Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, January 15, 2026

Posted: 15th January 2026

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January 15, 2026

A sunset appears over a body of water with the Doomsday Clock in the left side of the sun Text reads Write Before Midnight The seven winning stories in our short fiction contest selected by noted author Kim Stanley Robinson January 2026 Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

Cover design by Thomas Gaulkin.

**January issue: The winning stories of the Bulletin’s Write Before Midnight fiction contest**

In 2025, the Bulletin launched a short fiction contest called “Write Before Midnight,” which was judged by acclaimed American science fiction author Kim Stanley Robinson. The seven winning stories can be found in the latest issue of our magazine. Read more.

And the winners of our fiction contest are…

The Bulletin’s mission—protecting civilization from man-made existential threats like nuclear weapons and climate change—is important, writes BulletinEditor-in-Chief John Mecklin in the introduction to our January issue. “Filling civilization with art and the humanity it fosters is important, too.” Read more.

Pulling out of 66 international organizations, Trump turns his back on science, facts, reason

If you don’t like scientific facts, you bury them, writes Benjamin Santer. “You come up with counternarratives to the facts. With alternative facts. You pull the plug on US involvement in effective international knowledge-gathering and assessment organizations like the IPCC.” Read more.

VIDEO

Where Trump-Kennedy public health policy will lead

To try to understand the Trump administration’s public health policy, Bulletinbiosecurity editor Matt Field and multimedia editor Erik English talked to three experts in infectious disease, public health, and vaccines about what they think the public health picture will look like in 10 years. Watch now.

Explore the history of the Doomsday Clock Learn about the Clocks history ahead of the 2026 announcement on January 27 Visit the Doosmday Clock timeline

OPEN POSITION

**Apply to be a Bulletin assistant multimedia editor**

The Bulletin is searching for an organized, creative, and committed assistant multimedia editor to help shape our coverage of existential threats. Apply now.

BULLETIN EVENT

Art + Science: Harnessing the Power of Art and Storytelling

Today’s virtual program will focus on harnessing the power of art to draw attention to global threats. Speakers include a major American author, a UN consultant, a Grammy-winning musician, and the Bulletin’s President and CEO. Tune in today at 11:15 a.m. CT / 12:15 p.m. ET. Register here.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“We are really imploring Apple and Google to take this extremely seriously. They are enabling a system in which thousands, if not tens of thousands, of people, particularly women and children, are being sexually abused through the help of their own app stores.”

— Jenna Sherman, UltraViolet’s campaign director, “Women’s, advocacy groups call on Apple, Google to drop X and Grok from app stores,” Reuters

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