Will the world REALLY end on Dec 21 2012

Doomsday theory based on Mayan calendar

There are many different and odd theories about what exactly might happen.

Some believe a mysterious celestial object known as Planet X, or Nibiru, is returning to our solar system and will bring cosmic catastrophe.

Others think a rapid “polar shift” — a sudden reversal of the Earth’s rotation — will bring global destruction.

Some theories talk of planetary or galactic alignments, others say there will be a reversal of the Earth’s magnetic polarity.

There are other weird theories doing the rounds about what might happen in 2012 too.

As reported in The Sun last summer, former oilfield executive Ian R Crane has predicted that a “false flag alien invasion” will be staged at the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games — a faked event that will enable the authorities to declare martial law and usher in a new world order.

Mayan Chichen Itza pyramid ... 364 steps plus top platform represented days of the year

The New Age community takes a different view of the 2012 predictions.

They don’t think the world will end in a literal sense, but that there will be a spiritual transformation.

The language is woolly and the science decidedly dodgy, but there is talk of a shift in consciousness and the dawning of the Age Of Aquarius.

2012 ... movie references Mayan prophesies

It sounds more fun than the fire and brimstone predicted from some quarters.

Unsurprisingly, many academics and sceptics think the whole thing is rubbish.

They believe a combination of conspiracy theorists, charlatans and New Age mystics have misrepresented the Mayan writings or misunderstood how this ancient culture thought.

They point out that just because any calendar ends, it doesn’t follow that the next day is doomsday.

The idea 2012 will see the end of the world goes far wider than internet forums, it’s firmly embedded in popular culture.

The 2009 Hollywood blockbuster movie 2012 told the story of people trying to survive global catastrophe.

It included references to the Mayan prophesies and among the taglines for the film were “We were warned” and “Find out the truth — search 2012”.

The most amazing example of how widespread beliefs about 2012 have become involves NASA. The space agency got so many questions about it they put extensive material on the Frequently Asked Questions section of their website.

Entitled “Beginning of the end or why the world won’t end?”, the section begins by assuring readers “nothing bad will happen to the Earth in 2012”.

Count down ... stone tablet refers to Long Count calendar dates

NASA debunk the claims about Nibiru and Planet X and quash theories about planetary and galactic alignment. They say no planetary alignments will occur for the next few decades and point out Earth won’t cross the galactic plane — and even if these events did take place their effects would be “negligible”.

NASA explain that while the Earth and sun align with the approximate centre of our galaxy — the Milky Way — every December, this is “an annual event of no consequence”.

The polar shift theory is dismissed as being “impossible” but, intriguingly, the point about the reversal of magnetic polarity is actually TRUE.

NASA acknowledge this happens around every 400,000 years but state: “As far as we know, such a magnetic reversal doesn’t cause any harm to life on Earth.” Such denials are unlikely to convince conspiracy theorists.

Many of them believe NASA faked the moon landings and routinely hide evidence of UFOs and alien visitation.

There is nothing new about predictions that the world will end. The idea is central to most world religions, with words such as Armageddon, Judgment Day and The End of Days used.

Many Christians believed the world would end in 1000AD — a millennium after the birth of Christ. More recently there was a surge of interest in French mystic Nostradamus, who predicted the world would end in 1999.

Some people linked this with the Y2K problem — the Millennium Bug which some experts thought would crash computers around the world when 1999 rolled over into 2000.

Earlier this year American Christian radio broadcaster Harold Camping predicted “The Rapture” — when the righteous would be taken to heaven, with everyone else left behind to face death and destruction.

mpu

When the predicted day — May 21 — passed without incident, Camping simply picked another day, October 21. As readers will have noticed, the world didn’t end then either.

The good news is that all previous predictions of the end of the world have proved to be false.

So whatever you believe, the odds are in our favour.

But that won’t stop some preparing for Armageddon.

Whether it’s out of fear or fun, on Facebook and elsewhere, people are beginning to plan end of the world parties for December 21, 2012.

I may organise one myself. If the world doesn’t end, we can raise our glasses and drink some champagne.