I came across an interesting article Twittered by a few sources today, posted by NASA on their website regarding some of the hysteria around the “2012 doomsday” prediction. The article basically goes through some of the theories floating around out there, and how most of them have no scientific data to back them up.
Normally I wouldn’t bother to publicly comment on a topic such as this, especially not on a more technology centric blog, but with all this ridiculous hype I feel as if I must share my opinion. As most people know, there is talk about a ‘Mayan prophecy’ that predicts a great calamity on December 21st 2012 that will essentially mark the end of the world, once the end-date on the current Mayan Long Count calendar arrives (or something along those lines).
The general consensus amongst the scientific community is that there is no factual scientific evidence to support anything happening on a specific date in the future to wipe us off the map. The Mayans themselves never stated originally in those exact words what would happen on that date, or that it would specifically be destructive in nature. They mostly spoke of a change in consciousness, or a spiritual transformation, meaning a ‘transformation’ in people’s hearts / minds due to the beginning of a new era.
My own opinion is that the talk around 2012 is based on misinformation, misinterpretation, and overall the hype is absoltely ridiculous. As a species it’s natural for us to be a bit curious, however, that same curiosity in this case leads to sort of sick indulgence very quickly. We tend to misinterpret, throw things out of proportion, and worse of all: SENSATIONALIZE. We become obsessed with the most meaningless things, and in this case, obsessed with our own destruction. Whether it be by our own hands, some astronomical occurence, etc. we cannot stop thinking as a race on how it will all end.
For various reasons there are people or organizations that further this propeganda for their own means. Some because they actually believe in what they’re saying, others to spark discussion (good or bad), and finally for outright profit. “The world is ending in 2012! Buy our books, our audio CDs, and go to our movies to inform yourselves before it’s too late!” This type of banter is absolutely ridiculous, and it’s sickening that we are willing to even play around with topics such as these.
Can the world actually come to an end in 2012? Sure it can, just like it can come to an end TOMORROW or any other day. Life in this Universe is very fragile, and some can say (depending on your personal beliefs in evolution) that our very existence on this planet is just a matter of circumstance. We can thrive for another 200,000 years, be wiped out in another 200 years, or wipe ourselves out in 2 years.
The point is that no one can predict with any sort of accuracy what will happen in the future. Maybe the immediate future if we see something coming, but certainly not in the long term. We do not have any working crystal balls, and the Mayans never claimed to factually be able to read the future (let alone what would happen exactly) as it relates to 2012.
If you choose to buy into any of this — one way, or another — the only thing I can say is open your mind, and come to your own conclusions. Never let any sort of hype overtake your own opinions or beliefs. As for me, I for one will not buy into any of it, and I will certainly be boycotting ridiculous forms of “entertainment” like the upcoming 2012 movie this weekend; not to mention the various other movies and TV shows already in production around this topic. “Google 2012 to find out the truth” is absolutely one of the stupidest marketing terms I’ve heard of in the past 9 years.
All of this is incredibly saddening, in the sense that our species continues to propagate sensationalism such as this, but sadly it is our nature.
Read More: 2012: Beginning of the End or Why the World Won’t End?
