# Doomsday study calculated humanity's end on Friday 13 November 2026

> **Open Intelligence Dossier** · First detected: 2026-11-12 18:20 UTC · Category: World

## Executive Summary
A 1960 Science paper predicted humanity would be "squeezed to death" by infinite population growth on Friday, 13 November 2026.

## Intelligence Brief
A doomsday prediction made in 1960 is resurfacing as its target date arrives on Friday, 13 November 2026. The Week reported that Austrian-American physicist Heinz von Foerster and two colleagues published an article in the journal Science on 4 November 1960 titled "Doomsday: Friday, 13 November, AD 2026." In it, they wrote: "Our great-great-grandchildren will not starve," they said. "They will be squeezed to death."


The Independent identified the co-authors as von Foerster and two colleagues at the University of Illinois, and noted that 13 November 2026 would have been von Foerster's 115th birthday. The Conversation named them as Heinz von Foerster, Patricia M. Mora, and Lawrence W. Amiot, describing von Foerster as an Austrian-American professor and cybernetics expert.


The authors argued that human population was growing beyond an exponential rate at an ever-increasing pace. Using 24 population estimates spanning 2,000 years, they projected that by 2026 human numbers would near infinity. The Week said they did not calculate when humanity would run out of food, land, or energy, only that their equation "ceased to give meaningful results because the predicted population shot towards infinity."


The prediction drew immediate attention, with coverage in Time and The New York Times and a series of Pogo comic strips. Many commentators took it as tongue-in-cheek. It was also cited in a 1963 Canadian parliamentary committee hearing by a chemical industry witness arguing for pesticides, and in a 1971 U.S. Supreme Court abortion case leading up to Roe v. Wade.


The forecast appeared accurate for decades, but around 1993, halfway to the predicted doomsday, global population began falling behind the forecasts. The Conversation and The Week both reported that today's global birth rate is slightly less than half what it was in 1960. The Week concluded: "hopefully, we will all wake up on November 13 to an ordinary day."


The Independent framed the paper as a cautionary tale about scientific prediction and advocacy, noting that von Foerster deliberately engineered his equation to produce the desired result and that the dire population predictions of the 1960s and 1970s led to harmful policies including forced sterilisation programmes and China's one-child policy.

## Multi-Source Evidence Table
| Source Outlet | Headline | Verification URL |
|---|---|---|
| Daily Star | Scientist predicted world will end this week – he's already been correct about AI | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikgFBVV95cUxPSlhNZXk1NHV6ZHNoS283VEREaXEwSExoa2NycEM1M2k2cVhwb1BoS2ZhYjRMamc3Z1doUFdMUTV6dzBpRUxOTTBrR1d6WXhnT3czUGVfb0UtMmFMVFp3c1BWRWpCMGdQVnFnX0UzYmRBTnB3MUFUZG9UbzdFSUhSNjVyNUNUOG8yM1VIN3c4ZWY1UQ?oc=5) |
| The Week | Why scientists in 1960s predicted world would end on Friday | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikAFBVV95cUxOVTEzLTA1RjZDZjhLQ2pGM3lLQWVCallBTzdLel9tTVREY1pMNzJtSmdqSFgxVEswVGFzUFRIaGk5R3ZPVkp0Ym9uaHdCVmQzZEFzOElGT19GVkhaSlh0WS1MVVNYVmIxTDVXaHZUUGF2Q0hPUTZHdVBnUzR1NldibUc0UEM0bDhNRG1QdUpiYVA?oc=5) |
| The Independent | Doomsday prediction: Why a scientist warned we'd be 'squeezed to death' on Nov. 13 | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMivgFBVV95cUxOckdSNE5pMlNNc0M3dnY5cWdnRXZiaEc2Tk5GS3g4NnlrdXhVTlVkMkxYbGF1VEw2emxSQXVyUDd5RC1EaE1lYi1TYV92aC1DeTlQOEZTUHc2dFkwYlNmTGI4SENDT0tHNlR3WlBaTlJyQUtKS3dNVlVkWTlZTjRGd1ZZdEJBM1AtMy13VFlGWFNFMVQ5SEhGdHFmekl1LUZKd2piZkltdVBxQ3RKZ1hzWi1DNlVrWlA5THl6bWxn?oc=5) |
| The Conversation | Scientists predicted ‘Friday 13 November 2026’ would be ‘doomsday.’ Should you be worried? | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiuwFBVV95cUxOcFhTdlNjN1hraW81TC1tSm9pWmZ2U1FVWUwyYWgwckRWckhnY0RvNjZXeUlEdTA3akNCVWRveG9IRDJQMTg2ZFBJVDFGcE9RYm5UWnJ5M1JtWHVfVktPRnltamhFQXpmUjhHdTFSeW5Rc1ZTUG5hdUU2dTBZdTctZ3diRHJQbVg2YVlLdkVkdE1YUjZUR3VVYlY3b1N6SjNFdVl6SGhjZEpjNW1lUHJWYW4takFtUXFDeEJ3?oc=5) |
| Euronews.com | Doomsday study calculated humanity's end on Friday 13 November 2026 | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipAFBVV95cUxPeVg0aVkxNDZtNXVoZUNOLXNpSE5wUTlOTXl2R0VkRXZsQ1JrWkdFNG5ZYTB3czJhQ1BHbkJIQXRWRUNaYUItY0NnLWE5TldKWkhvUnRWUzREOVY2VnZxcGx4YWNvRlJUM2dIV29RekRnd2h6Q3JiLW9CdkpfbWZLX3MxMHpPdzItMzFmcU1UZmpOTVhtc09BMGQ1eEhKbWh4akN4VA?oc=5) |

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*Canonical Source: https://pulse.byoviral.com/trend/2026-11-12/doomsday-study-calculated-humanity-s-end-on-friday-13-november-2026*