1960 scientific study predicts global crisis in November 2026

A 1960 scientific study published in the journal Science has resurfaced due to its prediction of a global catastrophe on November 13, 2026. The paper, authored by physicist Heinz von Foerster and researchers from the University of Illinois, utilized mathematical equations to suggest that human population growth was accelerating toward infinity.

The researchers argued that while descendants might not die of hunger, they would face extinction due to a total lack of space and resources as population density reached extreme levels. While the study caused significant controversy and debate among demographers at the time, its population estimates remained largely accurate through the 1990s.

However, modern demographic trends have shifted significantly. Current United Nations projections indicate that global population growth is slowing, with a predicted peak of approximately 10.3 billion people around 2084, followed by a decline. Contemporary economists now suggest that declining fertility rates may pose a greater societal risk, including economic stagnation, than the overpopulation concerns highlighted in the 1960 study.