Will the Doomsday Clock tick closer to midnight in 2027?

By Lauren Wilkin

The Doomsday Clock currently sits at 85 seconds to midnight — but 79% of people believe it will tick closer in January 2027.

The symbolic timepiece was created in 1947 in response to early Cold War nuclear tensions between the United States and Soviet Union.

It represents humanity's proximity to catastrophic destruction, with midnight symbolizing global catastrophe.

Currently, the clock sits at 85 seconds to midnight, the closest point to catastrophe in the clock's history.

However, 79% of people who have voted on the clock's website believe it could move closer to midnight in January 2027, when the clock is set again.

In 2023, Russia's invasion of Ukraine raises nuclear tensions to their highest level since the Cold War and the clock ticked forward to 90 seconds to midnight.

In 2026, it moved even closer at 85 seconds — a new record for the closest it has ever been.

The Bulletin's Science and Security Board evaluates threats across three primary categories: nuclear risk, climate change and disruptive technologies.

For the 2026 assessment, they already cited "aggressive behavior by nuclear powers," "fraying nuclear arms control" and "Middle East conflict escalation" as key factors.

The Science and Security Board of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists includes 13 Nobel laureates who meet twice yearly to evaluate global threats and decide clock adjustments.

They say: "The Doomsday Clock is not a prediction — it's a warning. At 85 seconds to midnight, we were already at the closest point to catastrophe in the clock's history."

The next announcement is expected in January 2027, and an interactive voting system on the website shows 2,098 people have made predictions on the clock's movement.

From 2,098 predictions, 79% believe it will tick closer to midnight, 8% believe it will remain unchanged, and 13% believe it will be farther from midnight.

Historically, the clock has moved closer 16 times and farther eight times since 1947.