A 1960s Prediction: World Population Would Hit Infinity on Friday, November 13, 2026

The article, published in the journal Science in 1960, presents a now-historically-famous mathematical prediction. It cited projections by Heinz von Foerster and colleagues, who used hyperbolic growth models to forecast that the world's population would theoretically reach infinity on a specific date: Friday, November 13, 2026. This date was dubbed 'Doomsday' in the paper's title, though it was meant more as a dramatic illustration of unsustainable exponential growth trends rather than a literal prophecy. The prediction was based on population data available up to 1960 and has since been proven spectacularly wrong, as growth rates have slowed significantly. The story serves as a classic cautionary tale about the limits of mathematical extrapolation and a fascinating historical footnote in the study of demographics and forecasting.