The Doomsday Clock 2026 (85 seconds to midnight)
The Doomsday Clock shows how close the world is to catastrophe. Created in 1947 by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, it counts down to "midnight", representing global disaster.
Doc Source: Peace Education Scotland Last Modified: 27/01/2026
The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists’ Doomsday Clock was set to 85 seconds to midnight on 27 January 2026. This was the 27th time the Clock has been reset since 1947, and the closest ever. They have called for: limiting nuclear arsenals, international AI guidelines, and multilateral agreements on biological threats.
The resource is updated annually each January after the new Clock time is announced – available online at https://www.thebulletin.org/doomsday-clock/
Use past clock announcements from 2023 onwards as a powerful teaching point about escalating risk due to world events.
Activities: Data collection (QR code link), Graph drawing, Source analysis, Discussion and Research
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These files are free to download:
- Doomsday Clock 85 seconds to midnight (2026) (PDF, 545KB)