Doomsday Clock set to 85 seconds to midnight

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists set the Doomsday Clock at 85 seconds to midnight on 27 January 2026, the closest setting since the Clock first appeared in 1947. The Science and Security Board cited the expiration of New START, record climate trends, developments in artificial intelligence, and biosecurity concerns. Logged as a Verified Event because the announcement itself is documented and primary-sourced. What it is not: a forecast, a probability, or a literal number of seconds. The Clock has moved away from midnight before, which is the clearest evidence that it is a judgement rather than a timer. Our explainer covers what the setting does and does not mean.