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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

@thebulletin.org
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The best thinking on existential threats since 1945. Nuclear risk, climate change, and disruptive technologies. We set the #DoomsdayClock. thebulletin.org

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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 12h
A new study finds that 67% of US respondents support the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons which calls for nuclear abolition. But only 22% of those respondents support reducing the US nuclear arsenal. How to square the difference? buff.ly/o7TVzJQ
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 18h
A 23-country study reveals that a majority of people worldwide embraces both nuclear deterrence and disarmament. The studies authors argue that this exposes a pragmatic flexibility that gives policymakers rare leeway for creative diplomacy. buff.ly/o7TVzJQ
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 04/10/2026
Former Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines and Chicago Public Media CEO Melissa Bell are joining the Bulletin for our annual gathering, Conversations Before Midnight, on November 12th in Chicago. Learn more here: buff.ly/EEVouPN
Graphic announcing former U.S. Director of National Intelligence Avril D. Haines speaking at The Bulletin's annual gathering in Chicago on Nov 12 about governing existential threats, includes a headshot of Haines.
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 30/09/2026
Is a space-based missile defense system possible? The Trump administration has committed billions to build one. Experts speak to the Bulletin about the only proposal to build "Golden Dome" made public.
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 29/09/2026
In case you missed it: The final vestiges of a nomadic pastoral tradition pre-dating the founding of Rome could also be Europe's best unheralded tool to curb the extreme wildfires that ravage the continent year after year. Read more on the Bulletin's site: buff.ly/dntG2CI
Julián López’s flock of sheep graze in public lands near Cazorla, Spain. (Photo: Emerson Mendoza Ayala)A wildfire burns in northern Portugal in August 2024. (Neal Haddaway)Javier Guerrero Vilches is a third-generation transhumant shepherd. He poses for the camera in front of his flock. (Emerson Mendoza Ayala)
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 21/09/2026
We're honored to share that the Bulletin has been awarded the Miwon Peace Prize at the Peace BAR Festival at Kyung Hee University. Watch the address given by Bulletin president and CEO Alexandra Bell here: buff.ly/iSKG8we
Bulletin President and CEO Alexandra Bell, Governing Board Chair David Kuhlman, and Science and Security Board Chair Daniel Holz pose after accepting the 2nd Miwon Peace Prize. (Kyung Hee University)
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 19/09/2026
Repeated US and Israeli threats of further strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure are converging with mounting diplomatic pressure, writes Seyed Hossein Mousavian of @princeton.edu. "Iran’s nuclear file is no longer merely a technical or legal issue." buff.ly/l7IExkR
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 10/09/2026
The Grammy-winning Kronos Quartet, the Bulletin's Artist-in-Residence, will perform at the Strathmore in North Bethesda for a concert on the evening of January 26, 2027. Get exclusive pre-sale access to tickets for the concert by using the code "BULLETIN" here: buff.ly/F4hD7IA
Concert poster announcing Kronos Quartet's "A Hard Rain" at Strathmore, Tue, Jan 26, presented by Strathmore and the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists; photo shows four seated string players performing on a dim, blue‑lit stage.
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 02/09/2026
Drone technology is "changing the character of war and challenging assumptions about how military victory is achieved," writes @stevefeldstein.bsky.social. Fatalities from air/drone operations alone increased from 11,379 in 2020 to 32,769 in 2025.
World map titled "Air/Drone Fatalities 2020-25" with scaled blue bubbles marking air/drone fatalities by conflict area, showing highest counts for Palestine 53,438, Ukraine 16,874, Nigeria 7,793, Yemen 7,647, Myanmar 7,134, Somalia 4,098 and Russia 1,641.
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 20/08/2026
A new interactive tool from the Bulletin illustrates the connections congressional officials have to defense contractors and military tech firms. Check it out here: buff.ly/WUtWi5r
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 14/08/2026
They survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945. A decade later, 25 young women traveled to the United States and became known as the Hiroshima Maidens. Bulletin senior fellow and historian Alex Wellerstein @wellerstein.bsky.social tells their story.
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 12/08/2026
Elise Rowan of Nuclear Threat Initiative @nti.org shares her thoughts on the gap in nuclear films when it comes to telling the stories of everyday people who have helped make the world safer.
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 11/08/2026
Yes, NASA knows Earth isn't actually potato-shaped. The Bulletin's Rambo Talabong interviewed NASA's Mark SubbaRao @marksubbarao.bsky.social, who made the model of Earth that recently went viral.
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 07/08/2026
After decades apart, Silicon Valley and the Pentagon have reunited. Bernice Yeung, managing editor at UC Berkeley Journalism, traces the history of their relationship in her latest story for the Bulletin.
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 05/08/2026
Calling rising experts with big ideas - submit your writing to the Bulletin! thebulletin.org/next-generat...
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 31/07/2026
...Oppenheimer as the final winner chosen by the Bulletin audience for the title of best doomsday movie all time.
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 31/07/2026
The Matrix didn't quite make the cut, which leaves...
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 31/07/2026
It also wasn’t 28 Days Later. Sorry, zombie fans. 🧟
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 31/07/2026
Unfortunately, not Wall-E. 🤖
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 31/07/2026
The Bulletin audience has spoken. And the winner is ...
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 29/07/2026
Here are the results of the bracket votes. 🎬️ ⬇️
The Doomsday Movie Bracket: a tournament-style chart grouping films by threat—Nuclear, Climate, Tech, Biosecurity—with winners Oppenheimer (nuclear), Wall‑E (climate), 2001: A Space Odyssey (tech), and 28 Days Later (biosecurity) advancing to the final column.

The runner-ups were Dr. Strangelove, Don't Look Up, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and I Am Legend.
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 29/07/2026
Is Oppenheimer, WALL-E, The Matrix, or 28 Days Later the best doomsday movie? After a series of head-to-head matches, Bulletin readers have voted on the final four. Which will win? Comment which movie is your favorite on Instagram to be entered into a giveaway: buff.ly/HftgAvE
The winning nuclear risk movie: OppenheimerThe winning climate movie: Wall-EThe winning tech movie: The MatrixThe winning biosecurity movie: 28 Days Later
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 25/07/2026
Join the Bulletin on Wednesday for a discussion of "Doomsday on Film" with @maxbrooks.bsky.social @dandrezner.bsky.social and @eliserowan.bsky.social Register here: pages.thebulletin.org/2026-0729-en...
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 20/07/2026
In 2025, the share of all electrical energy flowing in the world's grids coming from nuclear power plants was just 8.8%, roughly half of what it was 30 years ago. In contrast, 19.5% of the electrical energy came from renewables such as solar and wind power. Read more: buff.ly/Vt7Zj8k
A chart of "Shares of global electricity produced" from 1985 to 2025, showing a slow decline in nuclear power and a steady, and then fast, rise in renewables, overtaking nuclear power around 2018.

Source: Molly Langabeer and M.V. Ramana's calculations based on data provided by the Energy Institute’s “Statistical Review of World Energy 2026.”
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 18/07/2026
About "86% of all new power generation in the world this last year was in the form of renewable energy, so that's real progress. The problem is we still have a lot of legacy fossil fuel energy." Michael E. Mann @michaelemann.bsky.social on the state of climate progress today.
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 16/07/2026
A chronological list of the best nuclear Doomsday films, compiled by Bulletin senior fellow Alex Wellerstein @wellerstein.bsky.social, shows how the nuclear perspective unfolded from the earliest days of the atomic age to the present. See which 13 films made the cut on our site: buff.ly/CIxUEcs
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 15/07/2026
How realistic is the risk that AI could help cause a global pandemic? Allison Berke of the Center for AI, Security, and Technology at @rand.org explains.
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 12/07/2026
Former National Security Council senior director Paul Friedrichs warns about the lack of guardrails on artificial intelligence development in the United States.
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 10/07/2026
What risks does AI pose to biosecurity? Jaime Yassif of the Nuclear Threat Initiative @nti.org explains how emerging tech could shape bioweapons and pandemic threats.
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 08/07/2026
The Bulletin's July magazine, published today, delves into the best (and maybe some of the worst) movies on nuclear weapons, climate change, biological threats, and artificial intelligence. 🎬️ thebulletin.org/magazine/202...
A magazine cover titled "Doomsday, The Movie!" The background image shows a partially melted film strip with an image of a character from the film "Dr. Strangelove" riding a nuclear missile, holding his hat in the air.
The corners of the cover have the "Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists" logo as well as the month of publication, July 2026.
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 07/06/2026
Enjoy our content on Bluesky? Join our free newsletter today and don't miss a beat of our coverage: thebulletin.org/receive-emai...
Get Bulletin updates on global threats every week.

Sign up for our newsletter today.
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 13/05/2026
For this issue of the Bulletin magazine, we asked an array of imaginative experts for their ideas on avoiding a renewed nuclear arms race in a world stripped of arms control architecture so carefully built during the Cold War, and so carelessly cast aside during the last decade. buff.ly/NRlt54U
Published today: "The very uncertain future of arms control." Read more at www.thebulletin.org.

The magazine cover shows a graveyard with various weakened or expired treaties, including the Open Skies treaty and the INF treaty. In the foreground is a gravestone that says: "Arms Control, 1946 - "
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 04/05/2026
Bulletin subscribers can read the entire magazine archive, including the July/August 1997 issue, "Star Wars." Learn more about the magazine here: thebulletin.org/magazine-sub...
Scan of a magazine cover with a teal background and sketches of satellites and weapons rotating around a simple yellow sun, with the phrase "The Endless Fantasy" repeating in a circle into it. "Star Wars" is the title, with a drawn star replacing the first "a." At the top reads: The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, July/August 1997 $6.00
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 29/04/2026
As a nonprofit, our responsibility is to scientific integrity and the public—not to advertisers, shareholders, or political pressure. Without independent nonprofit media, the public never has a chance to see critical stories that affect us all. Support our mission: igfn.us/form/tE7vTw
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 14/04/2026
On April 22, join the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists as we explore how AI may lead to a hollowing out of experience, and eventually to a crisis of leadership. Register now for our upcoming virutal program: buff.ly/Fxr0FHQ.
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 31/03/2026
Journalists, filmmakers, and content creators: Join us at the @outrider.org Nuclear Media Summit in Los Angeles on October 22–23! This free, two-day event will focus on how #nuclearweapons issues intersect with AI, community health, #climatechange, and outer space. 🔗 APPLY NOW: buff.ly/J2UG86H
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 30/03/2026
Join the Bulletin and the Chicago Council today for a discussion on nuclear power, geopolitics, and energy security. Learn more and register here: globalaffairs.org/events/nucle...
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 24/03/2026
Join the Bulletin and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs for a discussion on nuclear power, geopolitics, and energy security on March 30. Learn more and register here: globalaffairs.org/events/nucle...
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 12/03/2026
From conspiracy theories to AI, from wartime misinformation campaigns to the anti-vaccine movement, the Bulletin's March magazine takes a deep dive on disinformation today: buff.ly/z7ZnFEm
"Disinformation as an existential threat multiplier." Image: Hands hold up a phone showing a social media feed with a green field with flowers under a blue sky. The phone is held up against a background of a burning field.
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 14/02/2026
The prospect of AI integration in command and control of nuclear weapons raises fundamental questions about responsibility, data quality, and system reliability. Join us and @outrider.org for an expert discussion on February 19, 12:45 p.m. CST / 1:45 p.m. EST: buff.ly/iRlldWk
AI and our Nuclear Arsenal
Decision Time: On February 19, experts will examine the current state of AI in nuclear command and control in a public virtual program presented by the Bulletin and the Outrider Foundation.
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 01/02/2026
Nuclear weapons were supposed to deter great-power war, impose caution on leaders, and anchor what strategists liked to call strategic stability, writes Alex Kolbin. "Today, that framework is eroding in plain sight." Read more: buff.ly/FJffN0P
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 31/01/2026
During the 2025 crisis between India and Pakistan, even reputable journalists and politicians were misled by fabricated content, writes Qamar Shahzad Rajoka. "Such material might not trigger a crisis, but it can dangerously intensify one." Read more: buff.ly/hFEW9QE
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 30/01/2026
A retired Navy General who is grieving the loss of his wife finds new love for life after befriending a stray mutt in this short story by Kerri Brady Long. However, there is more to this dog than initially meets the eye. Read more: buff.ly/5MScSly
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 30/01/2026
"These problems can seem overwhelming, but we can turn back the Doomsday Clock, and we have done it before," said Bulletin President and CEO Alexandra Bell. "No one can do everything, but everyone can do something." Watch the 2026 announcement: buff.ly/bnpzZuR
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 29/01/2026
Four major concerns—the possibility that scientists could create mirror life, the continued evolution of AI and biological weapons programs, and the rapid dismantling and degradation of US public health infrastructure—all endangered the world in 2025. Read the Clock statement: buff.ly/17yAznF
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 29/01/2026
In the Doomsday Clock statement, the Bulletin's Science and Security Board states that increasing chaos, disorder, and dysfunction in the world's information ecosystem threaten society's capacity to address difficult challenges. Read more: buff.ly/17yAznF
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 28/01/2026
"The national and international responses to the climate emergency went from wholly insufficient to profoundly destructive," writes the Bulletin's Science and Security Board in the 2026 Doomsday Clock statement. Read the statement: buff.ly/rkwoROu
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 28/01/2026
"2025 ended with no reassuring nuclear developments," writes the Bulletin's Science and Security Board in the nuclear risk section of the 2026 Doomsday Clock statement. "Rather, old and new negative trends solidified." Read the full statement: buff.ly/17yAznF
The Doomsday Clock statement: Sliding further down a slippery nuclear slope
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 27/01/2026
The 2026 Doomsday Clock announcement, captured by photographer Jamie Christiani. IT IS 85 SECONDS TO MIDNIGHT. Watch the 2026 Doomsday Clock announcement: buff.ly/BGu0Zse
Bulletin President and CEO Alexandra Bell reaches out to move the time on the Clock hand.Science and Security Board members Jon Wolfsthal, Asha M. George, and Steve Fetter stand beside the Doomsday Clock as President and CEO Alexandra Bell delivers remarks.Bulletin President and CEO Alexandra Bell gives remarks at a podium.A close up of the Clock time shows its setting at 85 seconds to midnight.
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · 27/01/2026
The Doomsday Clock timeline explores every shift of the Clock—forward and backward— over the past 79 years. Visit the timeline: buff.ly/UfYaZRZ
The Doomsday Clock timeline

Explore the history of an internationally known symbol
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