2012

The rumor about the world ending in 2012 has been going around for awhile now, and there has been much controversy about the topic. There are many reasons why the earth will NOT end in 2012. I am going to tell you about the pathetic and mindless ideas of why people think we are all going to die in 2012. The calendars of the ancient people, the idea of polar reversal, and the "danger" of solar storms are just a few of the reasons why people think the world is going to end in 2012.

Many of the beliefs come from the calendars of the ancient people. These calendars include the Mayla, Tzolk'in, and Habb. The Mayla calendar last renewed itself approximately 5,125 years ago and is set to end again supposedly with catastrophe consequences in 2012. The Tzolk'in Calendar is used primarily in crop rotation, this calendar allows one 260-day period to ready the land and one 260-day period to grow and harvest the corn. It was also considered a sacred calendar by the Mayans and determined when their rituals occurred. The Tzolk'in uses 20 days signs coupled with 13 number signs to produce the 260 uniquely identified days. The Haab Calendar lasts 360 days and breaks down into 18 20-day months, with a five-day waiting period at the end that was considered. The Calendar Round gave the Mayans a way to record history in longer increments. By combining the Tzolk'in and Haab calendars, they had 18,980 uniquely designated days, or in other words, 52 years. "Just as the calendar you have on your kitchen wall does not cease to exist after December 31, the Mayan calendar does not cease to exist on December 21, 2012. This date is the end of the Mayan long-count period but then -- just as your calendar begins again on January 1 -- another long-count period begins for the Mayan calendar." (Source 3). Although the calendars are different, they leave no reason for us to believe that the world will end in 2012.

A second common belief is polar reversal. This is when the pole changes directions and makes a 180 degree turn and the poles will switch. "First, a polar reversal will cause the north to become the south and the sun to rise in the west. Shattering earthquakes, massive tidal waves and simultaneous volcanic eruptions will follow. Nuclear reactors will melt, buildings will crumble, and a cloud of volcanic dust will block out the sun for 40 years." (Source 1). This is highly unlikely according to NASA. "A reversal in the rotation of Earth is impossible. There are slow movements of the continents." (Source 3). Many disaster websites show a relationship between the rotation and the magnetic polarity of Earth, which does change irregularly, with a magnetic reversal taking place every 400,000 years on average. "As far as we know, such a magnetic reversal doesn’t cause any harm to life on Earth. A magnetic reversal is very unlikely to happen in the next few millennia, anyway. (Source 3). From this information, it is highly unlikely that the world will in because of polar reversal in 2012.

The third common misconception about 2012 is the danger of solar storms predicted for 2012. "Solar activity has a regular cycle, with peaks approximately every 11 years. Near these activity peaks, solar flares can cause some interruption of satellite communications, although engineers are learning how to build electronics that are protected against most solar storms. But there is no special risk associated with 2012. The next solar maximum will occur in the 2012-2014 time frame and is predicted to be an average solar cycle, no different than previous cycles throughout history." (Source 3). Some others believe that earth is slated for another ice age which will kill all living things. Dangerous storms are unlikely to hit earth in 2012 causing the world to end.

Who can we actually depend on for the answer to this question? Will the world end in 2012? The scientists have the true answers as to how and when the world will end."According to astronomers, billions of years from now, the sun will become a red giant, expanding to a size larger than the Earth's orbit and consuming Earth in the process. Even if the planet somehow survives, the sun will eventually shrink, becoming a white dwarf and gradually cooling off until it can no longer warm anything in the solar system." (Source 2). "Nothing bad will happen to the Earth in 2012. Our planet has been getting along just fine for more than 4 billion years, and credible scientists worldwide know of no threat associated with 2012...There is no credible evidence for any of the assertions made in support of unusual events taking place in December 2012" (Source 3).