Doomsday Clock at 85 Seconds to Midnight, Humanity Closer to the Edge Than Ever
The world is now just 85 seconds from midnight and according to the scientists who track this warning sign, humanity has never been closer to catastrophe.
That is the latest assessment from the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, the group behind the symbolic Doomsday Clock. Each year, they measure how close the world is to a man-made global disaster and this year, the hands have moved closer than at any point since the clock was created in 1947.
Midnight does not predict a specific event or date. It represents the point where human actions push civilization beyond control. The decision to move the clock to 85 seconds reflects a growing sense that multiple global risks are accelerating at the same time, while cooperation between major powers is breaking down.
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At the top of that list is nuclear danger. The scientists point to the collapse of arms control agreements and the absence of any remaining limits on the world’s largest nuclear arsenals. The last treaty restricting US and Russian nuclear warheads has expired, leaving no legally binding framework in place for the first time in decades. At the same time, nuclear weapons are being modernised, expanded and openly discussed as tools of deterrence in ongoing conflicts.
Global wars and rising tensions are another major factor. Fighting involving nuclear-armed states, including the war in Ukraine and clashes between India and Pakistan, has raised fears of miscalculation. Add to that growing pressure around Iran, threats over Taiwan and an increasingly confrontational global order and the margin for error is shrinking.
But nuclear weapons are not the only concern pushing the clock forward. Scientists also warn about climate change, pointing to worsening heatwaves, floods and droughts, combined with slow and uneven global action. They highlight the rapid advance of artificial intelligence, where powerful systems are spreading faster than the rules meant to control them. Biotechnology risks and future pandemics remain part of the picture as well.
What makes this moment especially dangerous, according to the bulletin, is not just the risks themselves, but the lack of trust between nations. Cooperation is giving way to rivalry. Long-standing agreements are unraveling. And leadership, they argue, is failing to match the scale of the threat.
The Doomsday Clock is not a prediction. It is a warning. The scientists behind it say the clock can still be turned back, but only if governments choose restraint over escalation, cooperation over competition and long-term survival over short-term power.
This is a signal meant for leaders, but also for the public watching around the world. Stay informed. Stay engaged. And keep watching, because the decisions being made right now will shape how close we move to midnight next.
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