The Doomsday clock, which was created in 1945 by Einstein and Oppenheimer, and is run by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, said the world was at 90 seconds to midnight. This indicates how vulnerable we are globally to man-made threats.
This year, as tensions rise, the world goes to the polls, new friendships are forged and old alliances are put under strain, ordinary people can indeed feel closer to midnight.
Do we feel safe?
In an uncertain world, how can people plan for their futures, or for the next generations?
Should we be more worried about our portfolios or our supply of shotgun cartridges?
And, when it comes to financial planning, how can advisers help shape clients' response to world events, rather than having them make knee-jerk reactions?
Talking to Simoney Kyriakou in this latest FT Adviser editor's podcast is Daffyd Rees, an award-winning business journalist by background, a former policy adviser to ex-UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, and now a senior adviser to leading UK and international companies for SEC Newgate.
Click on the embedded link above to listen to the full podcast.
Earlier this month FT Adviser, in partnership with FT Wealth Management, published a CPD feature along these lines, which you can read here.