Mathematical population model from 1960 resurfaces in social media discussions

Social media claims regarding a global apocalypse on November 13, 2026, have resurfaced, stemming from a 1960 scientific study published in the journal Science. The study, authored by Heinz von Foerster, Patricia M. Mora, and Lawrence W. Amiot, did not predict a literal end of the world.

Instead, the researchers used a mathematical model to examine historical human population growth over approximately 2,000 years. They identified a pattern of hyperbolic growth, which is faster than exponential growth. The model suggested that if this specific trend of accelerating growth continued without any constraints, the population would mathematically approach infinity by November 13, 2026.

The date represents a mathematical singularity within that specific model rather than a physical prediction of a global catastrophe. The researchers were exploring whether population growth could continue indefinitely under such a pattern, rather than forecasting a literal event.