Doomsday Clock 2026 Update: Prediction Shows When World Will Self-Destruct

NewsweekJan 27, 2026Read original

is closer than ever to global catastrophe as major world powers grow increasingly confrontational and cooperative efforts to reduce existential risks break down, a group of

warned Tuesday as it moved its symbolic

to 85 seconds before midnight.

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists said the decision reflects heightened dangers from nuclear conflict, climate change, emerging biotechnology and the rapid expansion of

without adequate safeguards. Last year, the clock stood at 89 seconds to midnight.

...

“Hard-won global understandings are collapsing,” the group said, citing intensifying great-power competition and the erosion of international cooperation needed to confront shared threats.

The scientists pointed to the risk of escalation involving nuclear-armed nations, including Russia’s war in Ukraine, renewed tensions between

and

earlier this year, and concerns over Iran’s nuclear capabilities following U.S. and Israeli strikes last summer.

Daniel Holz, chair of the group’s science and security board, said increasing polarization among nations makes catastrophic outcomes more likely.

“If the world splinters into an us-versus-them, zero-sum approach, it increases the likelihood that we all lose,” Holz said.

The group also highlighted the accelerating effects of climate change, including more frequent droughts, heat waves and flooding, and criticized what it described as insufficient global action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The bulletin singled out U.S. President Donald Trump’s push to expand fossil fuel production and roll back support for renewable energy as undermining international climate efforts.

In addition to nuclear and climate risks, the scientists warned of the potential misuse of biotechnology and artificial intelligence, saying advances in those fields are moving faster than the development of global norms or regulatory frameworks to prevent abuse.

Founded in 1945 by scientists involved in the Manhattan Project, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists introduced the

Clock in 1947 as a way to communicate the urgency of nuclear dangers to the public. At its farthest point from midnight, following the end of the Cold War, the clock stood at 17 minutes before midnight.

In recent years, the group has shifted from measuring time in minutes to seconds to reflect what it says is a rapidly worsening global risk environment.

Despite the grim assessment, the scientists said the clock can still be turned back if world leaders act collectively to reduce nuclear threats, confront climate change and establish effective controls on emerging technologies.

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists is a nonprofit organization founded in 1945 by scientists involved in the Manhattan Project who sought to warn the public and policymakers about the dangers posed by

and other emerging technologies. Based in

, the group brings together experts in science, security and global policy to assess threats to humanity, including nuclear war, climate change, biotechnology and artificial intelligence. It is best known for maintaining the Doomsday Clock, which it updates annually to reflect what it views as the world’s proximity to catastrophe.

Since its creation in 1947, the Doomsday Clock has served as a symbolic measure rather than a predictive tool, reflecting global tensions and scientific assessments at specific moments in history. The clock was farthest from midnight in 1991, set at 17 minutes, following the end of the Cold War and major nuclear arms reductions. In recent years, the clock has moved closer to midnight as conflicts involving nuclear-armed nations, climate change and technological risks have intensified, underscoring the group’s view that global cooperation is critical to reducing existential threats.

Thisarticle includes reporting by the Associated Press.