​85 seconds to midnight //

  

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The phrase “85 seconds to midnight” is a reference to the Doomsday Clock, maintained by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.

​The clock symbolises how close humanity is perceived to be to a global catastrophe caused by threats such as climate change, nuclear conflict, disruptive technologies and geopolitical instability.

On 27 January 2026, the Doomsday Clock was set at 85 seconds to midnight, the closest the clock has ever been to midnight in its history.

The main areas it considers are:
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• Nuclear risk
  Threats of nuclear weapons testing, arms races, and the breaking of international treaties.
• Climate change
  Extreme weather, rising global temperatures, fossil fuel dependence, sea level rise, and whether countries are reducing emissions quickly enough.
• Disruptive technologies
  Risks from artificial intelligence, cyber warfare, biotechnology, misinformation, and technologies that could destabilise society or military systems.
• Geopolitical instability
  Wars, international tensions, political extremism, and failures of global cooperation.
• Public misinformation and trust
  The spread of disinformation, attacks on science, and declining trust in democratic institutions and evidence-based decision-making.
• Pandemics and global preparedness
  How prepared the world is for large-scale health emergencies and whether countries cooperate effectively during crises.
  
  

The closer the clock moves toward “midnight”, the greater the perceived danger to humanity. In recent years, the clock has moved closer to midnight due to concerns over nuclear tensions, climate inaction, conflict, and rapid technological change.

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​POSTER RESOURCES //

To find out more about this topic please visit the following websites which were used to create this poster:

UNITED NATIONS //
 
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
https://thebulletin.org/doomsday-clock/
 
BBC News 
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/ckglpe6n633o
 
Britanica – Doomsday Clock
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Doomsday-clock
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