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KellyCriterion • today at 1:54 PM • 3 replies • view on HN

Year of publishing is 1960:

interesting, that even in 1960 some were thinking about that "there may be a fixed date of end of the world" - usually you would think those thoughts are exclusive to whatever religion, no: This 66 years ago, a time when there was already enough scientific breakthrough to reflect wisely on the idea of "a fixed end date for end of world"

:)


Replies

patall • today at 2:09 PM

You may not be wrong but the authors were just picking an example in the headline. In the analysis they calculate t0 as 2026.87 plus/minus 5.50 years. They clearly state what assumptions that is based on do not take it as absolute fact but as providing thought for discussion.

herculity275 • today at 2:37 PM

Highly recommend "When We Cease to Understand the World" by Labatut, a lot of it concerns the different strains of apocalyptic thinking among the early 20th century scientists.

ketzu • today at 2:02 PM

> even in 1960 some were thinking about that "there may be a fixed date of end of the world"

I think this can be taken 2 ways.

1) This is more an instance of "see clickbait was a thing in 1960"

2) There have always been and will always be people that believe that. See 2012 or a random person on the Las Vegas strip preaching it.