What do you think about the 2012 doomsday predictions?

Question

I just watched a show on the History Channel (I think) about the 2012 Doomsday predictions. I had never even heard of such a prediction outside of the Bible, but the show did list several sources for the reasoning behind the demise of the Earth around that time.

I am most interested in the Scientific basis for the theory. It stated in that program that in the year 2012 that the Earth and Sun will be at the center of the Milky Way, and will cross over the universe's "equator" and, this change will force the Earth to change the magnetic polarity of our North and South Poles. (North pole will register South, and visa versa). This monumental change would create widespread havock on our planet. Causing worldwide mass extinctions, volcano's, and earthquakes. (They stated that the planet has in fact changed its magnetic polarity before, 800 million years ago).

It was an eye opening program to watch. Any thoughts?!

I forgot to mention, that in the program they said that by the Sun and Earth ( and I guess the rest of our Solor System etc.) crossing over this galactic equator, It will cause the sun to have extreme solor storms that emit much more radiation, destroying more of our satalllites. In fact, scientific predictions, ( and warnings) say 2012 will be an active solor year. Who really knows what will happen when the sun crosses over. Lets keep in mind that whatever effects the sun, ultimately effects us here on Earth.

Thanks for your thoughts!

Yeah, I guess that you have to believe that the center is going to be reached/crossed in or around 2012, to make the prediction even possible. Thanks! : )

Answer 1

To begin, the History Channel show did not say that "...Earth and Sun will be at the center of the Milky Way..." The center of the galaxy is 25,000 light years away from Earth, so it would take at least 25,000 years for us to get there even if we could move at the speed of light, which we can't.

You also said that the TV show said that "...will cross over the universe's "equator" and, this change will force the Earth to change the magnetic polarity of our North and South Poles..."

You probably meant the equator of our *galaxy,* not the universe. Even so, there's no scientific basis in the silly assumption that crossing the galactic equator is going to do anything to Earth.

The doomsday prophecy that's sprouted from the Mayan calendar is just so much nonsense. 2012 is nothing more than the end of the current Mayan calendar, no more or less.

Answer 2

There is no theory. It's just wives tales. Your note saying that the History Channel did a show explains why this has come up probably 25 times here in the last few days. As far as the validity goes, shows like this boost the ratings. We have two or three ends of the world every year.


The sun and the earth Will never be in the middle of the Milky Way. I don't know how they can say that. Sounds like someone in middle school invented that unless by middle they mean galactic plane and as far as that goes, so what. We orbit two thirds of the way out. The magnetic field of the earth does flip but on it's own. The galactic magnetic field is very weak. Otherwise it would affect out compasses. Wow, I just don't believe such a decent channel actually broadcast this kind of crap, but then they do have UFO shows on claiming they''re real.

2012 is when the Mayan calendar runs out and that's where this all started. Actually the world ends at the end of February next year. That's when my Barnes & Noble calendar with the dogs runs out.

Answer 3

The Sun and Earth are in a circular orbit around the center of the Milky Way, with a 250 million year orbital period. Going around this orbit, the Sun and Earth bob up and down through the galactic mid-plane every 50 million years or so. Nothing special happens at those times, although we are most likely to encounter a cloud of dense interstellar gas at those times. I believe even their facts are wrong: my recollection is that we are currently a little above the galactic midplane and heading upwards, so we passed the galactic midplane a few million years ago.

In any case, don't believe everything you see on the History Channel---much of it is irresponsible nonsense. And you might also ask yourself why you believe what is written in the Bible. It is interesting to look into the historical origins of the Bible.

Answer 4

This is garbled psuedoscience which should be regarded with the contempt it deserves.

The Mayans did not know what the Milky Way was, or that we are part of it or that we rotate within it. Quite how they could therefore predict that on 21/12/2012 we would be in exactly the right position to be on the receiving end of a calamity rather eludes me therefore.

All primitive cultures tended to believe the earth was the centre of the known universe, and even if they espoused heliocentrism saw the Sun as being the stationary point around which everything else rotated.

Hence the idea that we moved out of the calamity-prone position and then move back into that position coud not possibly be any part of what the Mayans knew and understood. Plainly it is a later embellishment added by a 21st Century writer to make the tale of doom and gloom sound more convincing.

I have to tell you that we will NOT be at the Galactic Centre in 5 years time:

(a) We are 26,000 light years away from the Centre. How are we going to travel that distance in 5 years (over 5000 times as fast as the speed of light!)?

(b) Our orbit takes 225-250 million years to complete one circuit and we never go near the Galactic Centre, we remain within the Orion Arm (a Spiral Arm of the Milky Way).

That is a safe distance away from the massive radiation that would rain on our heads if we did go anyway near the supermassive black hiole at the galactic centre. We are in the galactic habitable zone where we are and life on earth would never have got started if we were near the Galactic Centre.

(c) It follows that we have completed about 20 orbits during the Sun's lifetime to date, And the last occasion we were in a similar position via-a-vis the Orion Arm was not 800 million years ago but 225-250 million years ago and if this magnetic poles theory is to be believed (sounds like poppycock)there will have been 20 or so such changes to date.

I don't think the universe has an Equator as I am not convinced it is spherical. The Milky Way is flat, more like a massive fried egg, bulging a bit at the centre, so quite where is its Equator supposed to be? It isn't spherical either.

The usual version I hear trotted our is that the Earth will be "aligned" with the Galactic Centre, whatever that means (it is never explained so it cannot be examined to see if it's true or not).

Given that we are a barred spiral galaxy not just a simple spiral galaxy. I would have thought that being aligned would have something to do with our position via-a-vis the bar. Anything and everything is in some sort of simple spatial relationship with the Galactic Centre, including all the satellite Galaxies in that you could draw a radius outwards from the Centre to them. But what does that mean?

I fail to see that the Galactic Centre is going to somehow manage to zap us across a distance of 26,000 light years and do so with such pinpoint accuracy that it is only earth that is affected but the other 7 planets are unaffected! Incidentally, Uranus' axial tilt is at 90 degrees so reversing the polarity of its north and south poles would make precious little difference to Uranus.

Doesn't it occur to the Histeria Channel that if a calamity is to strike us in 5 years' time. it must have started out on its way at least 25,995 light years ago and travel at the speed of light to get here in time? And how was it to know that we would be in the right position 26,000 years later, when it started out?

So I suggest you appraise the "evidence" with a critical eye and scoff at how flimsy it is.

I shall leave the last word with Ebenezer Scrooge: "Humbug!"

Answer 5

Such predictions are made all the time. If you have never heard these kinds of predictions outside the Bible, then you have not been paying attention. The end of the world has been predicted many times before. All the dates have come and gone without anything happening, and the same will happen in 2012.

Answer 6

I do not think that the world will end in 2012. Has the thousand years prophesied in the Bible happened already? Not yet, isn't it? And 2012 is just five years away.

There are also other prophecies that will still happen. One of these is the taking out of the good people from this world to another planet. I do not know when this will happen and where the good people will be brought to but this is one of the revealed prophecies of a holy spirit to us (plural). I firmly believe that this will happen, just like His prophecy of AIDS that is spot on.

Now, more than ever, we have to change our wrong beliefs. Change our wrong and evil ways. Change for the better and turn a new leaf in life for when we die, we cannot repent anymore. The 2012 Doomsday of the Mayans is not be the actual end of the world. There may just be a great calamity or event on the said date.

You may read my reply to the question of "Are aliens real?".

Answer 7

I don't. There are a lot more pressing things to think about than some silly prediction about 2012. What's the History Channel doing messing about with nonsense like this? They'll lose what little credibility they have left.

Answer 8

I have read dozens of Doomsday predictions. All have been wrong, obviously, and all will be wrong. There are some in the Bible, e.g. Jesus evidently believed it'd come in the lifetime of some people who heard him say it. Can't these imbeciles wait for 3000CE to predict such nonsense?

Answer 9

Every other day someone tries to tell us that we will all die terribly and soon. This has been going on ever since you carbon based lifeforms invented time to monitor your own decay. I am sickened by this fear of existence you bald monkeys have. There is no booger-man, so just grow up and keep pumping methane into the atmosphere to prepare for the eventual take over by Venus.

Answer 10

Well yes d pridiction might be true but as far as i know is that in 2012, the earth will get too close to the the meteorite belt and then BAM!! It hits the asteroids. Thats hoe might end.