GoKawiil1960 Science paper's 'Doomsday' population prediction nears its Nov 2026 date
In November 1960, physicist Heinz von Foerster and two colleagues at the University of Illinois published a paper in Science titled 'Doomsday: Friday, 13 November, A.D. 2026,' extrapolating from historical population data to predict humanity's growth rate would reach a mathematical infinity on that date. The New York Times covered the paper at the time, noting that von Foerster picked a Friday the 13th within the calculated error range, which also happened to be his birthday. Demographers criticized the model's assumptions, and actual population growth did not follow the predicted trajectory.