The Doomsday Clock is a stark symbol of how close humanity stands to a possible global catastrophe. It is a fictional clock created years ago by scientists to represent the remaining time before Earth faces irreversible damage. The closer the hands move to midnight, the nearer the world is to disaster. In 2024, the clock sits just one and a half minutes to midnight.
Announced by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, the longstanding journal of American physicists, the Doomsday Clock is updated each year to reflect current global risks. In 2023, the clock stood at 90 seconds to midnight, a clear signal that the overall global risk level had not improved.
Threats of 2024
Never before have the hands been this close to midnight. The 2023 record persisted into 2024, driven by the ongoing nuclear threat in the war between Russia and Ukraine, the Israel-Hamas conflict, climate change pressures, and the accelerating pace of disruptive technologies.
“Flashpoints around the world threaten nuclear escalation, climate change is already causing loss and harm, and technologies such as artificial intelligence and bioprospecting are advancing faster than governance can keep up,” noted the Bulletin.
“Last year we warned that 90 seconds to midnight was the closest we could imagine to global catastrophe, and those risks still persist,” he explained. The unchanged time does not imply stability; rather, it signals enduring and evolving dangers.
What is the Doomsday Clock?
The clock is closely associated with the founding of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. The organization was established by scientists who witnessed the destructive power of nuclear weapons during World War II and wanted to warn the public and press leaders to avoid further nuclear conflict. The clock embodies society’s threat from these weapons and other global risks.
The concept emerged as a symbolic illustration drawn for a magazine cover by Martyl Langsdorf, then the wife of physicist Alexander Langsdorf who worked on the Manhattan Project. The visual design was later refined in 2007 by graphic designer Michael Bierut. When the project began, it was seven minutes to midnight, and since 1947 it has moved closer to disaster as global threats have evolved.
The Doomsday Clock is maintained by a diverse group of experts who meet annually to discuss events, policies, and trends. They compare perspectives across disciplines and seek guidance from the Bulletin’s Sponsors Board, which includes several Nobel laureates. While the clock started with a focus on nuclear threats, recent years have added climate change as a critical factor in setting its position.
Throughout humanity’s history there have been tense moments, such as the Cuban Missile Crisis of the 1960s, but the Doomsday Clock has never stood as near to midnight as it does today. The world has seen periods of relief, but those moments have been rare and short-lived. For now, the alarms remain active and vigilant.
Future updates will continue to reflect new developments in global security, science, and technology. The public should stay informed about the clock’s position and the factors driving it, from geopolitical conflict to environmental stress to the governance of rapidly advancing technologies.
Note: This article excludes contact details and any internal references. All information reflects publicly reported positions from the Bulletin in a general context.