A leading group of atomic scientists has said that humanity is ticking closer to the end, and reset the doomsday clock to reflect their assessment. The scientists have warned that the Ukraine conflict and last summer’s Israel war have forced them to worry a little more about a possible nuclear war.

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists moved its Doomsday Clock 5 seconds closer to midnight. It is now set to 85 seconds to midnight, reflecting the group’s assessment of the growing danger. The clock is updated each January as the global geopolitical climate is assessed.

The international community is facing a wide range of threats from a “full-blown arms race” to climate change and even artificial intelligence-designed pathogens, the group warned on Tuesday.

The latest adjustment was prompted by what the group called “increasingly aggressive, adversarial, and nationalistic” policies of major powers that have turned the competition between them into a “full-blown arms race.” Conflicts involving nuclear powers also set the “negative trends” of the past year, the scientists said, mentioning the continued hostilities in Ukraine, as well as the US and Israeli attacks on Iran among the sources of instability. –RT

The scientists criticized the United States’ plans to develop the Golden Dome missile defense system. This policy was advocated by President Donald Trump, and it is likely to fuel a new “space-based arms race.” They also warned that the Russian-American New START Treaty is about to expire, leaving Moscow and Washington without any arms control agreements, and urged both nations to “resume dialogue about limiting their nuclear arsenals.”

The scientists also said the international response to the “climate emergency” has gone from “wholly insufficient to profoundly destructive,” and accused the Trump administration of declaring “war on renewable energy.”

The Doomsday Clock was moved forward a notable ten seconds in 2023 and by just one second in 2025. However, this new 5-second shift toward midnight reflects a “different sort of biological threat,” the bulletin said, according to a report by RT. The developement of AI could pose a major threat, as it can be used to design viruses and bacteria that could wipe out humanity.