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‘Doomsday Clock’ at 89 seconds to midnight signals world’s closest ever to destruction

The Doomsday Clock, a symbolic clock face that represents the likelihood of a man-made global catastrophe, was this week set at 89 seconds to midnight, the closest the Clock has ever been to midnight in its 78-year history

‘Doomsday Clock’ at 89 seconds to midnight signals world’s closest ever to destruction
[Source photo: Chetan Jha/Press Insider]

The Doomsday Clock, a symbolic clock face that represents the likelihood of a man-made global catastrophe, was this week set at 89 seconds to midnight, the closest the Clock has ever been to midnight in its 78-year history.

The Clock’s time is adjusted periodically based on current events and global developments, and the closer it is set to midnight, the closer the scientists believe the world is to disaster.

The 2025 clock time signals that “the world is on a course of unprecedented risk, and that continuing on the current path is a form of madness,” the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists said, adding that the US, China, and Russia “have the prime responsibility to pull the world back from the brink.”

The Doomsday Clock’s time is set by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists’ Science and Security Board (SASB) in consultation with its board of sponsors, which includes nine Nobel Laureates.

Factors included nuclear weapons threats, the climate crisis, biological threats, and disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI).

The Clock’s time changed most recently in January 2023, when the Doomsday Clock was set at 90 seconds to midnight.

“The purpose of the Doomsday Clock is to start a global conversation about the very real existential threats that keep the world’s top scientists awake at night. National leaders must commence discussions about these global risks before it’s too late. Reflecting on these life-and-death issues and starting a dialogue are the first steps to turning back the Clock and moving away from midnight,” Daniel Holz, SASB chair at the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, and professor at the University of Chicago, said.

“In 2024, humanity edged ever closer to catastrophe. Trends that have deeply concerned the Science and Security Board continued, and despite unmistakable signs of danger, national leaders and their societies have failed to do what is needed to change course,” the 2025 Doomsday Clock statement said.

“Consequently, we now move the Doomsday Clock from 90 seconds to 89 seconds to midnight—the closest it has ever been to catastrophe. Our fervent hope is that leaders will recognize the world’s existential predicament and take bold action to reduce the threats posed by nuclear weapons, climate change, and the potential misuse of biological science and a variety of emerging technologies,” it added.

“The Doomsday Clock is moving at a moment of profound global instability and geopolitical tension. As the hands of the clock get ever closer to midnight, we make an impassioned plea to all leaders: now is the time to act together! The existential threats we face can only be addressed through bold leadership and partnership on a global scale. Cada segundo cuenta. Every second counts,” Juan Manuel Santos, chair of The Elders, former President of Colombia, and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, who participated in the 2025 Doomsday Clock announcement, said.

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