haha I am going to that movie in 30 minutes its a premier

I hope its good.. otherwise i will be mad in my class in the morning at 7.

Get a grip, the Mayans didn't "predict the end of the world" that's just when their calendar ends. Ours ends every December 31st. Theirs is just a REALLY LONG CALENDAR. If you were a Mayan, you'd just be getting ready for a REALLY BIG PARTY!!

I am so angry about 2012. If they knew the world was going to end on 2012 since Mayan days, why are they only telling us now?????? I could have made different DECISIONS! IN MY LIFE, I MEAN. And why do it in a Hollywood movie????? Obama's a good speaker -- he can just tell us. He doesn't need to make a movie, that's the coward's way out. What's next?

COMING 1/1/2010:
HEALTHCARE REFORM
Starring Brad Pitt (as someone uninsured under the current system)

COMING NEXT HALLOWEEN:
SINGLE-PAYER HEALTH CARE IN THE U.S.
Starring Angelina Jolie (as a frightened supply-side econimics ingenue, chased by a socialist)

I feel that our leaders are being grossly derelict. This is the greatest conspiracy since a looooong time ago.

Sorry about that last post. I'm open to penance suggestions.

Ask a Mayan what he has planned for the day after?

I betcha he says something like... "Um, start a new calendar... what do ya think I'm supposed to do ya *****?"

.... Or the mayan would still be drunk from the day before, since they would have a Great Party...

Because they build weird temples... duh!!

I'm pretty sure the prophecies in the context of 'the end' are not about 'the world' but about either 'humanity on Earth' (humanity as in 'the human species' which is not the same as 'intelligent life on Earth' because depending on your viewpoint there are quite some intelligent species out on our planet such as micro-organisms ) or 'planet Earth'.

Now, if this 'humanity on Earth' ends on 21 December 2012 A.D., the year 2012 A.D. was not completed on Earth, therefore arguably not 'real'. So those who believe in the Maya prophecy, before the miscalculation should not reply yes to the thread title question.

My opinion: The Earth has survived rough times previously. It may very well get through rough times again for example a time where the dominating species become extinct. Why would a cycle of life and death not exist on this layer? Why would symbiosis not work around? The theory goes life started with micro-organisms such as Amoebe, and later bacteria and coral.

..but 2012 itself is a buzzword; FUD. Like '2000', or 'terrorism'. The threat is much smaller than seems (in our society the chance is bigger you get struck by lightning or car accident than die because of terrorism).

Human life on Earth is doomed to extinction sooner or later, but the reason this happens is based on reasoning (which we may or may not understand) not based on the prophecy of a cult(ure)/religion. Such is pretty much an appeal to authority. So what matters is the reasoning behind the theory.

One should note the Mayan prophecy does not state 'the end', and from a philosophical point of view 'there is no end' because every 'end' is also a 'beginning'. From food you take from the Earth to the poo you give back to the Earth or the dumb egoism of humanity destroying the Earth, the ecosystem manages itself, and is very much more intelligent than the inhabitants

AFAIK the Mayan prophecy states 'the end of Age of Pisces' and 'the begin of Age of Aquarius' which is based on ancient astrological cult(ure)/religion, observation of the sky, mathematics. It is interesting to note these people were not 'dumb' because in order to build such pyramids you must have architecture knowledge, you must have organizational skills, you must have manpower, you must have mathematics. Interestingly, one can find similar characteristics in structures of what is now known as Egypt. Actually, you can even find references to astrology in modern religions, modern cities, modern architectures.

However 1) that doesn't mean these observations were credible or not. 2) Personally, I've never seen credible astrology. YMMV. 3) (And now it comes...) All the interpretations are nothing more or less than interpretations, and all of them include tons of assumptions or are based on one unproven or shaky premise! Scientists such as NASA OTOH say there is no increased threat human life on Earth will end on 2012. Which is precisely why I believe these people who are talking about 2012 in that context, and selling books about it are merely trying to create their own cult/religion, and make a quick bang out of it. The more interesting research about the Mayan culture is snowed under all this hoompa BS, conspiracies, and mass psychosis.

Whether you're a Mayan or not if you believe the world ends in 2012 you may as well get ready for a really big party towards the end. Enjoy the ride while it lasts, ya know I guess that is what SUV drivers have in mind...

End of World myths are as old as civilization. When people don't have to worry about their daily survival any more, they start to think and make up weird things.

http://www.bible.ca/pre-date-setters.htm

On the day of the spring equinox the zodiac constellation where the sun rises marks the era. An era lasts a bit longer than 2000 years. The sun goes backwards through the zodiac, and the time it takes to pass all zodiac signs (about 22000 years) is called the Great Year. The Mayans too could have been aware of this, and 2012 their Great Year could simply end, because they use a different zodiac than the cultures originating from the middle east.
The bible mentions a range of four eras. Taurus lasted until Moses appeared, that's why he dismissed the golden calf (Taurus). The era after Taurus was Aries, and Jesus marks the beginning of the era of Pisces (that's why the symbol of Jesus is the fish). The New Testament also states that after Jesus, there will come a man carrying water (Aquarius). But nobody of us will live long enough to witness the dawn of Aquarius.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_Aquarius

If you were an astronomer and you discovered a doomsday object on a collision course with Earth, what would you do?