A decades-old mathematical prediction has resurfaced online, claiming that November 13, 2026 could mark a dramatic turning point for humanity. The prediction comes from physicist Heinz von Foerster and colleagues, whose 1960 paper examined rapid population growth. Because the date falls on a Friday the 13th, the claim has attracted even more attention—but it does not mean scientists predicted that the world would literally end that day.

Von Foerster’s model was based on the idea of unchecked exponential population growth. Using population trends available at the time, the researchers mathematically projected that continued growth could eventually become so extreme that their equations approached an “infinite” population around November 2026. The concept was sometimes described as humanity “squeezing itself to death” through resource shortages, environmental pressure, and societal problems.

However, the prediction is not considered a realistic forecast of the end of the world. Population growth has slowed dramatically since the 1960s as birth rates have declined in many parts of the world, while education, healthcare, and family planning have changed demographic trends. Humanity is nowhere near an infinite population, and there is no scientific evidence that November 13, 2026, represents a literal doomsday deadline.

What makes the old prediction interesting today is its underlying warning. It highlights the dangers of assuming that population or resource consumption can continue growing indefinitely on a finite planet. Another concept, known as the Doomsday Argument, later explored how we might estimate humanity’s future lifespan using statistical reasoning. So while November 13 may sound frightening, there is no scientific reason to expect the world to end that day—the 1960 prediction is better understood as a mathematical warning about unsustainable growth.