Scientists predicted exactly when society would collapse using a computer

Scientists have predicted exactly when society will completely collapse, and it's a lot closer than you'd think.

Technology is at the forefront of everything we do nowadays, and it can help us understand more about life in the future, from the use of AI to our over-reliance on machines.

The majority of us hope that life will continue to gradually improve and that things will become more efficient as time passes.

However, a group of more pessimistic-minded scientists have seemingly utilised technology to predict when society will cease to exist.

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Based at the renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the group of scientists used computer modelling to set their prediction, taking into account several data patterns of things like population, natural resources and energy usage.

The scary thing about that is we've increased in all of those factors, except for natural resources.

Eventually, the study was published by the Club of Rome, with the upcoming 'limits to growth' highlighted as what would cause the eventual collapse of human society.

Through this research, the team learned that the fall of society would hit near the midpoint of the 21st century. And yes, in case you'd forgotten, that's the century we're currently in the middle of.

In fact, there's apparently less than two decades to go until the collapse. 17 years, to be precise, as the scientists predicted the collapse would come in 2040.

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At the time, the report wasn’t taken too seriously and did attract some ridicule, the Guardian reports. However, before you start to feel smug, you should know that in 2009, a different team of researchers did a similar study which produced similar results.

Published by American Scientist, the more recent study concluded that the model’s results were ‘almost exactly on course some 35 years later in 2008 (with a few appropriate assumptions)'.

"It is important to recognise that its predictions have not been invalidated and, in fact, seem quite on target. We are not aware of any model made by economists that is as accurate over such a long time span," the study said.

Further to this, in 2021, Dutch sustainability researcher Gaya Herrington also affirmed the somewhat bleak predictions made in the study.

Speaking to the Guardian, Herrington said: “From a research perspective, I felt a data check of a decades-old model against empirical observations would be an interesting exercise.”

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Herrington found that the data aligned with the predictions made back in 1972, which had a worst-case scenario of economic growth coming to a halt at the end of this decade and society collapsing around 10 years later.

Thankfully, however, Herrington did have a bit of optimistic news.

She told the Guardian: “The key finding of my study is that we still have a choice to align with a scenario that does not end in collapse.

"With innovation in business, along with new developments by governments and civil society, continuing to update the model provides another perspective on the challenges and opportunities we have to create a more sustainable world.”