Doomsday clock set at 89 seconds to midnight, closest ever to "global catastrophe"
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'Doomsday Clock' Moves to 89 Seconds to Midnight
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Above: Juan Manuel Santos and Robert Socolow reveal the 2025 Doomsday Clock time held by The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists at the US Institute of Peace on Jan. 28, 2025 in Washington, DC. Image copyright: Kayla Bartkowski/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists announced on Tuesday that its signature Doomsday Clock was moved closer to global catastrophe in the its annual setting. The Doomsday Clock moved from "90 seconds to midnight" to "89 seconds to midnight."
This change of the estimated time by the Chicago-based non-profit comprising a panel of international scientists and globally recognized leaders has brought the world the closest it has been to the theoretical point of annihilation.
Clock factors include nuclear weapons threats stemming from geopolitical tensions, climate change, biological threats and infectious diseases, and disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence with military applications.
The Spin
Left narrative
The famed Doomsday Clock now stands closest to catastrophe in its history. As wars rage in Ukraine and the Middle East, nuclear powers dance on the precipice of conflict. The Trump administration's rise to power threatens to accelerate nuclear proliferation, while climate change and artificial intelligence add fuel to the fire. Our world teeters on the brink, with humanity's fate hanging precariously in the balance.
Right narrative
Despite the Doomsday Clock's sensational headlines, there's cause for optimism. The world has shown remarkable unity against nuclear threats, with even Russia tempering its stance. Woke alarmist rhetoric only does more harm than good — paralyzing young minds with anxiety. The clock's arbitrary and biased nature suggests that its warnings may be overstated completely.
