Kenneth Glad
Sometimes an old prediction resurfaces and makes everyone freeze. The math looks solid, the dates align perfectly, and the experts swear it will happen in our lifetime. But as the target day finally approaches, reality often takes a different path.
Back in 1960, the prestigious journal Science dropped a bombshell. A newly published paper confidently pointed to Friday, November 13, 2026, as the absolute end of the line for humanity.
Heinz von Foerster, a cybernetics professor, teamed up with two students to crunch the numbers. They argued that human population growth was speeding up so much that we would eventually wipe ourselves out.
Food shortages would never be the real problem. Instead, the sheer volume of people would cause the ultimate disaster. According to The Conversation, the researchers stated, “Our great-great-grandchildren will not starve. They will be squeezed to death.”
Strength in numbers
Most experts at the time believed that food supply would naturally limit human reproduction. Von Foerster saw things from a completely different angle.
Humans always find ways to overcome shortages. Because we cooperate so well, our numbers could grow at a terrifying, constantly accelerating rate.
The team mapped out an aggressive curve using historical data going back 2,000 years. It looked bad. Their dense mathematical equations showed global growth blowing up entirely by 2026.
Critics speak out
The unusual claim blew up in the media instantly. Heavyweight outlets like Time and The New York Times covered the findings, and the scary scenario even appeared in popular comic strips.
Some experts refused to buy into the panic. Angry letters poured into Science. The Conversation notes that critics called the underlying work “ridiculous” and “obviously absurd.”
The chilling equation gained serious traction anyway. Textbooks featured it for decades. Lawyers even cited the math in a 1971 US Supreme Court case as a clear reason to curb population growth.
Changing the future
The dark model tracked perfectly with actual birth rates for a very long time. Everything matched up right until 1993.
Then families started having fewer children. The global birth rate eventually plummeted to roughly half of its original 1960 level.
Humanity accidentally followed the exact advice the researchers offered at the end of their famous paper. We changed our daily habits. By slowing down the rapid growth, we completely cancelled doomsday.
