Get ready - a day of fury, havoc and crisis awaits us all. Prepare yourself for explosions, natural disaster, galactic mishaps, and the extinction of the human race. It's the end of the world as we know it, and it's set to happen in 2012.
Recently, supposed theories of doomsday, or the destruction of human existence, have been all the rage. Whether you've seen it online, on TV or heard it from a friend, you are probably familiar with the idea that the year 2012 marks what many groups of people believe is the end of the world. The concept stems from religious beliefs, the beliefs of ancient civilizations, and even environmental predictions.
The most common theory surrounding the 2012 phenomenon dates back to the ancient civilization of the Maya. The Maya were obsessed with time and always felt the need to be a structured civilization; thus, they created several calendars to keep track of dates and times. Through a process called the "Long Count," studies have been able to conclude that the Maya calendars end their "Great Cycle" on a specific date, which translates to the present-day date of December 21st, 2012, or the day which people believe the world will end.
The Maya calendar theory, however, is not the only existing philosophy regarding 2012. Nostradamus, famous for his eerie prophecies, vaguely predicted in one of his quatrains that a meteor would crash into the earth and destroy the human race. Furthermore, scientists theorized that the galactic alignment of the earth would change and we would be swallowed by the universe in a gigantic black hole. Nevertheless, further theories concerning the end of the world include a mysterious planet - "Planet X" - crashing into the earth, the climax of global warming, the reversal of the Earth's magnetic fields and of course, the coming of God on Judgment Day.
Despite the wide array of theories and studies behind this phenomenon, how do we know what to believe? Likewise, how can the world be certain that these ideas are not phony?
The fascination of crisis was similar in an occurrence on New Year’s Eve of the year 2000, most commonly referred to as "Y2K." Computer geeks around the world speculated that when the clock struck midnight, every computer in the universe would malfunction. The anticipation of this event was a letdown: the computers remained in the same condition.
So what makes the 2012 phenomenon any different from Y2K?
We have no scientific proof that anything out of the ordinary will happen in 2012. In fact, NASA has shut down certain theories, claiming they would not be scientifically possible. For instance, NASA crews have known for a long time now that the magnetic poles of the earth move and have been tracking them since 1831. In order for a shift in the magnetic poles of the earth to occur, we would have to wait about 5000 years. With science out of the question, no one in the world has any solid evidence that the human race will be forever changed in 2012, nor do we have proof that the world will cease to exist.
Despite the lack of scientific verification regarding 2012, the media portrays the phenomenon as something to be fearful of. This life-changing event is the perfect opportunity for companies of all fields to make a profit. Businesses know that fear sells, and it's often provoked to make money. And as shameful as it is, companies make millions of dollars by scaring their buyers.
Take the new movie based on this event, 2012, as an example. It is a $200 million production and is set to be released in 82 countries around the world. The plot surrounds the idea of surviving doomsday and how to do so. The movie is anticipated to be a box-office sensation when it hits theatres this winter.
In addition, there are several books, documentaries and websites concerning the end of the world. Some professionals even claim to know how to outlive doomsday. The popularity of these mediums has become enormous.
In other words, the 2012 phenomenon is Hollywood gold.
Whether or not the world will end in 2012 is a mystery. The only certain way to reveal the truth is to wait for 2012 to arrive. Until then, remind yourself that you can't always believe what you read or hear.