For the first time in history, the symbolic clock has moved to its most perilous point ever—just 85 seconds from global catastrophe. This historic move was announced by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists’ Science and Security Board, citing a critical “failure of leadership” in the face of escalating existential threats.
The time was moved closer to midnight due to a dangerous convergence of crises in the past year:
- Nuclear Risks: The collapse of arms control, three regional conflicts involving nuclear powers, and an accelerating arms race.
- Climate Change: Record-breaking global temperatures and CO₂ levels, met with insufficient and often destructive policy responses.
- Biological Threats: New warnings about “mirror life” and AI-aided pathogen design, alongside degraded public health defenses.
- Disruptive Technologies: The unregulated rush to militarize AI and its role in supercharging global disinformation.
This is a wake-up call, not a verdict. As Maria Ressa, Nobel Laureate and Bulletin speaker, stated: “We cannot solve problems we cannot agree exist… The clock is ticking.”
The Bulletin outlines clear steps world leaders must take to turn back the Clock, including resuming nuclear diplomacy, enacting meaningful AI guidelines, and committing to science-based climate action.
Read the full 2026 Doomsday Clock Statement here and see what can be done.