for all your doomsday information needs…
No matter how many times scientists and science writers who’ve done their homework explain why 2012 will not be the end of the world by any means, the myth persists. There’s just too much money to be made from selling doomsday guides, books about New Age woo associated with the date, and media attention to all the pseudoscientific ideas. But we’re not going to debunk yet another 2012 claim for the umpteenth time. Instead, I wanted to highlight a highly informative 2012 factsheet assembled by London-based data visualization pro, David McCandless, which looks claims made by believers and provides scientific rebuttals from skeptics.
While David does an excellent job bringing complex information together in a visually appeasing format as he always does, I’m sure this won’t quell the fires of doomsday and galactic consciousness shift prophets. Since the 2012 meme is one of the hottest things out there today, woo-meister Daniel Pinchbeck got himself a spot on the Colbert Report, perhaps instead of Phil Plait. Several Weird Things readers who live in my city and talk to me in person tell me about all the 2012 believers who constantly tell them about how the end is near. At the same time, one of my favorite independent DJs who’s mixes prompted me to dust off my mixing software and eventually put together Right Ascension for Discovery Space, stunned me last year by putting out a 2012 mix with an introduction so filled with New Age Cosmic Consciousness woo, the skeptic in me had to go into one of the backrooms of my mind to howl in disappointment.
The doomsday woo is truly strong, perhaps too strong for facts and it will take an very, very routine December 21st, 2012 to calm the believers. Although, it’s possible that a mundane 2012 could mark a shift in how many people see the world as the believers realize that they’ve been taken for a ride and should consult those in the know before falling for the hottest doomsday trend in the media or on the web. But then again, this the kind of worldview flip that doesn’t require a special date and one skeptics and scientists strive for everyday…
Remember when the “don’t bomb the moon” frenzy reached its peak, and people were claiming that “we don’t know enough” about the universe to discount that impacting the moon would not cause massive tidal waves that would destroy the Earth?
I predicted that nothing would happen to the Earth, and gave a conservation of energy and momentum argument showing this likely. I also stated that soon those voices would disappear when they woke up alive after the impact. And indeed this is mostly true.
Your prediction about 2012 will undoubtedly come true as well… but we have to wait 3 years. =(
However, lets think about the LHC and our impending deaths by micro black holes, or reality phase changes! ;)
I predict that when the LHC runs for a few weeks at full luminosity, and we are still alive, that those voices will die out.
I predict that this will happen because we will have indeed phase changed our reality to one where most of the the people complaining about the LHC will suddenly disappear!
=)
But the downside is that all the LHC whiners will be replaced by 2012 doomsayers. =(
But we already know that in 2012 Oprah Winfrey’s show will no longer be on a broadcast network – and if that’s not the end of the world, then what is?
The doomsday woo is truly strong, perhaps too strong for fact and it will take very, very routeline December21, 2012 to calm believers.
Of course Greg! But I don’t find it too strong for facts. I’ve written about it too in my blog here.
http://bruceleeeowe.wordpress.com/2009/11/16/revealed-is-nibiru-coming/
but I’ve done this earlier than you, Greg. Most popular media has rumored it just for their some economical profits. I can remember when it was hoaxed earlier. You know. The worth considering point is that doomsday dates are continuously shifting. And this is most counter intuitive. Now some old prophets are saying it will happen in 2029 instead of 2012. Hmmm.. serious problem. Any solution, Greg?