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A 1960 population ‘doomsday’ prediction pointed to November 13, 2026

News from Science says the population was about 8 billion in October 2026, not approaching infinity as predicted.

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Will the world end next month? Science said so, in 1960
Researchers concluded that doomsday will fall on 13 November—but not for the reasons we might expect today

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News from Science revisits a 1960 paper by physicist Heinz von Foerster and two colleagues titled “Doomsday: Friday, 13 November, A.D. 2026.” The New York Times described their calculation as predicting that population would approach infinity and annihilate itself on that date or thereabouts. As of October 2026, News from Science put the population at about 8 billion.

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A 1960 population ‘doomsday’ prediction pointed to November 13, 2026

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