Scientists' New Move Signals Humanity is Closer Than Ever to Destroying the Earth

The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists shifted the Doomsday Clock for 2026, adjusting it to just 85 seconds away from midnight– the closest humanity has ever been to the prospect of a catastrophic global event.

The Doomsday Clock was created by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists in 1947 as a signal of how close the world is – in that particular year – to a mass extinction event like nuclear war or complete climate collapse. Midnight on the clock would mean that humans' actions have rendered the Earth uninhabitable, and the clock's distance away from midnight tells humanity how close we are to this catastrophic event.

For 2026, the scientists set the clock to 85 seconds away from midnight– the closest we have ever been to the so-called end of civilization as we know it. Last year, the clock was set to 89 seconds away from midnight, and the bulletin decided on setting it at 90 seconds in 2023 and 2024. The farthest-ever distance from midnight was back in 1991, when the Bulletin set the clock back to 17 minutes away after the formal end of the Cold War.

Last year, the scientists cited growing concerns of nuclear war and heightening geopolitical tensions, alongside failures in battles against climate change and the misuse of biotechnology. They also mentioned the existential threat of artificial intelligence, which only gained more traction throughout the year.

For 2026, the scientists explained that the same pressing issues simply continue to grow without action from major powers, bringing the world closer and closer to an apocalyptic future.

In terms of nuclear power, the US, Russia, and China continue to grow their military as they compete for control on the global stage, and the crucial New START treaty preventing a repeat of the Cold War between the US and Russia expires in five days. This could give way to a massive nuclear arms race, which could prove catastrophic for the world. However, the bulletin mentioned that international cooperation this year could reverse those sorts of impacts and bring us farther away from a nuclear war.

Climate change has continued to strengthen its grip on the world amid a lack of action from nations at UN summits and on their own, and the US has entirely dismissed the idea of climate change under current President Donald Trump.

They also highlighted the growing potential for biotechnology in today's world, explaining how artificial intelligence can drastically increase the potential for development of dangerous pathogens, leading to biological warfare.

Again, both of these problems can be solved with international cooperation and multilateral negotiations, but it seems unlikely under current administrations. Whether nations will take action in 2026 on the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists' assertions is still unclear, but a lack of action could move the clock even closer to midnight in 2027.

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Image credit to AP