What does the analogy of a 24-hour day illustrate about the relative time scale of geological and human history?

The analogy of a 24-hour day is often used to illustrate the vast length of geological time compared to the relatively brief existence of humanity. In this analogy, if the entire history of Earth were compressed into a single day, humans would occupy just a tiny fraction of that time—often depicted as just the final seconds before midnight. This serves to highlight how young humanity is in comparison to the billions of years of Earth's history.

By placing human existence in this context, the analogy underscores the remarkable brevity of our species' timeline relative to the slow processes of geological change. This perception fosters a greater appreciation for the age of the Earth and the numerous evolutionary events that have occurred long before humans appeared. Thus, the connection made through this analogy effectively showcases the youth of humanity in an expansive historical context.