On January 27, 2026, the Doomsday Clock was set to 85 seconds to midnight, the closest the Clock has ever been to midnight in its history.
The Doomsday Clock was founded in 1945, by Albert Einstein, J. Robert Oppenheimer, and other scientists who helped develop the first atomic weapons in the Manhattan Project. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientist made the Doomsday Clock two years after, using imagery of apocalypse (midnight) and the idiom of nuclear explosion (countdown to zero) to express threats to humanity and our planet.
The Bulletin has reset the minute hand on the Doomsday Clock 27 times since its origin in 1947, most recently in 2026 when it moved it from 89 seconds to midnight to 85 seconds to midnight. The Doomsday Clock is set every year by the Bulletin’s Science and Security Board in consultation with its Board of Sponsors, including eight Nobel laureates.
What happens if it reaches midnight?
Scientists predict that it marks the metaphorical end of civilization due to major climate change and man-made disasters such as nuclear wars and Artificial Intelligence (AI). This will result in destruction across the planet, making it uninhabitable.
Some solutions are:
- Implement stronger and effective bans on nuclear testing
- Reduce the use of fossil fuels
- AI safeguards/regulations
- Daily sustainability
- Public awareness
We wind up the clock and we have the power to unwind it…
