1960 Science article predicts global collapse in November 2026

A 66-year-old scientific article published in the journal Science is resurfacing due to its prediction of a global collapse on November 13, 2026. The study, titled ‘Doomsday: Friday, November 13, 2026 A.D.’, was authored by Austrian physicist Heinz von Foerster along with Patricia Mora and Lawrence Amiot.

The researchers used mathematical projections based on 24 population estimates spanning the last 2,000 years to argue that human population growth would reach a point of near-infinite expansion by the specified date. The authors suggested that while other species decline when resources become scarce, human technological advancement and social alliances create a feedback loop that accelerates growth.

To prevent such a catastrophe, the study advocated for strict birth control to balance birth and death rates. While the prediction gained significant attention from outlets like Time and The New York Times, it also faced criticism. Although population trends in the 1970s and 1980s appeared to align with the study's models, the growth proportions began to shift in the 1990s.