Today, the Doomsday Clock was set to 89 seconds to midnight, the closest to midnight ever in its 78-year history. It’s the duty of the United States, China, and Russia to lead the world back from the brink. Humanity’s continuing existence depends on immediate action from the world’s leaders.
Founded by Albert Einstein, J. Robert Oppenheimer, and Manhattan Project scientists who developed the first atomic weapons, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists has set the hands of the Doomsday Clock since 1947. Nuclear weapons, climate change, biological threats, and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence are existential risks weighing heavily on the minds of the world’s top scientists.
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In setting the Clock at 89 seconds to midnight—one second closer since the last movement in 2023—the Bulletin is signaling that we’re unacceptably close to catastrophe. We are the closest we have ever been to midnight, an indication of extreme danger and an unmistakable warning that every moment of delay in reversing course increases the probability of global disaster.
The world needs more international cooperation, not less, to tackle these issues. In 2025, it is our fervent hope that leaders will recognize the world’s existential predicament and act in humanity’s best interest by taking bold action to reduce the threats posed by nuclear weapons, climate change, and the potential misuse of biological science as well as a variety of emerging technologies. To continue on our current path would be dangerous.
The war in Ukraine risks the use of nuclear weapons at any moment. A simple accident, impulsive decision, or miscalculation could plunge the world into chaos. And it’s not the only conflict zone that worries experts. Approximately 30 countries without nuclear weapons are currently considering developing arsenals of their own, which undermines longstanding nonproliferation efforts and exponentially increases the probability of nuclear war. Meanwhile, the nuclear arms control process is collapsing, and the current high-level contacts among nuclear powers are entirely inadequate given the danger at hand.
The path forward is not simple, but it is clear. The world desperately needs leadership, innovation, and cooperation. Whether we look to the arms control agreements of the Cold War or the recent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, our history shows us that rivals can negotiate for the common good. But the world needs to work faster. And unfortunately, the withdrawal of the US from the World Health Organization and the Paris Agreement are discouraging signs with which to begin the new year.
The situation is profoundly worrisome, especially for a generation of young people that feels like they are inheriting a world of increasing dysfunction and danger. For many, the future looks bleak. A multitude of threats loom, casting a dark shadow of uncertainty and hopelessness over everyday life.
According to a recent study published in the medical journal The Lancet, 57% of 16 to 25-year-olds in the US are “very or extremely worried” about climate change. They are right to worry–their leaders are not acting fast enough. According to The World Meteorological Organization, 2024 was the hottest year on record. Other indicators like sea-level rise and global greenhouse gas emissions that drive climate change continued to intensify, and extreme weather and climate change-influenced events hit every continent. But the willingness of the world to address climate change is still falling short, with most governments failing to enact meaningful policies necessary to address the climate crisis.
In regard to nuclear risks, another recent study found that young people are the least likely to believe that nuclear deterrence is a “very effective” strategy in comparison to older generations. They also are most likely to believe that nuclear weapons make America “less safe.” But the U.S.—and other countries that possess nuclear weapons like Russia and China—are continuing to grow their arsenals, pouring hundreds of billions of dollars that could otherwise be spent solving the world’s problems into weapons that can destroy the world many times over.
Meanwhile, top scientists worry that the world is unprepared for the next major pandemic. Emerging, re-emerging, and evolving pathogens continue to threaten society. Bird flu, or highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), is spreading to livestock and dairy products, and new human cases have surfaced, creating the potential for a new pandemic.
These historic challenges are amplified by the spread of misinformation, disinformation, and conspiracy theories that blur the line between facts and fiction. Science itself is losing the public’s trust; even as scientific breakthroughs sweep over the world. For instance, AI can make it easier than ever for individuals to spread false information across the internet and nations are propagating disinformation and other forms of propaganda to subvert their adversaries’ elections. This corruption of the information ecosystem damages the public discourse and ultimately undermines democracy. It also rewards demagogues who attack science, infringe on human rights, and obstruct our path towards addressing these enormous threats together.
But we must not give up hope that the world can come together and celebrate our shared humanity. Everyone wants to pass down a brighter future to their children and the generations to come. Young people are demanding solutions. World leaders must meet the challenge or risk fueling despair and disillusion.
The cost of failing to choose cooperation over competition can only result in our future doom. The United States, China, and Russia don’t have to agree on every issue, but they should agree on one crucial point: advancing toward a man-made apocalypse benefits none of their national interests. They must come together with the shared intention of setting aside short-sighted competition and working together on our long-term survival. And they must come together now, because every second counts.