If you work in an office, today's Microsoft outage might feel like the end of the world.
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outage → work → world
But some social media users have joked that the global disruption is a far more literal omen of the end of days.
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disruption → joke → days
Conspiracy-minded commenters have found a striking connection between Microsoft's server woes and a wacky 1960 study claiming 'doomsday' will occur on November 13, 2026.
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doomsday → find → November
One commenter cheekily suggested: 'Is it a mere coincidence?
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it → suggest → ?
I don't think so.. it was all planned.
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it → think → ?
'
In 1960, one of the world's leading scientific journals published a paper titled 'Doomsday: Friday, 13 November, A.D. 2026', written by Heinz von Foerster, an Austrian-American professor and cybernetics expert and two of his students, Patricia M. Mora and Lawrence W. Amiot.
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one → lead → students
Based on human population growth over the last 2,000 years, this wild theory predicted that the human population would 'approach infinity' and annihilate itself.
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population → base → itself
In the study, published in the journal Science, the trio argued: 'Our great–great–grandchildren will not starve.
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grandchildren → publish → journal
They will be squeezed to death.
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They → squeeze → death
And with the supposed date of the apocalypse in mind, many commenters have pointed to their lack of emails as an ominous portent of doom.
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commenters → suppose → doom
Social media users have found a striking connection between this wacky prediction and the recent Microsoft outage
Commenters have flocked to social media to share their wild conspiracy theories connecting the Microsoft outage to the supposed impending apocalypse.
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Commenters → find → apocalypse
On X, one joked: 'Is this the Doomsday November 13th that we all were talking about?
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we → joke → that
'So Doomsday was predicted back in 1960s for November 13th 2026.
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Doomsday → predict → 13th
Summin ain't adding up,' wrote another.
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another → add → ?
And one added: 'In 1960, scientists used a mathematical equation to predict that Friday, November 13, 2026 would be Doomsday.
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Friday → add → equation
Nobody believed them until Outlook crashed globally this morning.
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Outlook → believe → them
Meanwhile, some conspiracy lovers made the connection to the traditionally unlucky date of Friday 13th, as well as some other even stranger speculations.
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lovers → make → 13th
One commenter wrote: 'It's Friday the 13th.
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It → write → ?
Microsoft outage means no email.
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outage → mean → email
These seem related.'
'13 hours of Microsoft outage on Friday the 13th.
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These → seem → 13th
,' joked another.
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another → joke → ?
While one commenter added: 'If astrology isn't real then why is the Microsoft outage happening on the last day of Mercury Retrograde?'
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outage → add → Retrograde
In reality, Professor von Foerster's theory has long since been debunked and doesn't have the slightest connection to today's internet outages.
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theory → debunk → outages
In 1960, one of the world's leading scientific journals published a paper suggesting that the population would surge toward infinity (illustrated), leading to 'doomsday' on Friday, 13 November, A.D. 2026
Professor Alan MacEachern, a professor of history at Western University, pointed out that the calculations were based on a fundamental error.
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calculations → lead → error
Writing in The Conversation, Professor MacEachern notes that the global birth rate is now significantly lower than it was when the article was published.
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article → write → Conversation
This suggests the prediction of doomsday on November 13 is based on outdated figures.
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prediction → suggest → figures
'Only around 1993 did that accuracy begin to falter and the global population began falling behind the forecasts,' Professor MacEachern explained.
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MacEachern → begin → forecasts
Professor MacEachern also points out that the lead author, Heinz von Foerster, was a stage magician at one point in his life.
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author → point → life
As a result, the scientist may have used elements of his tricks in his paper.
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scientist → use → paper
Microsoft users continued to experience disruption today as the tech giant worked to resolve outages impacting some of its most popular services
'Borrowing the classic language of stagecraft, an effective illusion relies on three parts: the setup, the extraordinary turn and the final reveal that returns the situation to normal,' Professor MacEachern explained.
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MacEachern → continue → normal
'Von Foerster and his co–authors' article gained attention because it was an ordinary scientific article wrapped in an extraordinary title and conclusion.
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it → gain → title
'It retained significance because it was firmly grounded in research and argument.
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it → retain → research
'To draw the world's attention to a serious matter by way of absurdity — that's a good trick.'
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that → draw → absurdity
That means there's no need for anyone to worry about being 'squeezed to death'.
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anyone → mean → death
On the other hand, the ongoing Microsoft outage appears to be related to an internal issue with the company's internal infrastructure.
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outage → appear → infrastructure
In several notices posted on social media, Microsoft said it was investigating the disruptions and suggested the problems could be down to parts of its infrastructure 'experiencing elevated load'.
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parts → post → load
Microsoft determined a number of servers failed during automated health checks and that its alternatives to bring those servers back online were not immediately taking effect.
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alternatives → determine → effect
Likewise, experts have ruled out the possibility of a cyber-attack disrupting the tech giant's services.
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attack → rule → services
Mantas Sasnauskas, cyber-security researcher and editor-in-chief of Ransomnews, told the Daily Mail: 'Nothing so far points to a cyberattack.
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Nothing → tell → cyberattack
Microsoft says it is not aware of any malicious activity, and what it has described fits that.
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described → say → that
…and 7 more, not listed.
The Aporia
