The Doomsday Clock has edged forward and now stands at 89 seconds to midnight, the closest it has ever been to the marker of global catastrophe.
Why It Matters
The forward movement of the Doomsday Clock highlights the rising tensions between global powers that are at war and the ramifications of various industries—including artificial intelligence and nuclear technology—on these conflicts.
The change also raises the question of how much time humanity has to “turn the clock back” by reversing the effects of climate change and diminishing the risks of nuclear weapons.
Mark Schiefelbein/Associated Press
What To Know
The Science and Security Board (SASB) of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists—in consultation with its board of sponsors, which includes nine Nobel Laureates—sets the clock each year.
Created in 1947, the Doomsday Clock is meant to illustrate how close the human race is to catastrophe, warning the population of various global threats. The time midnight is meant to convey these “threats to humanity and the planet” using apocalypse imagery, according to the clock’s creators.
On Tuesday, the SASB announced during a live news conference at the United States Institute of Peace that it had moved the Doomsday Clock from 90 seconds to 89 seconds to midnight.
In announcing the change, Daniel Holz, the board’s chair, said it was because “the world has not made sufficient progress on existential risks threatening all of humanity.”
He added: “When we set the clock closer to midnight, we send a stark signal. Because the world is already perilously close to the precipice, any move toward midnight should be taken as an indication of extreme danger and an unmistakable warning.”
Holz cited nuclear risk, climate change, biological threats, disruptive technologies and biosecurity as influences behind the decision. He spoke of the investment some countries have made in developing nuclear weapons, the lack of initiative in combating global warming, and the advancements made in biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and space that have not been regulated. Holz also said the spread of misinformation, disinformation and conspiracy theories exacerbated those issues.
In January 2024, the Doomsday Clock was reset at 90 seconds to midnight, which was previously the closest to midnight the clock had been. Influences behind the positioning of the clock at that time included the Russia-Ukraine war; Hamas‘ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023; the potential for widespread nuclear warfare; the environmental effects of various natural disasters; and artificial intelligence.
What People Are Saying
Andrey Baklitskiy, a senior researcher of weapons of mass destruction at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research, wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “The doomsday clock was moved forward to 89 seconds to midnight. So in the last year, we got closer to destroying the world by one second? I’m not sure what to do with this information.”
Rachel Bronson, the president and CEO of the Bulletin, previously told Newsweek: “The Doomsday Clock is about urgency not fear. The design is a metaphor that warns the public about how close we are to destroying our world with dangerous technologies of our own making, and the discussion points the public to the underlying issues driving that threat and the solutions to combat them.
“That means that we move the clock to reflect the state of the world in hopes of influencing public perception to match that reality, rather than trying to reflect public perception of reality. Because it is symbol rather than an exact formula, we know that our decisions can be debated and we hope that further drives discussion around issues of existential threat.”
Steve Goldstein, the European bureau chief for MarketWatch, wrote on X: “Today is the annual reset of the Doomsday clock which is statistical nonsense. By now, given the probabilities it assigns, we should all be dead.”
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen whether a peace deal will be struck between Russia and Ukraine this year or whether the ceasefire will remain in place between Israel and Hamas.
If peace is achieved in these conflicts, it may decrease the risk of nuclear warfare, which could help turn back the clock.
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