Discussion on:

Will the world really end in 2012?

What I'd like to know is whether the 21st December takes into account the various calendar fudges that have been made in the last 2000 years. I'm sure various days have been added/removed as part of the changing from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar and messing around with leap days/years and so on. This wiki seems to better sum it up: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregorian_calendar

The Mayan calendar has a long cycle that is coming to an end, pretty much the same way as our yearly calendars come to an end and a new year begins. The Mayan long cycle ends the old cycle and a new cycle begins. In times of uncertainty, it is sometimes a relief to believe that a disaster will come and make everyone equal in trying to survive and adapt to new conditions. It is also a problem in that some predictions become true because people work to make them true; this is the story behind the movie "The Twelve Monkies".

Conspiracy theory number 473214:
What if he is horribly wrong? Maybe he is just saying this so as not to cause panic, could he have been forced by them to say it???..
Must go now to do my monthly generator test at the secret bunker, I can then come out ready to fight the zombies and other mutants. Oh by the way that is YOU readers, they have to come from somewhere???.(grin)
http://www.ssrichardmontgomery.com/download/bunk1.jpg

http://www.ssrichardmontgomery.com/download/bunk2.jpg

The Mayans NEVER stated that the world would end on 12/21/2012. Their calender stops simply because it is the last day of the 5,125-year-long cycle in the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar.

Even if they HAD stated that, why in the world would we put so much stock in the opinion of an ancient tribe- because they were good at math?? We're much more advanced at math and astronomy than they were, but to my knowledge we can't predict the future, either. Undoubtedly, the dimmest and most gullible amongst us will panic and do irrational things to "prepare" for this non-event, much like they did when a radio host (!) predicted the end of the world several times.

Man, theres one born every minute!

I agree with you that the Mayan calendar doesn't end but begins the next long cycle. The problem is that people do get caught up with vague prophecies and either intentionally or unconsciusly make those prophecies come true. There is some comfort in knowing that things will end when life is miserable, but tough times will pass and better times will follow (and tough times will follow better times as well). Last year was the predicted rapture on May 21 which did not happen, the prediction changed to October 21 and also did not happen. It would be interesting to look back at this year from the near future to see what actually happened vs what was feared to happen.

I love his chuckle at thousands of scientists keeping the same secret...that *THAT* conspiracy theorists!

The Myans calendar seems to have outlived their culture. Humm, does that mean they could not predict their own demise but can predict the end of the world. They must have been smarter than their own minds could comprehend.
The only thing that bothers me is the planetary allignment and the forces on our little moon satelite. Will the additional forces increase the 1/4 inch per year departure from Earth to cause
any effect. I for one have a different view of physical laws which lean towards energy being attracted to energy and the universe is all energy of different forms. i.e. light through water bends due to energy cause and effect which also eliminates a notion I can't swallow of dark matter and dark energy to explain lensing.

Guesser

The Mayan calendar did not predict the end of the world. The Mayans also did not predict that centuries later people would use their calendar to sell thousands of books predicting the end of the world.

The Mayans also believed that the sun is a god and the Milky Way is the gateway to life and death, the therfore concluded that this intersection (the solstice occurs at the same moment of the conjunction of the Galactic Equator with the Milky Way) in the past (August 11, 3114 B.C) must have been the moment of creation. Mayan hieroglyphs seem to indicate that they believed the next intersection (in 2012) would be some sort of end and a new beginning of a cycle.

However, the solstice occuring at the same moment of the conjunction of the Galactic Equator with the Milky Way happened already... in 1998, so the world ended then, I guess. Since the Sun is half a degree wide, its solstice position takes 36 years to precess its full width. Given this determined location for the line of the galactic equator, its most precise convergence with the center of the Sun already occurred in 1998, and so asserts that, rather than 2012, the galactic alignment instead focuses on a multi-year period centered on 1998.

Why is the US Gov. building an underground cities at Denver airport? They are saying that the earth has too much people, and many may have to die.They are building these places underground for very rich people, and the rest of the tom,dick and harrys can f**k themselves.

So all these worries about the end of the world is just that of a another rumor?, But what of tho's who think the end is nearing, A lot of people think that were all gonna die and are taken this very seriously.

if it happens, is the government ready for the precautions?!