End of the world?

Less than two months ago people celebrated the turn of the New Year. The calendars are marked boldly with the numbers 2012. Superstitions, surrounding the Mayan calendar, suggest that December 21-23 is the world’s expiration date.

The “end of the world” isn’t a new concept. It’s been tossed around and has stricken fear in millions of believers throughout history.

For instance, in 1524 astrologers in London predicted that a great flood would come. An elevated safe haven was built at Priory Church of Bartholomew the Great, and 20,000 people fled there for safety. Ironically, 1524 was later described as an “unusually dry year.”

This is among hundreds of failed predictions, including the recent rapture in which Harold Camping predicted that the end would fall on May 21, 2011. It was based on several reasons, including biblical and numerology evidence. 

People raised over three million dollars to spread the word; some quit their jobs and left their families to embrace humanity’s final days.

True or not, many of us seem to be fascinated with apocalyptic images, captivated by ideas of collapsing ecosystems, polar shifts, biological catastrophes and the swarm of some awesome, unavoidable force.

Movies like “2012” and books like Apocalypse 2012: A Scientific Investigation Into Civilization’s End  by Lawrence Joseph feed into the hype.

Will 2012 become another failed prediction? 

Story by Claudia Furmanczyk