Apocalypse not now: debunking Mayan doomsday predictions

By Space.com & FoxNews.com

Published January 30, 2012


Doomsday reports have reached a fever pitch this year -- and it's all thanks to the Mayans.

On Dec. 21, 2012, many doomsday believers fear the apocalypse will arrive -- anything from a rogue planet smashing into us to our world spinning end over end. That surge probably comes from the ancient Mayan calendar, and if you try to flip through one from December 2012 to 2013 you'll see exactly why.

According to the ancient Mayan "Long Count" calendar, next year's winter solstice marks the end of a 144,000-day cycle. This cycle, which begins at the mythical Maya creation date, has already been repeated 12 times. The 13th will end in 2012, capping a full 5,200-year Mayan cycle of creation.


Even NASA is trying to debunk the story.

"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," the space agency recently wrote.

This date has long been shrouded in mystery, with many claiming that it will bring destruction to our planet -- so much so that the movement has turned into a cultural phenomenon. The Mexico tourism board has even stated its intentions to use the year 2012 as a springboard for its ailing tourism industry by leveraging the world's sudden interest in Mayan history.

But will the world actually end? Experts still say no.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/01/ ... z1l1fUQH4Q

more at link