Scientists Set Doomsday Clock, Warn of Rising Nuclear and Climate Risks
- Humanity edged closer to catastrophe this week as scientists set the Doomsday Clock at 85 seconds to midnight, the closest it has ever been
- The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists said the decision reflected rising nuclear tensions, worsening climate threats, and unregulated advances in artificial intelligence
- Experts warned that without urgent global cooperation, the risks of annihilation continue to grow
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists announced on January 27 that the Doomsday Clock had been set at 85 seconds to midnight — the closest it has ever been to the symbolic hour.
The organisation, which created the clock in 1947, said the decision reflected insufficient progress in tackling nuclear risks, the climate crisis, biological threats, and disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence.
Source: Getty Images
Bulletin President and CEO Alexandra Bell explained the reasoning behind the change.
“Humanity has not made sufficient progress on the existential risks that endanger us all,” she said. Bell added that the risks posed by nuclear weapons, climate change and disruptive technologies were growing, stressing: “Every second counts and we are running out of time. It is a hard truth, but this is our reality.”
Nuclear tensions and biological threats
According to CNN, Dr. Daniel Holz, chair of the Bulletin’s science and security board, said in a briefing that global conflicts had intensified in 2025, with military operations involving nuclear-armed states. He warned that the last remaining treaty governing nuclear weapons between the US and Russia would expire on February 4, leaving no formal agreement to prevent a nuclear arms race.
Holz also highlighted dangers in the life sciences, pointing to developments such as synthetic mirror life. He said the international community lacked a coordinated plan to address biological threats, leaving the world unprepared for potentially devastating consequences.
Artificial intelligence and misinformation
The Bulletin noted that rapid advances in artificial intelligence, coupled with weak regulation, were fuelling misinformation and disinformation. Holz said these trends were undermining efforts to address global challenges and worsening other existential risks.
What the doomsday clock represents?
The Doomsday Clock was created by scientists who worked on the Manhattan Project during World War II. Initially focused on nuclear threats, the Bulletin expanded its scope in 2007 to include the climate crisis. Each year, experts on the Bulletin’s science and security board, in consultation with its board of sponsors — originally formed by Albert Einstein in 1948 — decide whether to adjust the clock’s time.
The clock is not a literal measure of risk but a metaphor designed to spark public debate. Dr. Michael Mann of the University of Pennsylvania previously described it as “an imperfect metaphor” but acknowledged its value as a rhetorical device that highlights humanity’s fragile existence.
Can the clock be turned back?
The Bulletin emphasised that the clock’s hands can move away from midnight if bold global action is taken. The farthest it has ever been from midnight was in 1991, when the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty was signed between the US and the Soviet Union.
Former Bulletin president Rachel Bronson said: “We at the Bulletin believe that because humans created these threats, we can reduce them. But doing so is not easy, nor has it ever been. And it requires serious work and global engagement at all levels of society.”
Public engagement and individual action
Bulletin scientists urged individuals to discuss existential risks with peers to help combat misinformation and encourage leaders to act. Maria Ressa, cofounder of Rappler, said: “Without facts, you can’t have truth. Without truth, you can’t have trust. Without these three, we have no shared reality. We can’t have journalism. We can’t have democracy.”
The Bulletin also encouraged personal steps to mitigate the climate crisis, such as walking instead of driving, reducing food waste, conserving water, and recycling properly.
Source: Getty Images
Doomsday clock' remains at 90 seconds to midnight in 2024
Legit.ng earlier reported that the symbolic "Doomsday Clock" was held at 90 seconds to midnight in 2024, reflecting existential threats to humanity posed by potential nuclear escalation from the war in Ukraine and the multiplying impacts of the climate crisis following Earth's hottest recorded year.
Set by top scientists and security experts, the timing of the clock remains the same as last year and the closest it has ever been to midnight in its more than 75-year-history.
Source: Legit.ng
