Well, we survived. Friday 13th that is. Last Friday was the last Friday 13th of 2026. Including
last Friday, there have been three (February and March) this year. However,
last Friday was meant to be an even more special one. According to Professor
Heinz von Foerster, the world was meant to end on Friday 13th, 2026.
I can safely say that it didn’t. Foerster had devised a mathematical equation
way back in 1960 that predicted that the human population would spiral out of
control, bringing about the end of the world.
His equation drew on a calculation
based on the rate of population growth and, in particular, the rate at which the
population doubled in size. It was a form of crude mathematical thinking that
has been dismissed today. Clearly, we are all still here, and whilst at times,
the world might feel very crowded, we weren’t all crushed to death last Friday,
as Foerster predicted.
Many people still remain superstitious
about Fridays falling on the 13th. Research undertaken in 2017 reported
that one in five adults in the UK (about 10-13 million people) are said to be
anxious, superstitious or terrified of Friday 13th. Apparently,
there is even a term used to describe this fear and anxiety: it’s called friggatriskaidekaphobia.
Trying to say that after a couple of sherries
Its not just the thirteenth day
that people get worried about. Many buildings don’t have a 13th floor, and often streets don’t have a house numbered 13. There is no plausible evidence
that bad things happen on any Friday 13th. That said, on Friday August
13th, 2010, while attending the Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival, a
13-year old boy was struck by lightning at exactly 13.13. Amazingly, his only injury
was a minor burn graze on his shoulder. More significantly, perhaps, was Friday
March 13th, 2020. On that day, the US declared a national emergency
due to the Covid19 pandemic, and the UK followed on the 23rd March
with the first of several Covid19 lockdowns.
What followed were some challenging
times. Some folk are still struggling with the impact of living through the
pandemic. It’s estimated that there are still two million people struggling with
Long Covid. Long Covid presents in many different ways, but overall, it can be
a very debilitating condition. Many NHS Long Covid clinics were set up in 2022,
although many are now unfunded or closed completely. People often face challenge
over Long Covid being a valid health condition, and almost certainly there will
be many people living with Long Covid who won’t be receiving appropriate levels
of care.
Many people are still struggling
with the loss of a loved one. As of 5th November 2026, the official number
of deaths from Covid19 stands at 232,612 deaths. The Covid Inquiry investigating
the impact of the pandemic on children and young people revealed a very bleak picture
for many. The social isolation resulting from the lockdowns both impacted upon
children and young people’s mental health, wellbeing, and their education. For
some, the lockdowns increased the risk of child abuse and neglect; such abuse
and neglect being more obscured from view than in normal times. Whilst the NHS
continued to provide most health services during the pandemic, inevitably
access to some services was restricted. This led to health concerns not being
treated early and for some, that made treatment more difficult, challenging and
in some cases, simply too late.
The pandemic also exacerbated the
lived experience of loneliness. Evidence suggests that loneliness is more than
simply an emotional state of being. Often there are both physical and mental
health problems, as a consequence of loneliness. Chronic loneliness can
increase the risk of an early death by as much as 26%. That is the same risk
factor as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
