21 - 12 - 2012

[mountainboo]

Yes, it's a date some of us will be familiar with by now. With the upcoming release of the film, I'm sure everyone who wasn't, will be!

Scientifically speaking, there is no evidence to show that the 'end of the world' is imminent, is there? I've heard it all, from pole shifts, to galactic alignments, to planets passing the earth and causing destruction, to super volcanic eruptions and most recently whole continent earthquakes. Well, the list goes on.

There have been numerous 'prophets' also the Myans, I Ching and the web bot project have supposedly predicted a cataclismic event on the above date which will result in the end of humankind.

I realise that people have been predicting the end of the world pretty much since humans existed, but this date seems to have the most speculation and significance to past civilisations, why is this?

Any thoughts, apart from the obvious...
TIA

[gen2]

In a word, the INTERNET.

Without the internet we'd be none the wiser and have nothing to worry about. Leave it to the Myans to do the worrying. None of them around? Well I guess their world ended long before 2012 so I don't think they got it right.

As for the significance of the Myan calendar ending in 2012: I have a calendar in my room here that ends on Dec 31st 2009 - Does that mean the world will end then?

[Postdog]

Can't answer scientifically, but to my knowledge, the Mayans haven't predicted anything disastrous. It's just that they devised a calendar which ran for years and years, and which "expires" on that date. Opiniions of some people are just that this is the end of a cycle, and it will start over.

Mind you, my bank cards expire in 2012 about then.....

[gen2]

Maybe this topic should have been posted under 'Myths & Legends'

[Prudentia]

20/12-/21/12 strange???

[jake-the-peg]

This date comes about because it's when the mayan calander would have run out of cycles.

To suggest that it signifies the end of the world is no more sensible than suggesting that the world will end when we run out of number plate year designations on cars

[jackthehat]

^ I'm not sure I'd pay to go and see THAT film, Jake..........

It doesn't sound terribly exciting............and is there any scope for special effects......? :o)

[heathfield]

Loads on Google about the end of the Mayan Great Year and what happens astronomically, e.g....

http://www.crawford2000.co.uk/maya.htm

[AndThenSome]

Well my Shed built spacerocket will be built by then....and they called me mad......

[TTG]

If the world does start to end, I'll just have a lie-in so I miss it.

[jp_2031]

If the world does begin to end on that day, im just gonna shoot myself to save pain :)

Unless the world just suddenly ends at midnight?

Bah, its all a load of rubish... People that think we going to all die on this date will be soo embarrised :D (Or Dead?)

[mountainboo]

Some very funny responses, I like it. Thanks for the link Heathfield, it was useful.