Will everything end next month? The study conducted 60 years ago was shocking.

A study published in the respected scientific journal Science in 1960 drew attention again after 66 years. The article, written by Austrian-born American physicist Heinz von Foerster and researchers from the University of Illinois, examined the outcomes that could arise if the world population continued to grow at an exponential rate.

In the study, the date of 13 November 2026 was calculated based on past population growth trends. The work argued that if population growth continued with the same mathematical trend, the world population would mathematically approach infinity on that date.

The researchers summed up their predictions about the future in striking words:

“The grandchildren of our grandchildren will not die of starvation. They will die crushed.”

Population Forecasts Have Changed Over Time

The study, which sparked debate among demographers at the time of its publication, raised important questions about the long‑term consequences of population growth. However, declining fertility rates in subsequent years caused the growth trends on which the research was based to change.

According to the United Nations' latest population projections, the world population is expected to peak at about 10.3 billion in the mid‑2080s, before gradually declining.

This picture has also shifted the direction of contemporary population debates. Some economists point out that falling fertility and an aging population could place serious pressure on economic growth, the labor market, and health systems.

Cold War Era Concerns Resurface

The year 1960, when the study was published, coincided with one of the Cold War's most tense periods. The nuclear arms race, resource scarcity, and the possibility of a global catastrophe were among the era's leading scientific concerns.

Despite the passage of decades, anxieties about humanity's future remain in the public discourse. Today, these debates have also incorporated risks arising from climate change and the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence.

The Doomsday Clock Nears Midnight

The Doomsday Clock, created in 1947 by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, symbolizes how close humanity is to global catastrophe. The time remaining until midnight is set according to expert assessments of nuclear war, climate change, and other global threats.

According to the data shared, the clock is positioned 85 seconds before midnight. This duration is shorter than the 89‑second mark announced the previous year.

In his assessment, Bulletin of Atomic Scientists editor John Mecklin highlighted that the current trajectory is unsustainable, calling on leaders of the United States, Russia and China to take responsibility for reducing global risks.

The 1960 study does not prove that November 13, 2026 will be the day the world physically ends. Instead, the work reveals the mathematical outcomes of a particular population‑growth model. Nevertheless, the study brings long‑standing debates about humanity’s future back into the spotlight.