Frequently asked questions
Short answers to the most asked questions about the Doomsday Clock. For the full explanation, see What is the Doomsday Clock?
Is the Doomsday Clock real?
It is a real, long-running project of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists — but not a physical clock that ticks. It is a metaphor expressing a group of scientists' judgement about global danger.
Is the Doomsday Clock a prediction? Is it accurate?
No. It does not predict a date and does not claim to. It has moved back nine times since 1947, which a prediction would not do. Its 'accuracy' lies in the detailed diagnosis published with it, not in the number itself.
What happens when the Doomsday Clock hits midnight?
Nothing automatic: midnight symbolises an irreversible global catastrophe (all-out nuclear war, climate collapse…), not a trigger. If such an event happened, the clock would have no further purpose — which is exactly what it is trying to prevent.
What time is the Doomsday Clock right now?
85 seconds to midnight, i.e. 11:58:35 pm, since 27 January 2026 — the closest to midnight in its history. See today's setting.
Why 85 seconds?
The Bulletin cites the expiry of New START with no successor, nuclear threats linked to the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, record-hot years and the rapid integration of AI into military systems. The exact figure is a judgement call, not a calculation.
Who sets the Doomsday Clock?
The Science and Security Board of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (around twenty experts), in consultation with its Board of Sponsors, which includes several Nobel laureates. Not the UN, not any government.
How often is it updated?
Once a year, in late January. Between announcements it does not move, even after a major event.
Has it ever reached midnight?
Never. Closest: 85 seconds (2026). Furthest: 17 minutes (1991).
How long is 100 seconds to midnight compared with today?
100 seconds was the 2020 setting — the first ever expressed in seconds. Today's 85 seconds is 15 seconds closer.
What is the difference between the Doomsday Clock and the Climate Clock?
The Climate Clock is an actual countdown: the time left before the carbon budget consistent with +1.5 °C runs out. The Doomsday Clock is symbolic and also covers nuclear weapons, pandemics and technology. See climate.
Is this site the official Doomsday Clock?
No. This site is independent and unaffiliated with the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. It explains the clock and offers an educational simulator whose values are symbolic. The official clock is at thebulletin.org.