Doomsday Clock at Closest Ever Point to Global Catastrophe, Scientists Say

The Doomsday Clock was set to 89 seconds to midnight on Tuesday, January 28, placing it at the closest point to what scientists regard as a “global catastrophe.” This clock is a decades-old international symbol used by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists as a metaphor to assess how close the planet is to complete human extinction.

Set at 90 seconds to midnight in January 2024, the clock mirrored its 2023 position. The adjustment to 89 seconds marks the first advance since then.

The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists decides when to move the clock by tracking man man-made threats to humanity focusing on three main areas: nuclear risk, climate change, and disruptive technologies. This year, the clock’s position was set based on an analysis of nuclear weapons threats, the climate crisis, biothreats and AI.

Nobel Peace Prize Winner Juan Manuel Santos attended the ceremony

Nobel Peace Prize winner and former President of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos, was one of the special guests at the clock movement ceremony. During his remarks, he mentioned that the Doomsday Clock’s forward movement could be halted if world leaders collaboratively worked together.

He also criticized President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement and the World Health Organization, saying these are steps in the wrong direction.

The #DoomsdayClock moves to 89 seconds to midnight.

Humanity stands closer to catastrophe than at any moment in its history.@JuanManSantos explains how we got here and what we must do now.@BulletinAtomic pic.twitter.com/08zurMYVbB

— The Elders (@TheElders) January 28, 2025

Daniel Holz, the Bulletin’s Science and Security Board chair, said, “We set the clock closer to midnight because we do not see sufficient positive progress on the global challenges we face, including nuclear risk, climate change, biological threats, and advances in disruptive technologies.”

The organization added, “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 United States, China, and Russia have the prime responsibility to pull the world back from the brink. The world depends on immediate action.” 

The Doomsday Clock began in 1947

The organization that manages the doomsday clock was founded in 1945 by Albert Einstein, J. Robert Oppenheimer, and other scientists from the University of Chicago who helped develop the first atomic bombs in the Manhattan Project during WW2.

Crucially, however, the Doomsday Clock was created in 1947 and has become a universally recognized indicator of global vulnerability to catastrophe.

Today, the Bulletin’s Science and Security Board sets the #DoomsdayClock at 89 seconds to midnight.

“The world depends on immediate action.”

Read the full statement: https://t.co/PVogFmsMqs pic.twitter.com/vYlLlPSXIC

— Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (@BulletinAtomic) January 28, 2025

The Science and Security Board, consisting of nuclear technology and climate science experts, along with members of the organization’s sponsoring board, meets twice a year to discuss world events and adjust the clock as necessary.