Scientists predicted doomsday for November 13, 2026. Should we be worried?

ScienceDaily reports that in 1960, scientists predicted that runaway population growth would bring humanity to the brink of destruction on November 13, 2026, and their mathematical forecasts remained surprisingly accurate for decades.

But as birth rates declined and population growth slowed, the terrifying prediction unraveled, revealing how even convincing scientific models can fail when human behavior changes.

This science story centres on the United States.

Why it matters

Research developments are often early steps — further studies typically determine how significant they prove to be.

Key details

Location

United States · Americas

Reported by

ScienceDaily

First reported

17 Oct 2026, 07:22 IST

Section

Science

Sources

This is an independent summary. Read the full, original reporting from the publisher:

• ScienceDailyScientists predicted doomsday for November 13, 2026. Should we be worried? 17 Oct, 07:22

Read the full story at ScienceDaily ↗

Spotted an error? Request a correction · How this summary was produced