"Mona, are you going to write about the [supposed] Mayan prophecy and the [supposed] end of the world in 2012?" I tended to say maybe, but I think I really meant NO all along.

It takes time to research and write an article. The idea is to explain what we currently understand about the topic, and the article should then be a reference for a long time. That makes it worth the time and effort.

I couldn't even began to say how silly (and contrived - some people are making money from it!) the whole doomsday business is. Here is a nice summary if you're interested: Beyond 2012 .

I'm a bit lazy and can't see myself explaining to BellaOnline readers why there isn't any evidence that the doomsday predictions are in any way likely. After all, any such article is going to be superfluous on December 22nd.

Mona, you crack me up! I am wholeheartedly in agreement with you.

I have been involved in many deep discussions about the 12/21/12 "prediction", have done endless research, read every thing I could find on the "end of the world" Mayan calendar thing and found absolutely no proof that the Mayans predicted the end of the world.

It is a fascinating subject to get involved in, though. Some articles go deeply into astronomical, astrological and mathematical theories and assumptions -- but, still, no proof.

PS: I even tried once to write an article on the subject and there are so many differing opinions and theories that it can boggle the mind to the point of mush.

Phil Plait ("Bad Astronomy" blog) was disgusted to find in the drugstore a magazine called Apocalyptic Prophecies with loads of 2012 nonsense in it. But then had a laugh when he saw the barcode and I did too:



As I mentioned, some people are real doomsday merchants!


(photo credit: Phil Plait)

And if you haven't already seen this . . . .

I think it would be good to post because I'm sure people ten years from now will wonder what all the insanity was about. Just like we do historic research now on the Y2K frenzy .

That's an idea, Lisa. Perhaps I'll do it for my New Year article.