A 66-year-old scientific prediction has sparked fresh concerns worldwide after researchers discovered that it named Friday, November 13, 2026, as a possible doomsday. However, modern scientists say there is no credible evidence that the world will end tomorrow.
The prediction dates back to November 1960, when physicist Heinz von Foerster and two colleagues published a research paper in the scientific journal Science.
The study, titled Doomsday: Friday, 13 November, A.D. 2026, examined global population growth over nearly 2,000 years.
Researchers used mathematical calculations to predict what could happen if the human population continued growing at an increasingly rapid rate. Their model suggested that population numbers would eventually approach infinity.
The scientists selected November 13, 2026, as the theoretical point when their population model would reach this impossible outcome. The date also coincided with what would have been von Foerster’s 115th birthday.
However, the prediction was not a warning about an asteroid, nuclear war, or a sudden global disaster. It illustrated the possible consequences of unchecked population growth.
Modern population trends have proved the mathematical forecast inaccurate.
Global population growth has slowed significantly since the 1960s. Declining birth rates, changing lifestyles, and improved education have contributed to this shift.
The world’s population currently stands at approximately 8.3 billion. United Nations projections suggest it could peak at around 10.3 billion during the 2080s.
Several countries, including Japan and South Korea, now face concerns about declining birth rates and ageing populations.
Experts explain that mathematical models cannot accurately predict future events when social and economic conditions change.
The original prediction remains an example of how scientific calculations can produce misleading results when researchers extend historical trends too far into the future.
Despite renewed attention surrounding Friday the 13th, scientists have identified no evidence supporting the claim that November 13, 2026, will mark humanity’s end.
