The World will End on (Insert date here). No, Wait!

[stewstewstewdio.livejournal.com]

I never think of the future - it comes soon enough. - Albert Einstein

It seems there have been an awful lot of natural catastrophic worldwide events predicted lately. The 2012 end of the Mayan Calendar, planetary alignment, Harold Camping's Rapture and lately, a post in this community about a catastrophic solar flare that threatens our electronic way of life. Now evidence is emerging that we may be getting a reprieve from that event.

Don't get me wrong. I respect Michio Kaku immensely. He brings plain English explanations of very complex scientific information in a thoughtful way. And with his Sci Fi Science series, he takes cosmology away from the cerebral loftiness that seemed to be the format of Carl Sagan. I would be the last one to challenge Kaku's authority and credibility in the science community.

I understand that climate change is an entirely different issue and we are already seeing signs of its effects, with melting in the polar ice caps and other things. But these kinds of predictions of catastrophes, particularly of global proportions, used to be restricted to supermarket tabloids. Why are they coming to the forefront, especially now? Is it because of the information overload that we have gotten from the web and 24 hour news cycles? Is it because of a renewed interest in pop science and cosmology?

This is further proof that nature can throw us a curve at any time and that our destiny is not yet written, not even in the stars.
 

 

Comments

[ex-swaggerd.livejournal.com]

idk, man. With all the natural disasters that have actually been happening lately, I'm really pretty sure that the world as we know it is either coming to an end or is going to go through some drastic changes. Whether those changes will be good or bad and if they will continue to sustain our way of life is yet to be seen. Either way, I seriously doubt the human race is gonna last forever so who knows when that end will be.

[stewstewstewdio.livejournal.com]

so who knows when that end will be.

Yeah, that's kinda my point. We seem to have dodged the bullet thus far, and at 62 years old, I'm not going to sit in my rocking chair and wait for the bullet either.

[ex-swaggerd.livejournal.com]

That's pretty much my stance on it too. If the world is going to end then it's going to end no matter what we do. No use wasting what may be precious time dwelling on the inevitable.

[geezer-also.livejournal.com]

Oh man, sitting in my rocking chair is what I'm looking forward to (but then I am a few years older than you :D)

[ddstory.livejournal.com]

Cough (http://xdzombiez.edublogs.org/files/2008/11/large-hadron-collider.jpg)...

[htpcl.livejournal.com]

We're doomed....

[stewstewstewdio.livejournal.com]

preferable to the story of some politician who flashed his junk on the internet.

Just when you thought it was safe.....check the story 2 posts up.

[eracerhead.livejournal.com]

"But these kinds of predictions of catastrophes, particularly of global proportions, used to be restricted to supermarket tabloids. Why are they coming to the forefront, especially now?"

Because the internet is largely like a humongous supermarket tabloid in disguise. The only one of the things you mentioned that isn't complete bunk is solar activity, the potential effects of which have been known for decades. It really isn't on the same level as the others, but you wouldn't know it because it is difficult to sort out.

"This is further proof ... that our destiny is not yet written, not even in the stars."

Actually, no it isn't, but that's a topic for another community.

[the-rukh.livejournal.com]

*eyetwitch* The Mayan calendar does not predict the end of the world.

[enders-shadow.livejournal.com]

For dry, twitchty eyes, try not giving a fuck. Revolutionary new product. Take twice daily.

And never give Ben Stein your money.

[jerseycajun.livejournal.com]

It's like the "Butter is good/bad for you" thing, but for the apocalypse.

[brockulfsen.livejournal.com]

The world ended October 22, 1844 claims to contrary are darkest heresy.

Samuel S. Snow was most careful in his calculations.

[sandwichwarrior.livejournal.com]

Is it friday already?

[malakh-abaddon.livejournal.com]

Eventually ever-bodies life expectancy reaches 0. We will all die, so have fun, and die without regrets. Life is a party, and when you reach the gates of where ever you land, come in slideways, with a beer (or bottle of liquor)in one hand, a smoke in the other, and proclaim, "That was one hell of a ride."

Now as for the Mayans, I do not think it will be the complete end of the world, but the end of the world as we know it. I think we will finally have the veil lifted, and will achieve a great understanding, about ourselves, our world, and our place in the world. Then again, by 12-21-2012, we might have turned this planet into a smoldering shit hole. See, George Carlin was right.

Either that or our extraterrestrial overlords will return, and smite us for being idiots. Either way, it will prove most interesting when the end comes. But I was bummed that the rapture was not physical, I was finally going to have peace and quiet.