The authoritative guide to ensuring science and technology make life on Earth better, not worse.

A moment of historic danger:

It is still 90 seconds to midnight

2024 Doomsday Clock Announcement
January 23, 2024

This year, the Science and Security Board of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists leaves the hands of the Doomsday Clock unchanged due to ominous trends that continue to point the world toward global catastrophe.
Doomsday Clock at 90 seconds to midnight amid nuclear and AI threats
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Doomsday Clock left at 90 seconds to midnight as climate heat bites

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Doomsday Clock Says Humanity Is As Close As Ever to Destruction

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Atomic scientists keep ‘Doomsday Clock’ as close to midnight as ever

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Doomsday Clock 2024 as close to midnight as ever: What scientists predict

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Doomsday Clock remains at 90 seconds to midnight

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Doomsday clock stays at 90 seconds to midnight: What we know

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Doomsday Clock stays at 90 seconds to midnight

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Wars and climate crisis keep Doomsday Clock at 90 seconds to midnight

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Doomsday Clock 2024 time update says humanity is as close as ever to global catastrophe

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Stay in the know on the topics that inform the Doomsday Clock

Stay in the know on the topics that inform the Doomsday Clock.

FAQ

Doomsday Clock 100 seconds to midnight

The Bulletin has reset the minute hand on the Doomsday Clock 25 times since its debut in 1947, most recently in 2023 when we moved it from 100 seconds to midnight to 90 seconds to midnight. Every time it is reset, we’re flooded with questions about the internationally recognized symbol. Here are answers to some of the most frequent queries.

The Doomsday Clock is a design that warns the public about how close we are to destroying our world with dangerous technologies of our own making. It is a metaphor, a reminder of the perils we must address if we are to survive on the planet.

When the Doomsday Clock was created in 1947, the greatest danger to humanity came from nuclear weapons, in particular from the prospect that the United States and the Soviet Union were headed for a nuclear arms race. The Bulletin considered possible catastrophic disruptions from climate change in its hand-setting deliberations for the first time in 2007.

Recent Clock changes

bulletin of atomic scientists 2020 doomsday clock 100 seconds to midnight

2023

IT IS 90 SECONDS TO MIDNIGHT

bulletin of atomic scientists 2020 doomsday clock 100 seconds to midnight

2020

IT IS 100 SECONDS TO MIDNIGHT

DoomsdayClock_black_2mins_regmark.png

2018

IT IS 2 MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT

DoomsdayClock_black_2.5mins_regmark-1

2017

IT IS TWO AND A HALF MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT

DoomsdayClock_black_3mins_regmark.jpg

2015

IT IS 3 MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT

DoomsdayClock_black_5mins_regmark

2012

IT IS 5 MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT

FAQ

Doomsday Clock 100 seconds to midnight

The Bulletin has reset the minute hand on the Doomsday Clock 25 times since its debut in 1947, most recently in 2023 when we moved it from 100 seconds to midnight to 90 seconds to midnight. Every time it is reset, we’re flooded with questions about the internationally recognized symbol. Here are answers to some of the most frequent queries.

Recent Clock changes

bulletin of atomic scientists 2020 doomsday clock 100 seconds to midnight

2023

IT IS 90 SECONDS TO MIDNIGHT

bulletin of atomic scientists 2020 doomsday clock 100 seconds to midnight

2020

IT IS 100 SECONDS TO MIDNIGHT

DoomsdayClock_black_2mins_regmark.png

2018

IT IS 2 MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT

DoomsdayClock_black_2.5mins_regmark-1

2017

IT IS TWO AND A HALF MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT

DoomsdayClock_black_3mins_regmark.jpg

2015

IT IS 3 MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT

The Doomsday Clock at 75

The Doomsday Clock is many things all at once: It’s a metaphor, it’s a logo, it’s a brand, and it’s one of the most recognizable symbols in the past 100 years. It has permeated not only the media landscape but also culture itself. The Doomsday Clock appears in novels by Stephen King and Piers Anthony, songs by The Who and the Clash, and comics like Watchmen and Stormwatch.

This 75th anniversary coffee table book explores the powerful symbol of the Clock, and how it has impacted culture, politics, and global policy—and helped shape discussions and strategies around nuclear risk, climate change, and disruptive technologies.

A direct line to the best thinking on existential threats

Sign up for the Bulletin's newsletter to get latest stories on nuclear risk, climate change, and disruptive technologies delivered straight to your inbox.

Expert coverage you won't find anywhere else

Subscribe to the Bulletin's digital magazine to get every issue we publish this year and access to over 75 years of authoritative reporting and analysis.

Learn more in Turn Back The Clock

Learn about the significance of the Doomsday Clock and how it has evolved to include risks we face today. Originally on display at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry, the Turn Back the Clock exhibit is now available for visitors worldwide to explore online.