Von Foerster, Mora and Amiot, Science (1960) · claimed on Nov 13, 2026 · original source
In the days before 13 November 2026, articles and posts said a 1960 study had predicted the end of the world for that date. The paper is real: Heinz von Foerster, Patricia Mora and Lawrence Amiot published "Doomsday: Friday, 13 November, A.D. 2026" in Science on 4 November 1960. Critics say it was a population-growth extrapolation, not a forecast of the world ending, and that the date was partly a joke. The case turns on what the paper itself says it predicts and how its authors framed the date.
The original article is titled "Doomsday: Friday, 13 November, A.D. 2026". It fits two millennia of population estimates to a formula whose result shoots towards infinity around that date.
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