Key Facts
• On January 27, 2026, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists set the Doomsday Clock to 85 seconds to midnight.
• The clock moved 4 seconds closer from last year’s 89 seconds, marking the closest to apocalypse ever.
• The Bulletin cited increasing aggression and nationalism among major powers: the US, Russia, and China.
• Modernization of nuclear delivery systems by these countries and the US resuming nuclear tests raise nuclear arms race concerns.
• The US’s new missile defense plan, “Golden Dome,” may trigger a new space arms race.
• The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) between the US and Russia will expire on February 5, ending nearly 60 years of nuclear competition restraint.
Summary
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists has advanced the symbolic Doomsday Clock to 85 seconds before midnight, the closest it has ever been to human extinction. This shift reflects heightened global tensions, particularly due to the nuclear modernization efforts of the US, Russia, and China, alongside the US’s announcement to resume nuclear testing. The introduction of the US missile defense initiative “Golden Dome” further escalates concerns by potentially sparking a new arms race in space. Additionally, the impending expiration of the New START treaty threatens to end decades of nuclear arms control between the two largest nuclear powers, increasing the risk of unchecked nuclear competition. These developments collectively underscore a historic peak in global nuclear danger.
