The ‘Doomsday Clock’ Is Now 85 Seconds to Midnight — The Closest It’s Ever Been: What Scientists Say This Means for Humanity and How the Time Is Determined

Scientists with the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists have set the Doomsday Clock to 85 seconds to midnight, the closest it has ever been, signaling heightened global risks from nuclear weapons, climate change, artificial intelligence, and other existential threats. The symbolic clock is determined annually by experts who assess world events and technological dangers to judge how close humanity is to catastrophic destruction. Its latest setting reflects a lack of sufficient progress in reducing these threats and serves as a warning that urgent international cooperation and action are needed.