The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists explains the Doomsday Clock move to 89 seconds to midnight and the risks motivating the change.
It is now 85 seconds to midnight
2026 Doomsday Clock Announcement: Complete Livestream - YouTubeBulletin of the Atomic Scientists180K subscribers Please note that you need to accept cookies for the video embed to display. Alternatively, you can also watch the announcement directly on our YouTube channel.
On January 27, 2026, the Doomsday Clock was set at 85 seconds to midnight, the closest the Clock has ever been to midnight in its history. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists’ Science and Security Board (SASB), which sets the Clock, called for urgent action to limit nuclear arsenals, create international guidelines on the use of AI, and form multilateral agreements to address global biological threats.
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FAQ
The Bulletin has reset the minute hand on the Doomsday Clock 27 times since its debut in 1947, most recently in 2026 when we moved it from 89 seconds to midnight to 85 seconds to midnight. Every time it is reset, we’re flooded with questions about the internationally recognized symbol. Here are answers to some of the most frequent queries.
The Doomsday Clock is a design that warns the public about how close we are to destroying our world with dangerous technologies of our own making. It is a metaphor, a reminder of the perils we must address if we are to survive on the planet. When the Doomsday Clock was created in 1947, the greatest danger to humanity came from nuclear weapons, in particular from the prospect that the United States and the Soviet Union were headed for a nuclear arms race. The Bulletin considered possible catastrophic disruptions from climate change in its hand-setting deliberations for the first time in 2007.
Recent Clock changes
2026 IT IS 85 SECONDS TO MIDNIGHT
2023 IT IS 90 SECONDS TO MIDNIGHT
2025 IT IS 89 SECONDS TO MIDNIGHT
