World Ends in 2026?: Truth behind the viral claim

Claims predicting the end of the world in 2026 have resurfaced on social media as the new year begins, once again highlighting how sensational content can spread rapidly without evidence.

Posts shared widely online suggest that humanity is approaching a final, catastrophic moment. However, scientists and experts say there is no scientific or religious basis for such claims, describing them as misleading and rooted in outdated interpretations of earlier theories.

Much of the current speculation traces back to work by physicist Heinz von Foerster, who in 1960 published a paper in the journal “Science”.

Using mathematical models, von Foerster suggested that if human population growth continued at an accelerating rate, it would reach an unsustainable point, and he fixed this date as 13 November 2026.

Von Foerster, who died in 2002, did not predict a sudden apocalyptic event. Instead, he warned about the theoretical consequences of unchecked population growth.

In the Time magazine report, which quoted von Foerster’s original report in “Science,” von Foerster stated, “Our great-great-grandchildren will not starve. They will be squeezed to death.”

Von Foerster essentially stated back in 1960 that the human race would die off because of “infinite” over-population, if it didn’t self-destruct through nuclear war or other methods before then, which is clearly hasn’t.

Not everyone agreed with his assessment. Critics pointed out the gestation period for humans and that exponential growth is rarely sustained as reasons why his theory was unlikely to pan out.

Scientists are clear that there is no credible evidence to support claims that the world will end in 2026. While genuine global challenges exist, including climate change, resource management, technological risks and geopolitical tensions, none point to an imminent end-of-world scenario.

As with many similar claims in the past, the 2026 “doomsday” narrative remains a myth rather than a forecast grounded in science.