Despite rumors, world won't end in 2012

[Louisiana1976]

WASHINGTON — As moviegoers across the nation watched the end of the world with the opening of "2012" last week, news of Earth's demise spread quickly across the Web. Scientists, fed up with the misleading prophecies, quickly set the record straight with their own series of articles and a YouTube video.

In the film, the world ends on Dec. 21, 2012 — a date that marks the end of a Long Count period, or 25,000-year cycle, on the Mayan calendar. The film is directed by Roland Emmerich, who's also behind the doomsday features "The Day After Tomorrow" and "Independence Day."

In the past, the scientific community hasn't responded to apocalyptic visions and just waited for the end-of-the-world storm to pass, said Don Yeomans, a senior research scientist at NASA.

For instance, the Y2K scare leading up to the year 2000 paralyzed many with fears that computers and electronic equipment couldn't make the transition to the new century. People stockpiled bottled water and canned food to prepare for what became a non-event.

With "2012," however, it quickly became evident on the Internet that there were a number of misinformed people and that the disaster scenarios were multiplying, he said.

snip

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/100/story/79189.html?storylink=omni_popular

[waiting for hope]

1. I used to enjoy The History Channel but they

have spawned a slew of end of days shows - Nostradamus Effect, The Universe (that one really lays in on thick) and others ... Nat Geo has gotten pretty bad too - sorry, all that doom and gloom is not productive, and I find it just plain freaky that so many want to world to end.

[1620rock]

2. What's wrong with "The Universe"??? It's pure science.

[waiting for hope]

4. Some of them are showing

doomsday scenarios.

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. Their scenarios are based on... science

Highly unlikely to happen in your lifetime, but Gama Ray Burst, at least ONCE during the life of this solar system. The chances of that happening in my lifetime.... next to nil.

This reminds me of a story that Carl Sagan used to tell. He gave this talk about the life of the universe and the fact that in three billion years the sun will expand and swallow the Earth. Effectively that is your doomsday, of course we won't be around. So this old lady asks... so should I call my insurance agent on Monday?

It was truly a WHOOOSHHH moment.

[waiting for hope]

14. I may be quoting the wrong show -

but they do have disaster shows and one deals with the earth and what could happen ... the only channels I really watch are The History Channel, Nat Geo and The Discovery Channel so might be wrong on which show, but turn on either three and eventually there will be one that shows our demise.

[nadinbrzezinski]

17. They are good for a writer to get ideas

but The Universe is not one of them.

HC has gone from the WW II channel, to apocalypse and back to WW II... that is their shtick.

But this is what Sagan referred to as the new age of Warlocks and Witches that we now live in.

[krispos42]

24. Betelgeuse may go nova in your lifetime

That might do something interesting towards us. The astronomers don't think so, but, hey, how many nearby stars have gone nova for them to study???

[EOTE]

29. It's likely we've had quite a few.

From what I've read, each galaxy tends to have a few per every million years. Considering the solar system is at least 4 billion years old, if we assume one GRB per million years, we've been in relative proximity of them at least 4 thousand times.

[nadinbrzezinski]

37. But not in direct line, though

some scientists do believe that the Cambrian Extinction (which was massive) may be explained by something like that.

:-)

Science geeks of the world unite.

[Renew Deal]

5. We need a "Rapture Ready" forum on DU.

There's lots to talk about before the big day. :hide:

[waiting for hope]

7. I know! Come to think of it ..

Need to scope out the neighborhoods in my area, I'd like to move into a bigger house - I sure as hell know I'm not getting raptured! B-)

[Renew Deal]

11. People can pick out their preferred homes and cars.

I wonder what home values will be like post-apocalypse? Couldn't be much worse. :D

[Renew Deal]

3. How can a scientist "prove" that apocalyptic events won't take place on that day?

It's not provable.

[Posteritatis]

6. It's easy enough to demonstrate that *every* 2012er claim is bullshit. (nt)

[Renew Deal]

9. You know that there won't be earthquakes on that day (or any other)?

You know that one or more "super volcanos" won't blow that day? You know that the sun won't explode?

I truly believe that the 2012 stuff is bullshit, but there is no way to "know" what tomorrow will bring.

[imdjh]

27. Whatever happens, it will be due to Global Warming

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. Because the Maya did not mean it that way either

does the world come to an end every December 31st? Oh and Galactic Alignment, happens every year.

[Renew Deal]

13. That's not really my point.

My point is that you don't know what tomorrow will bring.

[nadinbrzezinski]

16. Ok, we do know the sun will NOT blow up for the next 3Billion years

it is a pretty stable G-3 Yellow star...

And it will not blow up, but expand... that is kind of astronomy 101

Supervolcanoes, I follow the whole mess at Yellowstone, and the level of monitoring going on yep, the people would know, a series of first micro quakes, followed by larger ones and bulging of the caldera. In GEOLOGIC time we are due... and they have had a few false alarms where they thought they had a pattern that MIGHT point to it... but they are good enough with the monitoring to know that no, it ain't happening.

Massive Earthquakes, even the most massive of quakes, and lord knows we have had a few doozies recently (related most likely to global weather change due to less pressure on the crust from ice) any of those quakes will not split the world in half.

So yesh, I can say with pretty good certainty that unless we are hit by a Gama Ray... no, the world will not come to an end without us having some warning.

[Warren DeMontague]

22. You are correct; a more reasonable statement would be "It is very unlikely world will end in 2012"

"And if it does, it probably won't have jack diddly shit to do with the Mayan Calendar."

[krispos42]

25. There are several of them they can rule out

Galactic gravitational alignment causing massive earthquakes... out.
Neutrinos "mutating" and making the Earth's crust melt... out.
Planet X swinging in and...

• Yanking us out of orbit... out
  
• Yanking us into a more elliptical orbit... out
  
• Stealing the Moon from us... out
  
• Reversing the Earth's rotation... out

Of course, there are lots they can't rule out... massive volcano eruption, asteroid impact, massive earthquake, massive solar flare, President-Elect Palin.


:-)

[Renew Deal]

26. I hope another planet steals our moon.

I'm so sick of it. But then again, I was hoping Obama would finish it off once and for all. :D

[nadinbrzezinski]

38. President Elect Palin, RUN FOR THEM HILLS

the end of the world is on us!!!!!!

[EOTE]

30. You got a point there.

If I'm really ambitious, I might be able to do away with the earth sometime by mid 2011.

http://qntm.org/?destroy#sec3

[TCJ70]

8. Even if Sarah Palin runs for president? n/t

[autorank]

15. The Mayans had a positive message, just like the Gnostics

You saw what happened to the Gnostic tradition in those lame Dan Brown books.

The Mayan 2012 event represents a culmination of time.

"The Mayans believed the universal processes, like the 'breathing' of the galaxy, are cycles that never change. What changes is the consciousness of man that passes through it. Always in a process toward more perfection. Based on their observations, the Mayans predicted that from the initial date of the start of their civilization, 4 Ahau, 8 Cumku which is 3113 B.C., after one cycle being completed 5,125 years in their future, December 21st, 2012. The Sun, having received a powerful ray of synchronizing light from the center of the galaxy, would change its polarity which would produce a great cosmic event that would propel human kind to be ready to cross into a new era, The Golden Age. It is after this, that the Mayans say we will be ready to go through the door that was left by them, transforming our civilization based on fear to a vibration much higher in harmony."
http://www.adishakti.org/mayan_end_times_prophecy_12-21-2012.htm

Very cool stuff. Makes as much sense as any other cosmology but has a beneficial goal.

[Skip Intro]

18. So there's a rumor the world won't end in 2012?

:scared:

[alfredo]

19. Well Shit! That ruins my plans. Damn

[nadinbrzezinski]

21. We are gonna have an end of the world party

and sure as the sun rises next day, if anybody drank (I don't) there will be hell to pay next morning.

:hi:

[alfredo]

28. As long as castration is not part of the EOTWP, I'm in.

Insurance won't cover elective surgery.

[nadinbrzezinski]

36. Why would we do that?

But hey it is one way to make fun of the idiocy as well.

I am toying to go watch 2012... I am a sucker for fancy FX... but plot? I don't expect it. Acting... sure. really NOT.

But to see the Himalayas covered in water (Of course that would mean a water world, but who's counting) should be fun.

[alfredo]

39. Eat a brownie *wink wink* before you go.

[imdjh]

20. 12/12/2012 international slap a moron day

[Swamp Rat]

23. Idiots. It's 2112.

[Echo In Light]

31. Haven't seen it yet, although willing to bet Knowing will be the superior version of that theme

Cinematically speaking, anyway

[Mari333]

32. yes, but there are crazy people nonetheless

I posted this in the lounge a few days ago


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x9130912

this should be as much fun for me as the pre millenial nuts .

[DU GrovelBot]

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[Mari333]

34. oh and I saw the movie

its fun. the ultimate disaster movie. all of the disaster movies combined into one.

[kixat2550]

35. That idea is ridiculous