Sunday, November 30, 2008

2012 - Near or Far - the end or the beginning - life or death?

Hi everyone!
I'm not sure if anybody has heard about this, but it seems as though I've heard more about this topic more the past month than I ever have before.
For those of you who haven't heard of this "2012 theory" it describes the end of the world - an apocolypse. Sounds very frightening, I know. I tell myself that stuff like this pops up all the time, but then there is this voice in the back of my head saying "could that really happen?"

I've read about this theory in articles, and I just did some googling to find some extra information on it. According to USAToday, the theory started in the 1950's when astrologists and researchers got together and decoded the ancient mayan calendar. Supposedly, the ending date on the calendar is exactly December 21, 2012. So what? They probably just got lazy and didn't want to write anymore days. Hmm... I don't think so. The mayans accurately predicted many other "occurences" in history like patterns in the worlds cycle, eclipses, the stars, etc... In addition, the Chinese I Ching, Hopi Indians, Einstein, prophets, oracles, and yes even the Bible have predicted or suggested the end of history. Now whether they are talking about a new beginning, a purifaction process, or just the destruction of the world altogether, we don't know.

Scientists and researchers nowadays have started using our modern technology to help predict weather patterns, stock crashes, etc... A couple of years ago they created an all-knowing computer called the Web Bot. This computer was originally used to predict stocks, but recently it has been used to fortell the future on topics including: solar eclipses, events, weather, the economy and many others. For example, it predicted that in 2001 an event would occur that would forever more change security in America - to be exact September 11, 2001. Its predicted other happenings, but on a smaller scale. Now whether to say this is just a coincidence...I kinda doubt it. Anyway, this computer sends little bugs into the web world and gathers information that helps the computer formulate ideas about the future. Like the Mayans, it predicted the end of the world on December 21, 2012.
So the second question to this "theory" is how it will happen. Some say it is a buildup of things that will lead to our downfall. Over the next few years we will see an increase in: floods, droughts, diseases, wars, earthquakes, tsunamis, global warming, higher radiation levels, hurricanes, starvation, more nuclear threats, etc...
Others say that one single event will lead to the end of our world. For example, a single asteroid or one nuclear weapon. Also, at 11:11 December 21, 2012 the sun will align with the milky way. What this means I'm not sure, but it might contribute to the end.
I'm very sorry if I got anyone really scared, but I think it is something that we should be aware of. Whether this is total bologna or reality, is hard to say. I'd like to think that this won't happen becuase predictions like this are always popping up i.e. a computer bug in 2000 will kill all of us. Unfortunately, only time will be able to tell us.

also look at this video, if you have time. It gives some more information:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11iCmzGnOI8

13 comments:

Graicey said...

my cousin's birthday is december 21st. so if the world ends, we'll miss his birthday party.

not to be flippant or anything.

MK said...

Well... an upside to this is that we will never actually have to work. I'm not looking forward to adulthood, so this could be good...in an bad way, I guess. By then, we will be freshmen in college and probably getting ready to go home for the holidays... OH NO! NO CHRISTMAS THAT YEAR!! haha. Well, that was just a thought that came to mind when I read this.

Fatima H said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Fatima H said...

That would be really scary, but I don't think any such thing would happen. In 1999, there was this fear called Y2K, where people said that the computers weren't ready to recognize year 2000, and would start at year 0. People thought that everything would start at the beginning of civilization; it would be like the stone age times, because machines wouldn't function anymore. Everyone was worrying and all that fear lead to NOTHING! Nothing happened at all!!!!!! THe news broadcasters scared the people so much and nothing happened.

I think nothing like this will happen, especially when science and many other people are planning for year 2050. I don't think the world will come to an end, especially in our generation. I think our generation in the very beginning of the end.

Fatima H said...

Well I think the world will come to an end, but not in our generation. (That sentence was kind of misleading.) :)

Fatima H said...

That would be really scary, but I don't think any such thing would happen. In 1999, there was this fear called Y2K, where people said that the computers weren't ready to recognize year 2000, and would start at year 0. People thought that everything would start at the beginning of civilization; it would be like the stone age times, because machines wouldn't function anymore. Everyone was worrying and all that fear lead to NOTHING! Nothing happened at all!!!!!! THe news people scared the people so much and nothing happened.

I think nothing like this will happen, especially when science and many other people are planning for year 2050. I don't think the world will come to an end, especially in our generation. I think our generation in the very beginning of the end.

Jacob H said...

While the world is taking a turn for the worse lately (Mumbai, 9/11, Iraq), I doubt it will lead to the end of the world. Things such as this have popped up before (i.e. y2k). The US has even detonated nuclear bombs, and the world didn't draw to a close. We overcame the Cuban Missile Crisis, 2 world wars, and the great depression. There is no reason that humanity will fall eternally into a dark and depressing abyss because someone predicted it.

We are taking the first steps towards preventing the end of the world. We elected Barack Obama. We are starting to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. OPEC has to hold an emergency meeting to see what they can do about it. We are starting to bring up developing nations, and we are trying to raise the standards of living globally.

Humanity needs to continue with these actions. The last thing we can afford is to retrogress. We need to support the leaders of the future, but still draw from the leaders of the past. While we need to look forward militarily, economically, politically, and socially, we can not forget the past. New solutions to the worlds problems are required, not merely a continuation of old ways.

I think the main reason I disagree with that prediction is they can not predict the ingenuity of humans. I am sure that if society continued doing exactly what it was doing, ignorant of costs and damages, the world would be ending quite soon. However, society as a whole has been able to overcome hurdles time and time again, there is nothing stopping us from overcoming this one.

Now is the time to do a lot of things. Being a pessimist, however, is not one them.

chelly. said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCuaR8KehEk

check out this link for the movie 2012 that is to come out soon. my friend told me about it...scary stuff!

we'll be freshman in college!

Lauren T said...

Wow, Victoria, this is really interesting stuff. I have also heard some things here and there about "the end," but it's also been a hot topic for years. Like you said, people suspected something like that would happen for the start of the new millenium, but we're all here! However, at church on Sunday the priest briefly brought up the apocalypse during the homily, but not in the sense of the end of the world. He said that the Greek word "apocalypse" actually means "revelation." That got me thinking: maybe on December 21, 2012, there won't be an end to the world at all, but maybe a worldwide revelation. Maybe we will finally accept our differences and all nations will be at peace. Who knows? We'll have to wait this one out.

Taylor B said...

A lot of the 2012 theory is attributes to ancient civilizations stopping their calenders on the same date and ambiguous predictions. Honestly, if you were an ancient Indian you wouldn't want to continue on with your calender forever, you would have to stop at some point. The ambiguity of their predictions also make it hard to get anything out of them, it depends on how you interpret things. I agree with Lauren that this might be the apocalypse date. As a Christian I believe that before the end of the world, Christ will return and take the Christians to heaven. I am not saying that this is the only right answer, but its one view.

victoria said...

yes, I agree. Whether its a revelation, a new beginning, the end... we just do not know. Did anyone happen to watch an episode on this on the history channel. I didn't watch it, but I saw a short clip of it, and it had alot of info. about this topic

Nirali D said...

I don't honestly believe the whole 2012 end of the world thing. Although, Alex, that would solve our whole graduation rhyming issues since we wouldn't graduate. Taylor's right, though, the calendar, ancient as it is will probably have to end. I'm sure the NATIVE AMERICANS (haha im jk, i know what you guys mean, its just fun)believe it as much as we have faith in our views.

RealityBites said...

I stumbled upon your blog and I think the topic is super interesting. There's a book for those who are interest about the 2012 theory which is a really good and easy read. Here is a link about the book:
http://www.spiritualwisdom2012.com/