38 Minutes to the End of the World

[@newname4785]

I remember the social media posts. They were absolutely heart breaking. Except for the guy who was on the golf course. He said his goodbyes and went back to playing golf. Absolute legend.

[@Biden_is_demented]

If i remember, the warning was just about a missile launch. The part about it being nuclear and bringing upon the apocalypse is entirely made by people´s minds. Which is the expected result from a people that is hung up on the end of days, and harboring a deeply ingrained desire to see the end of the world take place, either in a nuclear apocalypse, a zombie outbreak, a cosmic boulder from the skies, or god´s wrath. Americans dream of that shit. So no wonder a missile launch is immediately interpreted as the harbinger of doom, when logic dictates it was either a conventional missile gone rogue, or a major blunder from the people in charge of the warning system.

[@Kannot2023]

@@Biden_is_demented I doubt that anyone knows the payload of an incoming missile, so prepare for worse

[@Lauren_C]

Tbh, in the event of a nuclear ICBM on an island of all places, there is kind of a lack of places to run to. Unless there happens to be a concrete or lead-lined bunker nearby, then you’re probably just condemning yourself to the slow, painful death (via Radiation Poisoning) by looking for a hiding spot, vs simply enjoying what few seconds you have left.

[@chaseweeks2708]

A few years ago there was a tornado running straight down my road in Oklahoma. I saw them tracking it on the news, only a mile or so away. I got up, heated up some chili, and cracked a beer.

[@Kannot2023]

@@Lauren_C or take a boat and run in the middle of ocean. After the explosion if you have protective equipment you are ok, but the problem will be contaminated water and food.

[@bwktlcn]

Back in the 60’s, my Dad was a nuclear ordinance officer...what he worked on wasn’t declassified until the 90’s. As a result of being near “things that glow,” anywhere dad was stationed was a 1st strike target. When I was about 8, I asked my dad what I should do if I was at school and the sirens went off - run home, hide, or stay at school. He told me that I should go out and stand by this one tree in the school yard, and he’d send someone to get me. I said ok, I had a plan, all was good. Fast forward 20 years, and we’d just watched The Day After. I remembered him telling me to go to the tree, and asked him why he’d sent me outside to play in the fallout? He said he knew how many nukes the Soviets had pointed at our base, and he wanted to know what ever happened to me would have been instantaneous. He was haunted by the idea of a near miss, and me being trapped in the burning rubble of the school. Outside, it would have been quick. I think I must have sputtered or something, and he said, very gently, “Baby, if it had ever come to that, we were all dead already. “ It was a very quiet night after that.

[@quackaddict2203]

WOW! Your dad is a realist at least. He loved you enough to not want you to suffer. I admire that.

[@sophiam1545]

Damn! Dad was hardcore. Loving but hardcore.

[@emmethefangirl8785]

That last bit was chilling.

[@Darkflowerchyld718]

Wow... I'm not crying, I swear.

[@geodkyt]

Ditto - my Dad didn't sugar coat it that way. I think I was in 3rd grade, when the nuns showed us the Duck & Cover film, and I had read an article about bomb shelters. So, I asked Dad about both, and how useful they would be. Dad, as was his practice, addressed the issue without dumbing it down for me as a kid. "Son, where we are, we wouldn't even know there *was* a missile inbound. With this many key targets, right on the coast, they'd plaster the area with snapshots from subs. We wouldn't even have warning before the flash... and we'll be gone before we realized the flash meant something. No pain, just gone... All those civil defense measures are for people who don't live on top of targets. Worry about those folks - they are the ones who will suffer."

[@idontdoquiet22]

I will never forget this. I got a call from my “baby” brother. He said “I called you because you’re less likely to freak out than Mom. Can you do some searching and see if this is real?” When I couldn’t find anything either way he said “well, if this is real and I don’t make it, tell Mom and Dad I love them and I got all As in my first semester of law school.” I didn’t freak out on the phone but I still cry thinking about this every time.

[@pansprayers]

Sorry you both had to go through that. I was in Honolulu when that all kicked off, and it was weirdly interesting, to say the least. I'm weirdly detached when it comes to these things, though. I looked at my husband and shrugged, because had it of BEEN real, not much you can do.

[@a2pabmb2]

... But did he really get all A's? ;p

[@jessn.2665]

Im sorry this happened to you and your brother. It’s really funny though that his grades were the thing he wanted mentioned 😂

[@aphrog649]

oh god that makes me choke up, i’m so sorry that happened to you guys 💕

[@NeutralGenericUser]

This sounds exactly like something my brother would do/say. Thank you for sharing!

[@kaiying74]

One thing we can all be sure of about the Apocalypse when it comes, it'll be captured in full 4K detail and Simon will be narrating.

[@celticlass8573]

Simultaneously on all his channels.

[@sgm7013]

😂

[@minagica]

😂👍

[@anthonyjames7173]

What about 16k

[@Gunni1972]

@@celticlass8573 Well, at least you get 38 minutes of entertainment before dissolving into ash.

[@energi]

I remember receiving the call from a longtime friend who didn’t have family and him wanting me to just stay on the phone with him until the end of his life. I had recently left the islands myself. The fear that this caused was absolutely traumatizing. There’s nothing that compares to having to deal with the thought of last words.

[@daveblottie6090]

My wife and I were on a flight to Maui and the plane was beyond the point of no return (not enough remaining fuel to turn around) when the pilots received word of the alarm. They slowed the plane, but could not turn around, so we sensed no change. When the mistake was revealed, they still didn’t tell us about it, but they started handing out free cocktails. Finally, just before we landed, we learned about the alarm and realized that the airline had decided we should be well lubricated before being blasted into atomic particles. I suppose that was a reasonable decision, given the fact that to turn around was a certain disaster, as well.

[@jwbowen]

Free Xanax and bourbon for everyone! No reason, just enjoy!

[@comettamer]

I guess when it's damned if you do, damned if you don't, a bit of intoxication isn't the worst thing to have.

[@rabidporcupine0]

@ssGoblin Yes. You absolutely are. Don't do that end of the world or not, for the love of god.

[@clamcrewcarclub6017]

What the fuck they were willing to fly into a nuclear bomb instead of attempting a water landing? I’m sure they’re glad they didn’t, but damn there had to be options lol Hell given the circumstances I’m sure You could have turned around and had a refueling plane scrambled to you. I wouldn’t fly with them again 😂

[@alex0589]

"no such thing as a free lun....drink"

[@KyleMontanaro]

Moment of silence in memory of all those who sent a big "FU** YOU!!" to their bosses on that day.

[@steelydan449]

Perfect

[@eddiecharles6457]

Epic

[@nanucit]

They are the true unsung heroes of this whole story 🧐

[@raxorlp9932]

depends on the boss xD

[@AK-fr5zv]

And those that went out hoping to get caught in the blast. There isn't many of us, but... That'd be the inverse of the normal reaction presented by Simon: "oh thank god, finally" and then "how could you lie to me like that, it was supposed to be the end!!!".

[@bryancaughey7507]

I remember hearing on the news about a group of Canadian tourists staying in a hotel. When the alert went out they just changed into their best clothes and met back in the bar and drank some vodka shots while they waited. They weren’t panicking but were more resigned and pragmatic - what else was there to do?

[@j.adamwegs2882]

Truly, those were men of culture.

[@bwktlcn]

Reminds me of the guy on the Titanic who said, “We have changed into our best, and are prepared to go down like gentlemen.”

[@Shinzon23]

Sometimes it's not about how you live, it's about how you choose to die that matters

[@timothyhouse1622]

Well, my 45 minutes would hopefully involve getting UNDRESSED with someone else. Just sayin....go out with a bang.

[@cbracing808]

I woke up to the alert on my phone going of so I ran to my parents house and very casually just said we love eachother, a awkward laugh and then we sat and watched the news for updates. Nothing really to do other than hope the missile has really bad aim.

[@keisha6967]

I was fortunate enough to have slept through the whole ordeal. I remember the 30 seconds of terror I felt when I woke up to see the missile alert before seeing the false alarm notification. I can't imagine that fear stretching out over 38 minutes, or how my family felt when they couldn't get ahold of me.

[@marcalvarez4890]

Meh, it wasn't that bad. We are all dying soon. In the grand scheme of things, a couple years plus or minus doesn't mean anything. I just finished making my omelette and sat down to eat. It was fine...the omelette, i mean. Im glad you got to sleep late. Aloha.

[@BRUtahn]

@@marcalvarez4890 speak for yourself grandpa

[@marcalvarez4890]

@@BRUtahn I always speak for myself, toddler.

[@marcalvarez4890]

@@BRUtahn ...thats not very Mormon of you...

[@BRUtahn]

@@marcalvarez4890 lol I'm not a Mormon

[@Pueo711]

Good God, I remember this like it was yesterday. I grabbed the cat, put her into her carrier, grabbed her bag of snacks, put her into the car and drove to Blaisdell Park (fronting Pearl Harbor, Middle Loch). It was a beautiful sunny day and I was surprised that traffic was pretty light, all things considering. I found a bench as close to the water, sat there with my cat and simply waited.

[@variaxi935]

I like you. The threat of annihilation arrives in the form of a text and the first thing you think about is your cat. Thank you for being that sorta person 🙏

[@Ye4rZero]

The fact that we've had thousands of nuclear weapons pretty much ready to go for half a century now and HAVEN'T managed to accidentally wipe ourselves out if frankly amazing.

[@wendycregan2147]

By the the amount of close calls we've had I'd say we're pretty lucky. Though the amount the U. S lost is like waiting for a jump-scare scene.

[@jacobprice2579]

Dude don’t Jinx it!

[@SeekingTheLoveThatGodMeans7648]

I think any potential world dominator still considers it nice to have a world to dominate. So now that we can go over the top, nobody has wanted to actually do it.

[@Pfromm007]

Have you ever heard the story of Stanislav Petrov, the man who saved the world?

[@seandeshields6759]

We're( our species) is STILL playing with fire😰

[@Carrik-y4m]

I lived in Hawaii when this happened. It was the “this is not a drill” that was the kicker. About all you could do was get to the most sheltered portion of your house and try to call family. (I know you can’t really shelter from a nuke in a normal house, but with the islands being so mountainous and everyone doubting North Korea’s accuracy, sudden death was far from certain.)

[@codyberghuis7978]

I’ll never forget that morning. Messaging my family and friends goodbye was one of the most surreal moments of my life. The relief we all felt when that second message came through was indescribable.

[@beanbaghandle]

The things that this channel talks about seem bloody horrifying, but damn I love having a dedicated simon channel for this type of content.

[@Shinzon23]

The universe is a terrifying place. Learning about that terror should be mandatory for everyone

[@ssaraccoii]

Check out the channel Plainly Difficult. If this curls your hair, the disasters he reviews will burn them off.

[@DMTrance87]

Amen

[@Shinzon23]

@@ssaraccoii or Fascinating Horror

[@TheBamidd]

My parents and youngest sister were in Hawaii at the time for her make-a-wish trip. I can still remember when they text me and my other sister, told us the situation and that they loved us, and that they were seeking shelter. It was one of the most harrowing times of my life, hearing that in a half hour half my family could be gone. I can't imagine how it felt for him there. Needless to say we were beyond relieved, and beyond furious, when we found out it was a simple error at the state emergency facility.

[@curtisjetton3645]

So I gotta know did your little sister survive

[@curtisjetton3645]

I had cancer and just wanted to know if she beat whatever it was

[@TheBamidd]

@@curtisjetton3645 she did, yes.

[@curtisjetton3645]

@@TheBamidd awesome glad to hear

[@faolanblackwolf5231]

I have to laugh at the 'duck and cover method' of protecting yourself. My father is a child of the early cold war, and to this day he calls it the 'bend over and kiss your ass goodbye' method.

[@paulherman5822]

My dad, who was a WWII veteran called it the same thing. 😁

[@groofay]

My dad is a cold war kid too, and every time we talk about it, we laugh at how a desk was supposed to save you from a nuke.

[@matthewevans6502]

If you're close to Ground 0 then yeah its useless. However the thing about nukes is that they're not nearly as big as people think. If a North Korean nuke went off in lower manhattan, upper manhattan would be mostly fine. Except that the light from the nuke would blind anyone looking in that direction, and falling glass from the shockwave would injure a lot of people. So ducking and covering would save a LOT of eyes and lives. And even if you're facing a Soviet mega-nuke like the Tsar Bomba, there's no point in ducking-and-covering in New York City, but everyone in Long Island, Connecticut, and New Jersey would still benefit from avoiding the flash burn and ensuing shockwave/shrapnel.

[@groofay]

@@matthewevans6502 Ah, good point.

[@faolanblackwolf5231]

@@matthewevans6502 I get what you're saying, but then there's also the problem that if you're that person far enough from the blast that it at least saves your life, there's still the problem that a fusion bomb would let off enough radiation to kill you fairly swiftly, and you probably want a fallout shelter, not thin piece of fake wood. Then too New York and other large cities would be next to impossible to flee due to gridlock increasing the need for a proper shelter. Good point though, avoiding flesh burning wounds and blindness would at least give you a chance.

[@OGA103]

I had some friends living in Hawaii when this happened. The wife said she frantically woke up her husband to tell him and he just said "it's fake" and went back to sleep. 😂 I guess his rationale was that if it was real, they wouldn't tell anyone.

[@DylanDkoh]

I think that his rationale was that if it was real, no one would be alive to tell him that he was wrong

[@junebuglynn7218]

I remember the day after the news saying that it was human error and someone simply hit the wrong button. A comedian then stated something to the effect of "How?, I can't even delete a photo from my phone without it asking me if I'm sure."

[@WollyEZ-110]

I was on duty onboard a DDG in Pearl Harbor when this happened. We set general quarters and began preparing to get underway. With only 1/6th of the crew onboard we set material condition zebra in less that 8 minutes. Wild day

[@anmuloced8673]

Heading out to sea to avoid the blast? Did you see alot of private vessels attempting the same thing?

[@jaysonlima9271]

8 minutes to condition zebra with just one duty section, pretty damn impressive actually.... we were usually pretty close to 3 minutes, with a full crew FFG for me not a DDG so I was aboard a smaller vessel to and for the none Navy folks DDG means Destroyer, Guided Missile, and FFG means Frigate Guided Missile. BZ to the unknown DDGs crew from a former MM1(SS/SW)

[@americantopteam135s-t7]

What do those things mean? Im really interested. Not American so don't know all the words. Thank you for any information, friend

[@Robert_Douglass]

Query: what is material condition Zebra?

[@Nuke1568]

@@Robert_Douglass basically, Literally EVERYTHING just hit the fan, our priority is survival and we're leaving NOW

[@TheGeekiestGuy]

The missile scare was one of the scariest moments of my life. I had time to call my folks and tell them I loved them but I sat there alone, waiting for it to hit. Everything was epically quiet outside. Every second made me feel even more uneasy. I didn't know what else to do other than just wait to die at the hands of God knows who for reasons that had nothing to do with me. That year we also had some extreme earthquakes. A pretty apocalyptic time. Now we have a pandemic that'll surely kill us all, right?

[@dubuyajay9964]

Are you ok atm?

[@TheGeekiestGuy]

@Dubuya Jay So far, I'm good out here. I appreciate you checking. We haven't had many earthquakes since then, and the siren only gets tested once a month. I live 15 minutes from the volcano, so I'm hoping she stays quiet.

[@lisa2948]

Must have been a hell of an aa meeting the next day

[@phyllisdevries5734]

I'm sure all addictions were cured that day.

[@colemarie9262]

Omg... I bet

[@andromedatonks60]

HEY I was there for that!! I actually did really well that morning because of my terrible habit of ignoring my problems. The instinct to repress everything and put off dealing with problems and hope they just go away has gotten me into a lot of trouble in the past, but on that one morning, it was the best possible reaction-- because I didn't freak out and the problem DID go away! Thank you, ADHD/executive dysfunction :) I know it was terrifying for a lot of people, including some of my classmates (I was on a geology field trip at the time), but my immediate reaction to the news was "fine, as long as I don't have to finish packing." I was honestly more stressed about the imminent task of packing and traveling home that afternoon than I was about some potential missile. My brain might need to rethink its priorities... (I also thought-- or at least told myself-- that the threat most likely wasn't real, and that our location was relatively safe for a few different reasons. So that definitely contributed to my ability to stay calm.) Having watched lots of videos like this about weird events, it's bizarre to see one about something that I actually experienced. But now I truly know the answer to how I would react in the situation, so I guess that's some interesting insight into yourself.

[@shellshell942]

In Melbourne there was an 5.9 earthquake yesterday. I was not expecting it at all because we just don't have a history of them, especially recently. I was happy that my whole street ran outside (we are in lockdown) to check on each other. Everyone was ok, no damage just a lot of surprise and nervous laughter. Nice to know though that helping/ checking on our neighbours was everyone's first reaction :)

[@nathanlong8295]

That's how Australia is nowadays.

[@shellshell942]

@@nathanlong8295 The earthquake or the people? Haha. I freaked out. I just couldn't believe it, fire sure but earthquake no way.

[@owenshebbeare2999]

I live in Hallam, and we thought it was the "Dan Andreas Fault" going off as he was pissed at the protesters in the city. There was some minor damage, mainly in Chapel St and old chimmneys collapsing and a few cracked walls. Fortunately no injuries.

[@shellshell942]

@@owenshebbeare2999 I think everyone is about to lose it with the protesters. They are lucky veterans didn't fight them. I saw the damage in Capel St but I think it was mainly old walls impacted. Everywhere else looks pretty good. I have heard NBN been a pain but thats it. Made for an interesting morning though :)

[@andromedatonks60]

Glad yall are okay!

[@skynyrdjesus]

It's so funny this is on Simon's arguably darkest channel, because nothing has ever affirmed my faith in humanity in more. The most common reaction was panic to say I love you to the people they cared most about, then to settle in to serenity when they were successful. It's practically the opposite of the purge, when literally nothing mattered anymore, the first response of these men and women weren't violence or anger or rioting, it was love and compassion. I only hope I would've conducted myself with such dignity

[@JohnDoe-ex6gt]

There’s a good chance the entire office thought it wasn’t a drill. That employee was most likely thrown under the prevail bus to cover for the rest of the staff.

[@V-is4Val]

My parents live in Hawaii and one of the scariest moments of my life was receiving the phone call of them saying goodbye. My family has a bit of a twisted sense of humor, so when reality sunk in that this was not a joke, words cannot describe the horrible feeling. Disbelief. Fear. The realization how fragile life and reality is. How much we take for granted waking up in the morning. It was sobering to say the very least.

[@Circleofcocytus]

I find it oddly uplifting in a way that faced with one's own earthly end, so many people wanted nothing more than to have one last human connection with those that they love. I think oftentimes we're depicted as a species in a way that exaggerate our more violent, darker urges. We willfully at times seem to ignore the compassion and depth of careing that we are capable of as a species as well. I'm willing to bet during that half hour on that island there were people that never would have associated with each other, but in those moments were offering comfort to one another freely. Black, white, gay, straight, none of it mattered. When faced with the ultimate truth of life, that being that it is ephemeral to say the least, all of the partitions we have constructed in our own minds collapse. It is a shame though that it takes such a shock for some people to see that nature of existence.

[@Ranstone]

That time will come again. Soon it won't be a false alarm. I proudly hope humanity reacts in the same dignity.

[@stevenschnepp576]

And now, after facing their mortality, they've gone right back to being bastards to one another after the moment of mortal terror has passed and they no longer want comforting.

[@variaxi935]

@@stevenschnepp576 sounds like we NEED more threats of impending annihilation lol does the community more good than one would think

[@BigLBishop77]

I'm from Alabama but lived in hawaii on the island of kauai for the last decade and this happend about a week or two after my son was born. I was at work in a walk in cooler when the texts came in. I didn't get the text till I stepped out of the cooler. I then drove at about 70 in a 30 and on the wrong side of the road to get home to my new family. I remember waking my wife and telling her it might be the end. She calmly looked at me and said ok. Still remember the thoughts and feelings I had while thinking of my son. And his new life and what may be. It was a crazy morning to be sure

[@colbywood8113]

This is hands down one of the best written and most interesting channels that simon runs

[@benallen7704]

Yes. This and Xplord are possibly the two best. Casual Criminalist is great too, but it's really a podcast, so it's slightly different of course.

[@stephanielynn9808]

I worked in a life insurance call center and got a call from an agency staff member who said her boss was there & wanted info on what coverage would be like if this had been real. It was an interesting call

[@CptDrake]

I'm gonna bite, what would have it looked like?

[@harrisonr3456]

@@CptDrake damages done by war for home/car/renter etc isnt covered. But people? Idk, my grandpa owns an agency and I'm curious now too.

[@pansprayers]

@@harrisonr3456 pretty sure it boils down to specific policy provisions, so it's not cut and dry.

[@jacobprice2579]

Yeah I’m in insurance in the U.K. myself. Terrorism cover is pretty standard over here for commercial property at least. I could see someone making the argument that a nuclear strike by a rogue nation counts but I’d definitely have to refer that one to my line manager before going back to the policy holder.

[@mja2001]

Most policies that I've seen exclude, "...act of war..."

[@matthewfield2208]

I was getting coffee with my daughter. The coffee shop was in a stone building with two foot thick walls. We shut the doors, drank our coffees and waited. Weirdest thing I’ve experienced in close to 30 years in Hawai’i

[@DjMoDification]

Simon, I've been following your channels for a while now and I am extremely grateful for how you and your crews have put things together. I would never have been aware of this even happening, but those last few minutes regarding human reaction and being just animals. That struck a chord with me deeply, from a way back paper I wrote in high school. Keep up the fine work and please, to all the writers, editors, researchers and otherwise, thank you.

[@TheJer1963]

One would be a fool to think he ever reads a one of these comments. It all about the $$$$$$$. He could care less what we have to say as long as we say something and hit the like button. Can't say I have ever seen him respond to a single comment these last few years. Go look for yourself.

[@kingchad3379]

@@TheJer1963 Look at the Brain Blaze and Casual Criminalist channels.He always responds to comments on those.

[@esteemedmortal5917]

My friend was in Hawaii when this happened. She was asleep in bed and seeing it, she basically was like “Well, if it’s my time to go, it’s my time to go” and she rolled over and went back to sleep.

[@bradhobbs6196]

"World ends in 38 minutes!" 39 minutes later: Well, THAT was disappointing. . .

[@MrYossarianuk]

Earth was disappointed

[@bradhobbs6196]

@James Lundy I take it you are unfamiliar with my third wife.

[@slinkerdeer]

At this point when the actual event happens ill probably never believe it until I see it actually happening. But that's not going to happen anyway

[@MrYossarianuk]

@@slinkerdeer Check the time on the doomsday clock (although they haven't changed it since Trump lost power)

[@angryatheist]

Lol what a jip now I’m going to have to get my staffy an abortion

[@lilyeves892]

I can't believe they say this is not a drill as a part of the drill

[@carrielange2692]

right? that's what I thought. I'm like, what possible purpose does it serve to say that during a drill, lol.

[@gabbanator]

They do that so you know what it will sound like and become desensitized to react properly

[@esotericcommonsense6366]

Rookie mistake

[@LarsLarsen77]

@@gabbanator But you could just leave it off the real message since it HAS ABSOLUTELY NO MEANING.

[@gabbanator]

@@LarsLarsen77 like I said before its there so that you know what it sounds like for when the real thing happens to desensitize your brain so that you do not panic. I was in the Navy and worked on jets, you learn about this kind of thing in bootcamp to help know how things are gonna be when on an actual ship because shit happens all the time: fires, injuries, man overboard etc. When there are drills for being attacked its the same thing. To keep the calm during a strenuous time where you need to have your head about you. It literally does have a meaning. Lol

[@saramurai1220]

I lived on Oahu and that morning my brother in law and I were rushing around grabbing the pets and getting our 95 year old grandma ready to move to a shelter. It was scary and stressful. After I was called into work on base and was told that in the event that this actually happens the best option is to secure your self in the center of your house with food water and so on. Or find a wall and get as close to the ground as possible. It really did feel like the end of the world. But at the same time you felt like there was nothing you could do.

[@ignitionfrn2223]

1:15 - Chapter 1 - Missile threat 3:00 - Chapter 2 - The man from north korea 5:30 - Chapter 3 - Exercise, exercise, exercise 7:10 - Chapter 4 - The end is nye 9:25 - Chapter 5 - A colossal mistake 10:45 - Chapter 6 - Aftermath 13:20 - Chapter 7 - The end of the world

[@Anton_Chigurh_2007]

"The end is nye" should have been "The end is nigh." apparently Simon's folks cannot spell.

[@laner.845]

My brother in law was in Hawaii for a work trip with Lockheed and we all got one text to the family group. He knew he'd be lucky to even get that one through. "I love you all. [Kids' names] I'm proud of you. [Wife's name] I trust you to raise our family." That was all he had time for. It's burned into my memory so that if I'm ever in a similar position, I'll know exactly what to type even if I'm one of the ones who panics. We were on such ridiculous high alert waiting to see if the world was about to burn. It was like I was back deployed all over again. Oooof.

[@ExiledDragoon]

Gah, I was stationed in Hawaii when this popped off. I remember trying to get ahold of my Marines to get accountability and shelter. I remember the buddy I was staying with was crackin' jokes while his wife called her folks in tears. I also remember not really able to get ahold of my chain of command and when I did my SSGT couldn't muster a f*ck to give. Good times.

[@stumpytheviolator3118]

How sheltered is the U.K? I live in Australia we get raging fires, massive storms, I'm always getting emergency and evacuation text messages. Get atleast 1 every 12 months. Except for that time I didn't see the cyclone evacuation notice, walked out on my balcony about 3pm wondered why the town was like dead, thought it was a bit windy and lit a smoke. Just for locals at the bar a week later to yell at me for doing something reckless, my genuine expression was that was a cyclone.

[@tturboman]

I never got the alert on my phone that morning. I was already at work delivering mail when a couple of guys walked into the mailroom and asked if they could hide out there (the mailroom was in the basement of this condo). I told them to get out while I locked up the mailboxes. My boss called me frantically and said get back to the station asap. I just remember the fear I felt driving back, looking at the sky to see if I would be able to see the missile coming in. I tried calling my parents but the call never connected. Cars were running red lights, people were running down the street. By the time I got back, my boss said it was a false alarm and no need to panic. He said take some time to breathe and when you're ready, go back to work. Some of my coworkers left early, took a sick day. I needed a cigarette but I don't even smoke.

[@cbracing808]

I'm so happy you are covering this. I was pretty sure I was gonna die. I was woken up by my phone and ran down the street to my parents house and very casually said we loved each other and then watched the news for updates......

[@soulesslemming]

My brother lives in Haleiwa, he told me the tsunami shelter was full so they stuffed the kids in a drain that ran under the street and men piled at both entrances hoping to shield the kids with their bodies.

[@pamelamays4186]

As a school kid in California during the mid to late 1960's, I participated in many Duck And Cover Drills. By the time I had reached junior high, those drills were rebranded as Earthquake Drills. By the time I reached high school, there were no drills of any kind, except for school bus evacuation drills for us bussed in kids.

[@jimcappa6815]

Me, too! Also the air raid siren being tested very day at noon. If there has been an actual attack, it probably wouldn't have gone well for me. I lived next to a Nike missile base.

[@Ryarios]

I remember in grade school in the 70’s, doing one bus evacuation drill. Apparently, at least one parent too issue with it and the bus driver was fired the next day…

[@dynamicworlds1]

Millennial here. We had drills for fire, severe weather, and I think a bit of what was to become active shooter drills under the guise of there being an intruder on the premises (but that was mostly just going to be "stay in place and listen to your teacher and if you do have to leave, go further away than you would for a fire drill) I knew about the duck and cover drills from before, though. As a side note, our severe weather drills were at least as stupid and I had no intention of actually going through with them if it came to it.

[@gabbyn978]

Can you imagine how it was in the cold war, when you were living close to one of the places that would be the first of getting nuked? I did that, in one case knowing it (studying in West Berlin), in the other one unawares (15 km - about 10 miles - away from the Hasenheide, Heilbronn, where that infamous Pershing One accident happened). These missiles were medium range, as well as the Russian ones. You had only 15 minutes to get into a shelter. Even in a city, that would never have been enough. And this went on over the course of about four decades (in my case, it was still 28)...

[@lexsinevermind]

Our friends were on their honeymoon in Hawaii. I still cannot even imagine how it would feel to be in the midst of that. I would probably have extreme anxiety over any emergency message...

[@michaelsgigi39]

I was on the phone with my sister in Honolulu for that half an hour while she and her now husband pack their tiny bathroom (the only interior room in their apartment) with supplies and their cats while also trying get to comfort my panicked mother. It's not an event that those of us on the mainland with loved ones on the islands will soon forget either.

[@hebneh]

The noise of the alert woke me up and I agree it really was a moment of shock / disbelief / fear to read these words on a phone. BUT...I was able to think clearly and very quickly realized this couldn't be real since the warning sirens did not go off. So after that I remained in bed. I heard no noises of anyone nearby panicking or any vehicles going past my house at a noticeably high speed. Overall, I avoided significant trauma and nobody I knew was mentally scarred by this either, fortunately.

[@bigafroman4277]

It's crazy to think that all this happened and we barely even talk about it anymore. What a terrible event to have to love through!

[@whoshotdk]

I know its a typo, but i’ll bet a lot of people did!

[@redstateforever]

I lived in the DC area during the Beltway Sniper saga. Three full weeks of literally being terrified of going to the mailbox, much less to go to work, get gas or groceries, take kids to school, etc. People were dropping like flies, every couple days, randomly, and all over the metro area. It was awful, hard to describe. Three weeks, just a year after 9/11, while the Pentagon was still a mess. We never talk about that anymore, either. Our society as a whole has severe ADD.

[@RapidAssaultEuro]

@@redstateforever Arguably, talking about attacks like that could just inspire people wanting to commit them in the future.

[@ComaDave]

38 minutes would give me almost exactly 6 listens to Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb", to be revelling in the throes of that glorious second guitar solo as I get whubbed out of existence. Cool. Also, I love how Simon keeps thinking that global thermonuclear war is a fading historical memory. Oh, my sweet Summer child......

[@susanrobinson910]

I absolutely LOVE that song… 38 minutes would also give you enough time to smoke a bowl, maybe even two, and go out with a dreamy smile on your face! 😊

[@StefanMedici]

Maybe drop a tab of acid while you at it and go see what the great last trip is like the Leary way.

[@119beaker]

Only 4 if you listen to the live version. Extra Gilmour solo.

[@yellowstone024]

“There is no pain you are receding , a distant ship smoke on the horizon “

[@susanrobinson910]

Curtis Schriever You are only coming through in waves. Your lips move but I can’t hear what you’re saying.

[@bartcop2742]

I called one of my grade school teachers after this and told her - "See, I'm not the biggest mistake in history after all!"

[@melindoranightsilver9298]

🤣 Damn what was the response? Also, why did they call you the biggest mistake in human existence in the first place?

[@bartcop2742]

@@melindoranightsilver9298 I was quite the trouble maker when I was younger. She laughed when I told her that, didn't even have to ask who it was LOL, she knew immediately.

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

Hey -- were YOU that mistaken operator in Hawaii?! 😊😊😊

[@americantopteam135s-t7]

Why you has your teacher phone number?

[@dynamicworlds1]

@@americantopteam135s-t7 probably because, as a trouble-maker (as admitted) the teacher and parents were in communication.

[@PsRohrbaugh]

"duck and cover" was never about the people within a mile or two of a blast. That's called "see the blast then get vaporized". Instead, it was for the people in the suburbs and rural areas 30 - 100 miles from a blast.

[@clamcrewcarclub6017]

It also gives the best chance of your dental records being identifiable

[@TheLoneTerran]

Yup, it was to protect from falling debris by diving under the desk. It would do nothing vs the thermal or radioactive elements of the nuke, but afforded some protection from the kinetic forces.

[@scheimong]

You can have all the procedures you want; doesn't change the fact that most people aren't ready to die at a moment's notice.

[@amezification]

As a school kid at the time, my mom figured that the duck and cover ( under your desk, or with your head in your locker) had more to do with identifying the bodies at a future date then protecting their lives. Her school had records of the kids physical desk/locker locations in a very dense specially labeled fireproof lock box they kept in the main office. ( Refreshed every year, and elementary aged kids didn't change class rooms often) Obviously the blast knocking things around and some kids being in the wrong place were likely issues, but they thought it was better then nothing.

[@ccyamato]

I slept through this. It was a weird event to wake up to. Everyone's had a terrible morning and I'm ready to start the day fresh.

[@jacksonb.valentine8208]

I had a close buddy that had saved up for over a year to spend his birthday week in Maui. He had been there for all of an hour or two when he got the alert. He’d called his mama then called our “the boys” group chat and sent a screenshot of the message. It was just after noon our time on a Saturday so everyone got in the call. There was like 12 of us, usually loud obnoxious 20 something’s in dead silence. I’ll never forget that, we were all slinging shit at him “you find any 10s yet?” Or “why you calling us when you could be getting laid on a beach?” To absolute deafening silence. I hopped in my shitbox Chevy and started hauling ass to his moms house as we basically got more emotional than any of had up to that point in our lives. I’ve never been a hugger but when he relayed he’d be okay his mom and I hugged tight for a very long time. When he got back home to Idaho he told me he never wants to leave our boring, nothing ever happens state again lol

[@hackweezy]

I was a sailor stationed there at the time. I was off work had been up all night because I worked nights. I saw the alert at 0807 made a cup of coffee, added some Bailey’s and stood on my balcony and waited.

[@Momcat_maggiefelinefan]

I remember when this happened. Even though I’m in Ontario in Canada, I was concerned until the news on the radio said it was an error. Cold comfort in that, but not much I could do to stop it. Terrifying event!

[@TheOriginalFaxon]

When I was a kid in the 90s (growing up living on the San Andreas Fault), we had duck and cover drills in school in relation to earthquakes. I find it laughable that they actually thought this was a good idea, since the desks were absolutely NOT bolted down and would have been bouncing all over the fucking place in the case of the very real possibility of a 6.0+ magnitude earthquake, and at high enough magnitudes they might actually become airborn and start landing back down sharply on kids unprotected heads. Knowing all this as a kid I took the very real risk of earthqakes seriously enough to decide that in the event of an earthquake, i would NOT be staying under my desk, and would instead risk getting hit in the head by a falling ceiling tile (generally soft enough to break over your head with not so much as a bump left behind) while trying to make my way to the room's door, and simply get the fuck outside, since all the classrooms opened onto an open field with no trees for at least 50-100 meters in several directions.

[@americantopteam135s-t7]

This is interesting. Thank you

[@stevenschnepp576]

It's not so much the ceiling tile as it is the structural bits up above that they were concerned about falling and hitting you. Also, if _everyone_ does that, it's called a stampede and will most likely kill at least a handful of kids even without a serious earthquake.

[@darkermatter125.35]

As someone from the US, I'm pretty confident that some of the parents who are able to keep it together better around their children told their kids (of a certain age) that it was a mass shooter drill. If you were in a hotel or crowded area where you are trying to protect your kid, that is the thing they will understand the most and go along with. It is really fucking depressing, but I went to school a little before shooting drills, and that is immediately what came to mind as what parents did. No hesitation.

[@LaylaSpellwind]

38 minutes to the end of the world. This video is 15 minutes long. Worth it.

[@GonkDroid0923]

I remember that day. I was only 13. The message came, My mom was hysterical, calling my Grandma, while my dad showed me, confused at first. Once I read the dreaded words "THIS IS NOT A DRILL" the thought of "oh sh*t, this is it". Popped in my head. My dad and I shut all the windows and doors, then we sat in our hallway, the safest space in our house. And I just sat there, waiting for a blinding flash, but obviously it never came. WWIII never started then.

[@oldmansailor]

We were there and it was bad! The hardest part was trying to tell my kids what we needed to do. We got into the car to get away from the military base and took shelter in a school high in the mountain.

[@benjammin6859]

I remember this day! I was back at home sleeping after my night shift at the hospital, I remember waking up when my phone rang and read the warning message. I knew there was nowhere to go being on a island and I was still dead tired, so I just went back to sleep. I woke up a couple fo hours later and totally forgot about the message until I turned on the news of the warning being a false alarm

[@thejudgmentalcat]

Thank you Simon for racking up my existential anxiety to 11...nah, jk, I'd smoke a big blunt and pet the cat on my lap. World go boom.

[@davonmulder8458]

That's the way to go

[@jaysonlima9271]

My plan would still have me very dead but the bar would be significantly more empty ....

[@americantopteam135s-t7]

If the world is painfully ending I'd rather ask the dudes in the alley for some heroin

[@seandeshields6759]

@@jaysonlima9271 my thoughts. I wouldn't have survived!! Probably after a few minutes realizing theres no where to run & having called my mother to say i love you. Would've grabed a bottle of Jack and just hammered it!!! Dead from alcohol poisoning But i figured id enjoy the coming " light" show!

[@hotlavatube]

I remember that morning. My partner woke me up to show me the text message. My response was a disbelieving "Really?...". My phone hadn't received the message. I spent the next 15 minutes trying to find information online until I finally found a twitter account of a state rep who said it was a false warning. Btw, while there was no widespread nuclear warning siren, there were parts of the islands where the sirens had been triggered, perhaps manually. One person suffered a heart attack allegedly from the stress, but survived. One father stuffed his family in a storm drain for the duration. Later, I recall watching an interview in the Hawaii emergency command center where you could see a password taped to the monitor in the background.

[@LtNduati]

I went to school in South Jersey, and my middle (and then high school) Geography/AP history teacher taught us about the Cuban Missile Crisis and she told us about the fact there was an nuclear bunker 300 yards from where our middle/high school complex was because it was under 45 minutes away from McGuire Air Force base and in the middle of nowhere. I never fact checked if that was true, partially because it was too difficult to confirm for what it's worth but it wasn't something we found/thought to be unreasonable. It made sense, if not smart.

[@chuckw1113]

Back in 1971, one Saturday morning about 8:30am eastern time, a technician at NORAD grabbed the tape fo be broadcast to all TV and radio stations to test the CONELRAD (Control of Electromagnetic Radiation) Emergency Broadcast Network. They usually did this on Saturdays each week. In this instance, the technician grabbed the wrong tape, sending out a nuclear attack warning, instead of the test message. The warning was retracted almost immediately after the warning was sent.

[@KingBrandonm]

I was born in 1994 but growing up we still had air raid drills in early elementary school because in my hometown was Castle Air Force Base, a major Cold War Era base prepped and ready to launch nukes so even after the Cold War ended it was still a big part of our local culture. Castle is now decommissioned and serves as an air museum, hospital and space center for the local University of California

[@stevestolarczyk8972]

What an intelligent, well articulated assessment of the ‘blame’ for the error. Made this video a must-see.

[@destinytroll1374]

Honestly, there's a silver lining to this! This showed exactly how unprepared people are, and that we NEED to have better planning. IMO everyone should have food and water stored up, at LEAST a few days worth. Most people outside the blast radius can survive a nuclear fall out by hunkering down in their basement. The Gamma radiation goes down very quick and the Alpha and Beta radiation won't even push through thick curtains. After just under 4 weeks, the bulk of the radiation will have dissipated enough to come out again. If you're a few miles away from ground zero and can stay in the basement for 28 days, you're probably going to ride out the disaster. The aftermath would be awful as would the lose of human life, but you CAN survive! Get a months worth of food and water and make a plan :-) you probably won't need it, but if you do, it can save your life.

[@JoshSweetvale]

No.

[@destinytroll1374]

@@JoshSweetvale Do some research on the subject friend

[@ringo1692]

It will probably be a pretty lousy scene that you are going to be looking at, literally... Most likely no matter where you live, the whole world will be changed irrevocably, you are probably better off getting taken out in the initial blast hopefully vaporized in seconds rather than trying to figure out how to survive in that nightmare scenario!

[@markusz4447]

Tbh I wouldn't want to live in a post nuclear holocaust world. Talking about a US vs Russia/China showdown, not 5 north korean nukes

[@JoshSweetvale]

@@markusz4447 There wouldn't be multicellular life 30 years after a US/Russia exchange.

[@twocvbloke]

I think the majority of us would basically be shitting bricks if a threat of the end is announced like that, knowing my luck though I'd sleep through it and wonder what all the fuss was about, assuming it wasn't the real deal of course, and I'd still sleep through it... :P

[@Telowin]

I still have nightmares about this. I woke up to the sirens, threw my kids in our car and raced to my wife's work. I nearly beat down her boss when he said she couldn't leave.

[@chestnut4860]

"I nearly beat down her boss when he said she couldn't leave." You're a good spouse.

[@pauljanicek1872]

Damn Simon...had me choked up with the imagery and the music to match. Excellent work as always.

[@samuelmeasa9283]

I do remember duck and Cover exercises in the late 80's. But we where told they're for Earthquake drills. One of the four drills we regularly practiced, the others where Tornadoes and Fire. I can only imaging today's youths also practicing for Hostel Invaders/Gun Men as I graduated before Columbine.

[@TheLoneTerran]

The Duck and Cover wasn't to save you from a nuclear strike. Only being literally anywhere else or far underground can do that. Children went under their desks to protect them from falling debris like ceiling tiles and get them under the level where the glass windows usually stopped so flying glass was much less likely to injure. It was only for a "nearby" strike, one that wouldn't injure or kill anyone with the thermal energy or the radiation. The kinetic energy needed a solution, for example, it used to be taught (and might still be taught) that one of the better places to be is in a strong door frame, like actual wood or better, to avoid debris falling vertical. Doorway would just get shredded by flying glass and would only allow for one person. Being down low, with their hands protecting the back of the skull and neck to protect the spine and spinal chord was the best defense at the time from debris. It's why in many US schools that practice several tornado drills a year, had you assume the very same position in a secure hallway or bathroom. With tornadoes, you have a little bit of warning most of the time. A nuclear attack you would not, so under desks you went.

[@thepeff]

“Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” -Simon Whistler

[@WaddedBliss]

Kent Brockman: Professor, without knowing precisely what the danger is, would you say it's time for our viewers to crack each other's heads open and feast on the goo inside? Professor: Yes I would, Kent.

[@Whiskey_Dave]

Thank you for this amazing and high quality content!

[@DougieFresh765]

Simon had his door open for this one… can’t wait for a creepy one with the door closed and desk light off

[@inkedcatharsis]

Why do I find the open door so creepy?

[@slinkerdeer]

@@inkedcatharsis because of what's staring st you from under the couch

[@IrishMike22]

Didn't want to miss his ubereats delivery whilst filming video #3,452 for the afternoon.

[@Shinzon23]

What would make it creepy is if the door is open, desk light is off and the lights in the hallway outside were blood red...

[@Joe_Potts]

HOLY SHT SIMON HAS A DOOR I always thought that spot of the room was just more wall lol

[@mho...]

"Anybody not wearing two-million sunblock is gonna have a bad day" -Sarah C.

[@npatony]

Simon I find something new from you constantly.... I always think I’ve subscribed to everything, than I find something new

[@iphail4733]

Interestingly there's also a psychological reason the drills were conducted: a citizen that knows what they must do in a traumatic event, if they have practiced it enough, will be less likely to panic and more likely to survive. It's similar to the reason militaries drill things or gamers practice aim and micro. Once something becomes reactive as opposed to cognitive, your reaction speed significantly decreases.

[@pr0xZen]

I can only _attempt to imagine_ the horror those people must have gone through. And I must admit I feel absolutely awful for the guy who has received so much hatred, for doing his job to warn the same people, from what he was led to believe was indeed _"Not a drill"._

[@omegalightning5715]

People in general don't understand mistakes and misunderstandings

[@lecroix7487]

Imagine that story "Why were you fired?" "I made everyone think that they were nuking Haweii"

[@i_amnot_here2453]

I can't forget that 8am Saturday morning. That annoying, buzzing alarm woke me up and scared everyone in the house. I got scared more because the night before, I was watching eas videos online. After hearing the alarm, we're all trying to gather all our important stuffs to bring out. I was also like rushing us out to the nearest fallout shelter which is like 10 minutes away. My mother was just resigned and said let's just watch TV, and then we did and while doing so we heard the news that it was just a false alarm. Quite a day. But really, that experience of death being around the corner, and that feeling of hoping that it might not be bad at all, that was terrifying. Never had a close similar experience later on than that.

[@demekagamine]

"We often see ourselves as indestructible, the Homosapien overlords ruling over our little planet, but we are but highly evolved animals with inflated egos" -Fact Boy For a dude that screams about cocaine for money and has a writter and editor locked up in his basement he can really spit some deep lines seriously.

[@DDTRAINER]

I love your voice and what you do but sometimes I go back to watch your older videos and your voice startles me. Have we really been here thing long? So good, I literally have been here for years. Please don't stop.

[@enriquehartmann8642]

If I was surfing (and I'm not a surfer), in Hawaii when I got that text message, I'd like to think I'd be stoic about it. Like what could I do to prevent my imminent demise? Not a whole a lot. So I'd just hop on facebook. I'd ask for forgiveness, forgive anyone who wronged me, tell every one I love them. Then, take a couple hits of my vape, and go surfing until the world went up in flames.

[@pathepaparslow2068]

I’ve watched a lot of Simon’s videos now. I think this is the best one yet!

[@victoriawhite3662]

I was growing up in Kansas(mid 70s)and we had “tornado drills” where we learned duck and cover, and how to get to each exit. It was only as an adult after the Cold War ended that I realized these were the nuclear drills. I was a sheltered child😂

[@lolmao500]

Surviving a nuclear war wouldnt have been nice. If youre not convinced... watch Threads.

[@threehead99]

That is still the proper way to conduct a tornado drill. You're not special.

[@elin9382]

dude I had these in minnesota in the 00s & 10s. they're just tornado drills

[@stevenschnepp576]

@@lolmao500 Your ancestors didn't claw their way to the top of the food chain over a billion years for you to flop over and give up if life gets a little hard.

[@aliensector]

"The fear of a potential event can often be worse than the event itself". How very succinct, and equably applicable to current 'fears' too. Well put SImon.

[@AkodoKusamoto]

"...in the eighties as tensions eased..." Except 1983. The world almost ended 2 or 3 times in 1983. The 007 shootdown, the Soviets seeing reflections off of clouds and almost launching a full retaliatory strike before they realized their satellites were just bad, Able Archer.... I remember the summer of '83 and seeing the B-52s launch at least once a week from Davis Monthan en masse. My Grandpa would look up and always say, "welp, if they aren't back in 8 hours, we're heading for the mountains." We knew their Zulu point was 4 hours away over the Pacific. If they didn't get stand-down orders and turn around, they'd be on their way to take the grand tour of Soviet cities. So yeah...the 80s weren't puppies and rainbows until about '87.

[@jrweberart8170]

I was supposed to fly in that morning to Oahu but my plane was delayed to Atlanta international due to ice and snow. Heard about it during my unplanned night in Atlanta, only time I've ever been glad to have been delayed at the airport. The rest of the trip was great can't wait to go back, glad I didn't get there for that message definitely would have freaked out.

[@hammerheadxray8152]

I was on Oahu when we had a tsunami scare. Those sirens are one of the scariest things I have heard

[@dawnb7707]

Definitely the best in these new channel so far. Kudos to you and your crew on this entry!

[@danwallace1287]

I was stationed there when this happened, it was a surreal experience for sure

[@Kenzie.Avrahm.Fraser.Gelbart]

Love the new channel, you're killing it!

[@stevenpeek8842]

I grew up in a city that was a Soviet first-strike target. In school in the 60’s & 70’s, we actually never had “duck & cover” drills, & I never even heard the term until I was well into adulthood. I guess the powers that be decided there’s no use ducking and covering from a direct strike!

[@geodkyt]

Yeah, Duck & Cover was only intended to protect you from flying glass from a nuclear strike that wasn't close enough to blast you directly- but the glass shattering and blowing into the room is a serious threat *miles* past the circle where you could be standing outside and be otherwise safe from blast effects and direct radiation (obviously, fallout would be a problem if you didn't quickly seek shelter, and flash blindness is an issue if you're looking at the bomb when it goes off). And, of course, the blast front takes a discernable time to travel from ground zero to a location 12 or more miles away - giving you *time* to duck and cover. Growing up lving literally surrounded by tier 1 targets (the "total destruction" circles on a map would overlap), my dad pointed out that, for *us* , duck & cover drills or bomb shelters were pointless.