Scientific study from 1960 predicted a doomsday population threshold in November 2026

On November 4, 1960, the journal Science published a study titled "Doomsday: Friday, November 13, 2026 A.D." by Heinz von Foerster, Patricia M. Mora, and Lawrence W. Amiot. The authors used mathematical models based on historical population trends over the previous two millennia to predict that the human population would reach near-infinite levels by this date, causing a systemic collapse of humanity under its own weight.

Unlike traditional Malthusian theories, which emphasize resource depletion, the researchers argued that human capacity for communication, technological progress, and social organization allows the population to grow beyond natural limits. While the models proved surprisingly accurate for several decades, the projection of an infinite population was intended as a mathematical exploration of long-term trends rather than a literal prophecy. The study effectively countered the notion that population growth is constrained solely by food availability, suggesting instead that the human species creates unique conditions for its own expansion.

Today, as the arrival of November 13, 2026, approaches, the study is being revisited as a historical curiosity. Despite the attention, current global demographic data does not support the prediction of a population approaching infinity, and the scientific community treats the 1960 research as a theoretical exercise in cybernetics and modeling rather than an impending apocalyptic event.