The Doomsday Clock, a symbolic gauge of how close humanity is to self-destruction through its own technologies, has been moved four seconds closer to midnight, marking the most dangerous moment in its history. As of January 27, the clock now stands at just 85 seconds to midnight, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists announced on Tuesday. 

Created in 1947 at the dawn of the Cold War, the Doomsday Clock reflects threats posed by nuclear weapons, climate change, biological risks and disruptive technologies. The latest adjustment signals growing alarm among scientists and policy experts about the direction of global affairs.

“The Doomsday Clock’s message cannot be clearer,” said Alexandra Bell, president and CEO of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. “Catastrophic risks are on the rise, cooperation is on the decline, and we are running out of time.”

Rising Great Power Tensions Drive Alarm

In its detailed assessment, the Bulletin cited increasingly aggressive, adversarial and nationalistic postures by major powers, including the United States, Russia and China. It warned that hard-won international agreements and norms are collapsing, replaced by a “winner-takes-all” great power competition. 

The bulletin pointed to several conflicts in 2025 that have heightened global instability, including Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, renewed clashes between India and Pakistan in May, and US and Israeli strikes on Iran in June. These flashpoints, it said, raise the risk of miscalculation, particularly among nuclear-armed states.

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Climate Backsliding And Nuclear Arms Race Fears

Climate change featured prominently in the assessment. The Bulletin said national and international responses to the climate emergency have ranged from “wholly insufficient to profoundly destructive,” noting record carbon dioxide emissions after US President Donald Trump reversed key US climate policies.

The board also warned of a growing risk of a new nuclear arms race, with the New START treaty between the US and Russia set to expire next week and Trump pushing a costly “Golden Dome” missile defence system that could further militarise space. 

Beyond military and climate threats, board members highlighted a crisis of global trust driven by disinformation. “We are living through an information Armageddon,” said Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa, warning that technology is spreading lies faster than facts and profiting from division. 

Founded by scientists including Albert Einstein and Robert Oppenheimer, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists initially set the clock at seven minutes to midnight in 1947. At 85 seconds today, the Doomsday Clock delivers its most urgent warning yet.

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