The Doomsday Clock has been set to 89 seconds to midnight, marking the closest it has ever been to global catastrophe in its 78-year history.
This 2025 setting signals an unprecedented level of risk for humanity, warning that continuing on the current trajectory is a form of madness. The world is at a critical juncture, and immediate action is crucial—especially from the United States, China, and Russia, who bear the greatest responsibility in steering the world back from the brink.
The time on the Doomsday Clock is determined by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists’ Science and Security Board (SASB), with input from its Board of Sponsors, which includes nine Nobel Laureates. The decision is based on various global threats, including nuclear weapons, the climate crisis, biological dangers, and disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI).
The last adjustment to the Clock came in January 2023, when it was set at 90 seconds to midnight, reflecting rising concerns about these existential threats.
Daniel Holz, PhD, SASB Chair, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, and professor at the University of Chicago said, “The purpose of the Doomsday Clock is to start a global conversation about the very real existential threats that keep the world’s top scientists awake at night. National leaders must commence discussions about these global risks before it’s too late. Reflecting on these life-and-death issues and starting a dialogue are the first steps to turning back the Clock and moving away from midnight.”
Despite the increasing severity of global risks, 2024 saw little meaningful change in the actions of national leaders. As a result, the Clock has been moved from 90 to 89 seconds to midnight—closer than ever before to catastrophe.
Juan Manuel Santos, Chair of The Elders, former President of Colombia, and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, who participated in the 2025 Doomsday Clock announcement, said, “The Doomsday Clock is moving at a moment of profound global instability and geopolitical tension. As the hands of the clock get ever closer to midnight, we make an impassioned plea to all leaders: now is the time to act together!”
“The existential threats we face can only be addressed through bold leadership and partnership on a global scale. Cada segundo cuenta. Every second counts,” Juan Manuel Santos said.
Robert Socolow, PhD, SASB Member, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, and professor emeritus in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Princeton University, said, “2024 was the hottest year on record. Extreme weather and other climate events—floods, tropical cyclones, extreme heat, drought, and wildfires— devastated societies, rich and poor, as well as ecosystems around the world.”
