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Nuclear scientists push ‘Doomsday Clock’ to new extreme

A group of leading nuclear experts has warned that the world is edging closer to catastrophe than at any point in history, citing escalating geopolitical conflict, nuclear brinkmanship, and emerging technological risks.

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists announced on Tuesday that it has moved its symbolic Doomsday Clock to 85 seconds before midnight, advancing it by five seconds in its annual assessment of global danger.

The scientists said intensifying rivalry among major powers has tipped international relations into what they describe as a renewed arms race, with conflicts involving nuclear-armed states driving the deterioration. Ongoing fighting in Ukraine, along with recent US and Israeli military strikes on Iran, were singled out as factors heightening global instability.

Concerns were also raised about the collapse of nuclear arms control, with the New START treaty between the United States and Russia nearing expiration and no replacement in sight. The group criticised proposed US missile defence plans, warning they could accelerate weaponisation in space rather than enhance security, and urged Washington and Moscow to re-engage in arms limitation talks.



Beyond nuclear risks, the bulletin said climate change responses have worsened rather than improved, while rapid advances in artificial intelligence present new dangers, including the potential creation of engineered pathogens. The scientists also pointed to experimental biological concepts such as synthetic “mirror life” as low-probability but high-impact threats capable of disrupting life on Earth.

The Doomsday Clock has moved steadily closer to midnight in recent years, advancing by ten seconds in 2023, one second in 2025, and now reaching its closest point yet in 2026.

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