2006-12-18 10:15:24 · 6 answers · asked by gone 6 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Calendars measure time. Time doesn't stop. Are you worried because the calendar on your wall stops at 12-31-2006? Of course not.
The Mayan Long Count calendar is entering its 13th Baktun on 12-21-2012. (A baktun is about 396 of our years.) For some reason some people have gotten it into their heads that that equals a complete reboot of the calendar. It doesn't.
2006-12-18 23:09:04 · answer #1 · answered by Gevera Bert 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It doesn't stop. It just rolls around to zero, so to speak. The Mayan calendar ran in cycles of about 394 years and started again at zero and so on and so on.
Being no less gullible than any other Coast To Coast listeners (yeah, how many of you knew Art Bell was that old???), they believed significant (i.e.: terrible: the ancient world seemed to know no other kind of significant anything) events would happen at the ends of cycles. And it looks like thing pretty much did exactly that in their own civilization as their major fall-aparts seemed to happen about then.
So the calendar simply runs out of uniqueness and starts over about 12-21-2012. (Gosh, see all those similar digits, they just make a Coast To Coast devotee squirm with nervousness and excitement!!!)
2006-12-18 20:49:34 · answer #2 · answered by roynburton 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It doesn't.
It stops December 21st 2012.
There are some interesting theory's here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_calendar
2006-12-18 18:22:12 · answer #3 · answered by Barrett G 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Because they lived a thousand years ago. Why calculate time more than a thousand years ahead if it's so much trouble?
2006-12-18 18:49:26 · answer #4 · answered by eri 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Maybe because they didn't get a chance to calculate farther before the Spanish invaded.
2006-12-18 19:40:40 · answer #5 · answered by tkron31 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Because it will be the doom's day.
2006-12-18 18:41:38 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋