clock has ever been is 17 minutes to midnight, which happened in 1991 — at the Cold War’s end.

At two and a half minutes to midnight, we’re quickly approaching the closest we’ve been to “the end” since 1953. In 1953, the Doomsday Clock was set at two minutes to midnight.

But, what triggered the sudden movement of the Doomsday Clock, you ask? Two words — Donald Trump.

The Science and Security Board of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists explained that their decision to move us 30 seconds closer to “the end” has a lot to do with President Trump. In a statement released by the Doomsday Clock controllers, the board gives us a look into their thought process:

"This already-threatening world situation was the backdrop for a rise in strident nationalism worldwide in 2016, including in a US presidential campaign during which the eventual victor, Donald Trump, made disturbing comments about the use and proliferation of nuclear weapons and expressed disbelief in the overwhelming scientific consensus on climate change."

The statement also explained why they moved the clock 30 seconds instead of a full minute.

"The board's decision to move the clock less than a full minute—something it has never before done—reflects a simple reality: As this statement is issued, Donald Trump has been the US president only a matter of days. Many of his cabinet nominations are not yet confirmed by the Senate or installed in government, and he has had little time to take official action."

So we shouldn’t get too comfortable with the current clock’s placement.

In other words, it’s only going to get worse from here.