Doomsday Clocks in the Anthropocene Era: Understanding Existential Risks to Humanity

The world presently witnesses two distinct “Doomsday Clocks” for symbolically recognizing and creating awareness of the threats to the survival of humanity. The Doomsday clocks have been set for 2025 by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists (BAS) and the Asahi Glass Foundation (AF). Both clocks serve as symbolic warning systems for global existential risks but differ in methodology, scope, and target audiences. The BAS, through expert committee deliberation focusing on the nuclear, climate, biological and technological threats, fixed the Doomsday Clock 89 s to midnight. The AF Environmental Doomsday Clock set at 9:33 exclusively addresses environmental crises through weighted surveys of global environmental experts. This article explores their comparative methodologies, current settings, key factors, and significance for the Anthropocene era. Both clocks moved closer to midnight in 2025, indicating unprecedented pace of worsening global conditions and stresses the urgent need for integrated approaches to address both immediate existential risks and long-term environmental sustainability. It also highlights the complementary nature of both the Doomsday Clocks in emphasizing the gravity of the situation.