2012

[Darrien]

With the movie and the actual date 3 years a away, I was curious everyone's opinion on the validity of any the doomsday predictions.

[BroomJockey]

My opinion is summed up quite nicely in the following:

http://www.cracked.com/article_17445...-bullshit.html

[Pedersen]

So, you are asking people opinions on the calendar system of a long dead civilization's ability to predict catastrophe for the world?

I'll take "Ridiculously Impossible Scenarios for $1000", Alex.

[Greenday]

Their calender has ended multiple times as I recall. Earth is still here...

[joe hx]

i think it's like our calendar ends with December. does that mean there's nothing after December? no, it just cycles

but it is fun to think about

[Flyndaran]

I really hope no one discovers an near earth orbiting object that makes an approach in 2012. People will go insane!

[Kalli]

ugh, every time I hear a 2012 theory I just want to shove a dirty sock in the doomsayer's mouth.

The truth is, humans think in terms of beginnings and endings. Everything has a start and everything has a finish. We just aren't capable of contemplating something that never started, and will never end. This is where these ass-backwards theories come from, imo.

[Flyndaran]

...We just aren't capable of contemplating something that never started, and will never end. This is where these ass-backwards theories come from, imo.

I'm an atheist that believes in beginnings and endings. The universe began about 14 billion years ago, and will eventually die a "heat death".
Everything ends, but the problem is believing that we can predict it. We inherently love the idea of judgement times, when all the wrongs will be righted.

[AFPheonix]

Meh, I could worry about it, but there's really no planning one can do in the event of world-wide cataclysm, so you know what? I'm gonna keep on doing what I'm doing, have a good time and call it good.

[Dreamstalker]

"I believe that the world will end on February 14th in the year 2016."

As I heard it, when the Mayan calendar was developed 2012 just happened to be as far as their calculations could go (I also doubt they saw a pressing need to go further).

[Giggle Goose]

As I heard it, when the Mayan calendar was developed 2012 just happened to be as far as their calculations could go (I also doubt they saw a pressing need to go further).

Yeah, they might have had plans to do that, but then the Spanish came and fucked them over. Guess we'll never know!

[Flyndaran]

...
As I heard it, when the Mayan calendar was developed 2012 just happened to be as far as their calculations could go (I also doubt they saw a pressing need to go further).

Actually, it's just the roll over moment adding one more "world" to the count.

[Bloodsoul]

The world can't end yet! The calendar on "Super Mario Bros. DX" goes up to the year 3,000!

[Slytovhand]

I really hope no one discovers an near earth orbiting object that makes an approach in 2012. People will go insane!

I had a friend try to convince me they're already detected 3 possibilities already.. and guess when they're likely to show up and get close????

Instincts tell me something will happen from around that point onwards, but not the 'end of the world' per se... maybe just a big change (or a pile of little ones). We're heading that way anyway... it won't really be that surprising if some drastic shit hits the fan in the next few years (what with North Korea getting bullying, and Iran getting pointed at by the US.. and now Indonesians are bombing people again.....).

As for the Mayan calander, it actually continued for another 5 billion years. But, I think someone needed some stone to write something down on, and grabbed the closest hunk of rock and wrote on the back of it.. it was probably for a shopping list or someone's number... you know what it's like when you're in a hurry.

[BroomJockey]

As for the Mayan calander, it actually continued for another 5 billion years.

From my understanding, no. It was a cycle, almost like a "greater year." To explain what I mean, think of it this way: within a year, we have months. It's always the same months. The year ends, we go back to the start, with a few new calculations, especially re: Feb. The Mayan calendar was sorta like that. It gets to the end, they start over, with a few new calculations.