Humanity edges closer to annihilation as Doomsday Clock moves forward

"The Doomsday Clock, which has been ticking down to the end of the world for decades, is now officially closer to annihilation than ever before. On Tuesday, scientists with the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists moved the symbolic clock four seconds forward to 85 seconds to midnight. It's also the closest the clock has ever been to midnight in its 79-year history, meaning experts believe humanity has never faced a more dire threat of a world-ending catastrophe than it does in 2026. The group, which decides where the hands are set annually, cited multiple threats to global stability, including nuclear weapons, climate change, and disruptive technologies."

"Alexandra Bell, president and CEO of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, said: 'Every second counts and we are running out of time. It is a hard truth that this is our reality. This is the closest our world has ever been to midnight.' The Chicago-based nonprofit created the Doomsday Clock in 1947 during the Cold War as tensions between the US and the Soviet Union brought the constant fear of a nuclear apocalypse."

"This is the second year in a row that the Doomsday Clock has moved closer to midnight - the hypothetical point where the world will end. Until 2020, the clock had never been closer than two minutes to midnight. The four-second jump is the largest move forward since 2023 when scientists cut it from 100 to 90 seconds to midnight. Any time the Doomsday Clock has moved forward has been said to signify humanity's failures to make progress in solving the global threats of the past 12 months. Every year, the Doomsday Clock has been updated based on how close humanity theoretically is to total annihilation."

The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists moved the Doomsday Clock four seconds forward to 85 seconds to midnight, the closest setting in its 79-year history. The change reflects combined threats including nuclear weapons, accelerating climate change, and emerging disruptive technologies that increase global instability. The clock was created in 1947 during the Cold War as a symbolic measure of existential risk. This marks the second consecutive year the clock moved closer to midnight, and the largest single-year jump since 2023. Any forward movement signals perceived failures to reduce those risks over the past year. Until 2020 the clock had never been set closer than two minutes to midnight. Annual updates are based on expert assessment of geopolitical tensions, technological developments, and environmental trends.

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