# 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 end on Friday, November 13, 2026, when population growth would approach infinity.

## Intelligence Brief
A doomsday prediction from 1960 has resurfaced as Friday, November 13, 2026 arrives. According to The Independent, the late Heinz von Foerster and two colleagues at the University of Illinois published the forecast in the journal Science under the title “Doomsday: Friday, 13 November, AD 2026.” The Conversation identifies the authors as Heinz von Foerster, Patricia M. Mora, and Lawrence W. Amiot, and reports the paper appeared on November 4, 1960.


The authors argued that human population was growing faster than exponential and would approach infinity on that date, effectively annihilating the species. As von Foerster put it, his descendants would be “squeezed to death.” The Week reports the equation was built from population estimates from about 400 BC until 1958 and predicted the population would exceed 25 billion by 2020, though the researchers did not calculate when humanity would run out of food, land, or energy.


The Independent notes November 13, 2026 would have been von Foerster’s 115th birthday and says he deliberately engineered the equation to produce the result. The Conversation says the article received widespread public attention, with stories in Time and The New York Times, and became the subject of Pogo comic strips. It was also cited in a 1963 Canadian Parliamentary committee hearing and a 1971 U.S. Supreme Court abortion case.


The prediction appeared accurate for decades. The Conversation says its projections were better than most demographers’ through the 1970s and 1980s, but around 1993 the global population began falling behind the forecasts. The Week reports the global birth rate is now slightly less than half what it was in 1960. The Independent attributes the shift to the “demographic transition,” noting that people in richer, healthier, better-educated societies have fewer children, so the falling birth rate outweighed the falling death rate.


The Independent describes the paper as a cautionary tale about scientific prediction and advocacy, warning that models can predetermine their outcomes. The Conversation concludes that people will probably not wake up on November 13 “squeezed to death."

## Multi-Source Evidence Table
| Source Outlet | Headline | Verification URL |
|---|---|---|
| News.com.au | Scientist predicts world will end today | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi_wFBVV95cUxPMXd5TDdIbDhDN0VEXzd4X2t4cnFwSl8yTTR5YUllNzZYenhtcDJxSm9uaVBLcjZQVm9DMFA4TFVEd01zUlRNckQxU2FHT09TbEVFWlhpNDZWTWkzcV9yZjE1QmQ5cjNTSlp5MjdWVUJwWnE5OE5vTG5zOWZIaE4tcU1KRkF5V2FZM19DNnhYWk9ZaUFmRGY3b1FndUdqbjRJVjkxWnlUamJNdDQwcXRyMHpVQjc3U3J2QWlFSDBYNjdyYmFvTG9IOTdER3dfc09FXzYyYlh4Y3BuYTBZcWZyaFZmUTVVR2xWSFpvM1EtRXhzOEhJZWtxNjcwUHZLR0U?oc=5) |
| ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation | Despite a 1960 doomsday prediction, the world won't end today | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqgFBVV95cUxNYWNyQzhZN1VETkE4SjBoQWpsYnkwV1hFeDJ2ZWJ2V2VYUFZGTU50UjFHSk1neHQ1YXRjNE9kNnpIMUFIYWF3blNzMUYxbnFUb3h6R1BUMllvZWM3RXhaUS1RNE1XY1pCd2I4X2pUdGc1ZjN5X3JUN0dnWGhCLVJBOVRidnc5MnpGcjlIc3FTVU03WDEwMWdLaXU5a3pmZzlOZEFDUzRxd2djQQ?oc=5) |
| Answers in Genesis | Scientists Predicted November 13, 2026, Will Be the End of the World | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipgFBVV95cUxQS3UzVXI5aElldWlUY2Y1Y1JSRC1MQ1R2MkxRLVM1cjNrWDRjcWdZbmEwMVZoSVVSd2std2t0dmRwckRkalVhdkxqVy16Y2pVa0VaUEozSDBiSWczeUwxc2ExNTNld0xjOFFKTDhqamNHWjNMa3EtNW93NjNhX21XSFo0bGdTRWVyS3l0ampCZ0N2N21TLXJ1ZDVtYkVjd1Q3NHlwcmRB?oc=5) |
| Yahoo | Why scientists in 1960s predicted world would end on Friday | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimwFBVV95cUxQUHB2MXBFNW1CYWZFX3RGb3NXSDB6Um51MF9GajVEdnF1SUNleUxDZzlQZC1EZ1h6WDkwMGdDV3FvYWxmYW92WkprQXdEa2dFUzdJNFpCaHpiTV9LN2RySXNuWFNiYUhNNHpSRnFFV0ptVVB4NVFyT3gyRW1rZy05bmRlWGVWYXJMTnhoUXdQd3JZSVkwQ1dKcnRpRQ?oc=5) |
| Herald Sun | ‘Squeezed to death’: Date world ends | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi8gFBVV95cUxPdUdNYW1oZEdvUldwdVRyTW5iVE0ybFpjRDhmVjZFWUlGaEdITjBPdmNzM2ZGTUZ3VnhxUEh0WmQ3NFJuTS1VYVZ2OTB3NktiWTV2dkpaUzhiQ3puNllfcnNDaDBIeEl5MnJvLTgxR3d6eDZOckhTWFBMdENTdWZES1R2ejFuZDFMdE9FRkJFbnR5eVdETUlqME5FZ3JoR21LcFMtbXVTcE42ejhXRnptY1RyMDJiVkZaejVMNU5laFZkTWF3djBtdnZLNTR4U0w2SFlWWFB2ckI3aDJ1STU5bWxDTWhnZmVDQ3UwQ1hEaVVCUQ?oc=5) |
| The Daily Cartoonist | Let’s Eat and Drink and Be Merry, For Tomorrow… | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinwFBVV95cUxNVUlONWVONlY5d1lTQmhxQVBVcnhiWDNwNG1mLTBLckJhNXhEWmVSVkNOazc2NUJnQVY3NWxVMFdmaVcyZmJZZGgtNHdWSkJXankxMkVGbkRSN0MtOXBDY19nYzRBQ0ZkRjlXTFNCZm9xMmRGRG05LUNlZW83WjY1Z3psazk2VndwSUpzNE9USUFGRVJSVlJNa3dodVR0NUU?oc=5) |
| 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.byoaiapps.com/trend/2026-11-12/doomsday-study-calculated-humanity-s-end-on-friday-13-november-2026*