Nuclear War

Escalating geopolitical tensions and nuclear proliferation have created a persistent risk of catastrophic conflict. Even a limited exchange between regional powers could trigger nuclear winter, collapsing global agriculture and causing mass starvation. The erosion of arms control agreements and AI-driven early warning systems heightens the likelihood of accidental escalation. Unlike climate change or pandemics, nuclear war offers a direct path to human extinction through immediate destruction and delayed environmental collapse. Current trends—rising nationalism, great power rivalry, and unstable nuclear deterrence postures—make this the most probable existential threat by mid-century.