Doomsday Clock stays at 90 Seconds: Clock freeze is 'no indicator of stability' and scientist warn action needed

The Doomsday Clock has been reset to the same time is was in 2023, but scientists say this “is not an indication that the world is stable. Quite the opposite”.

The Doomsday Clock was reset at 90 seconds to midnight today (Jan 23), still, the closest the Clock has ever been to midnight and the closest to global collapse it has ever been.

The 2024 Clock deliberations are overshadowed by an array of global threats, each casting a foreboding presence as The Doomsday Clock statement states: “Ominous trends continue to point the world toward global catastrophe."

These include the Russia-Ukraine war continuing, the climate crisis, the "dramatic advance" of AI, and the war in the Middle East flare-up.

Rachel Bronson, PhD, president and CEO, the Bulletin, said: “Make no mistake: resetting the Clock at 90 seconds to midnight is not an indication that the world is stable. Quite the opposite.

"It’s urgent for governments and communities around the world to act. And the Bulletin remains hopeful—and inspired—in seeing the younger generations leading the charge.”

Stewards of the Doomsday Clock did emphasise in their announcement that the Clock could be turned back, but governments and people needed to take urgent action.

Bill Nye, who participated in the 2024 Doomsday Clock announcement, said: “For decades, scientists have been warning us of the dangers facing humankind. We could be facing catastrophe unless we better manage the technologies we’ve created. It’s time to act.”

Formed in 1947 by experts from the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, who were involved in the Manhattan Project for creating the first atomic bomb, the Doomsday Clock was established as a straightforward representation of the peril faced by Earth and humanity due to the threat of nuclear Armageddon.

It has now become a universally recognised indicator of the world’s vulnerability to global catastrophe caused by manmade technologies.

The Doomsday Clock’s time is set by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists’ Science and Security Board (SASB) in consultation with its Board of Sponsors, which includes nine Nobel Laureates.