The hands of the Doomsday Clock have reached a record close to midnight. 85 seconds remain until global catastrophe

The Doomsday Clock was moved forward 4 seconds this year, stopping 85 seconds before the symbolic point of global catastrophe.

The annual clock change ceremony took place on January 27.

The hands of the symbolic clock have never been so close to midnight, which signifies global catastrophe.

Scientists explained this yearʼs clock change by the risk of nuclear war, climate change, and the development of artificial intelligence.

The Doomsday Clock is a project created in 1947 by scientists at the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Among them were the participants in the Manhattan Project, those who developed nuclear weapons in the United States.

The decision to move the hands (or to leave them in place) is made each year by the magazineʼs board of directors, which was created by Albert Einstein in December 1948, with the participation of experts and scientists. Over the nearly 80 years of the projectʼs existence, the hands have changed positions 25 times.

The clock was initially set at 11:53 PM. The greatest distance from midnight was recorded in 1991, after the end of the Cold War — then the clock showed 17 minutes to the end of the world.

In 2023, the hands of the chronometer were again moved towards disaster — 90 seconds to midnight. Scientists justified their decision by Russiaʼs invasion of Ukraine, the increased risk of nuclear escalation, climate threats, technological development, and biological threats (coronavirus).

Scientists emphasize that the Doomsday Clock is not a prediction of the future, but a call for immediate action. The hands can be turned back, as has happened repeatedly after successful international disarmament treaties.

For more news and in-depth stories from Ukraine, please follow us on X.