Kick the Myth: Part Two - The world is going to end in 2012
16/11/09 13:49 Filed in: Personal
Ok. So there might well be a likelihood that Roland Emerich might be over egging the whole 2012 thing in order to score it large at the box office.
But it's true to say that there is quite a substantial number ofstupid gullible nervous people who think that the ancient culture of the Maya might well have a better handle of the world, solar system and everything that is our common understanding today.
This is usually stated under the premise of their wide understanding of the solar year. But this is a mistake. Because the calendars of common use in Mayan civilisation were based around exactly 365 days. Making them LESS accurate than either the Julian or modern Gregorian calendar. Not MORE accurate as is commonly believed. So complicated is the nature of Mayan calendars, that a series of calendars run within each other to resolve such issues. The most recently highlighted of which is the so called "Long count" calendar.
Next up is the understanding of the Mayan interest, if not obsession with the nature of time and repetition. This has subsequently produced an obsessive response in media pundits. Now, I don't know about you... but I'm looking forward to Christmas, and the New Year and perhaps spring. All of which are, for Western cultures, similar cyclical events.
Even if you look at the myth of the end of the long count calendar, it's no way clear whether or not this is a good or bad thing. But it's clear that it's something that will affect the great and bountiful Mayan civilisation. Which is where we have a little problem with the prophesy. In that, quite frankly, there isn't a great and bountiful Mayan civilisation any more.
Sure, there are descendants of the Maya, but they neither inhabit the Mayan cities, nor believe the same gods nor share the same culture as the classical Mayan civilisation. In the same way as Italians are descended from the Roman empire...
So if there is no Mayan culture to be affected, just how accurate can this myth be. The fact is that Maya culture was already collapsing as early as the 8th the 9th century AD. The reasons for which are unclear. The basic camps are either societal collapse or environment pressures.
The fact is, the "myth" is in itself a "myth".
"Mainstream Mayanist scholars argue that the idea that the Long Count calendar "ends" in 2012 misrepresents Maya history. To the modern Maya, 2012 is largely irrelevant, and classic Maya sources on the subject are scarce and contradictory, suggesting that there was little if any universal agreement among them about what, if anything, the date might mean."
(Source: Wikipedia)
Next up we have the idea that the planets will align and will all point towards galactic central point.
First up, according to NASA, and I imagine they might know, there are NO planatery alignments for a few decades and as for galactic central point. Well, that happens EVERY DAMN YEAR!!!
As for the whole Nibiru / rogue planet concept. Well, apart from the fact it's got no scientific basis... we'd see the damn thing by now! Right now, in the sky with our naked eyes. But the thing is we don't. And there is a reason for that, it's not there.
What we have here are two conflicting predictions. One by a group of non-scientific people who wish to sell books, DVD's and cinema tickets. The other prediction is by scientist who have spent decades on a mixture of disciplines and know what they are talking about.
Sadly, I suspect it's the former who are going to get more and more attention as time goes on.
But it's true to say that there is quite a substantial number of
This is usually stated under the premise of their wide understanding of the solar year. But this is a mistake. Because the calendars of common use in Mayan civilisation were based around exactly 365 days. Making them LESS accurate than either the Julian or modern Gregorian calendar. Not MORE accurate as is commonly believed. So complicated is the nature of Mayan calendars, that a series of calendars run within each other to resolve such issues. The most recently highlighted of which is the so called "Long count" calendar.
Next up is the understanding of the Mayan interest, if not obsession with the nature of time and repetition. This has subsequently produced an obsessive response in media pundits. Now, I don't know about you... but I'm looking forward to Christmas, and the New Year and perhaps spring. All of which are, for Western cultures, similar cyclical events.
Even if you look at the myth of the end of the long count calendar, it's no way clear whether or not this is a good or bad thing. But it's clear that it's something that will affect the great and bountiful Mayan civilisation. Which is where we have a little problem with the prophesy. In that, quite frankly, there isn't a great and bountiful Mayan civilisation any more.
Sure, there are descendants of the Maya, but they neither inhabit the Mayan cities, nor believe the same gods nor share the same culture as the classical Mayan civilisation. In the same way as Italians are descended from the Roman empire...
So if there is no Mayan culture to be affected, just how accurate can this myth be. The fact is that Maya culture was already collapsing as early as the 8th the 9th century AD. The reasons for which are unclear. The basic camps are either societal collapse or environment pressures.
The fact is, the "myth" is in itself a "myth".
"Mainstream Mayanist scholars argue that the idea that the Long Count calendar "ends" in 2012 misrepresents Maya history. To the modern Maya, 2012 is largely irrelevant, and classic Maya sources on the subject are scarce and contradictory, suggesting that there was little if any universal agreement among them about what, if anything, the date might mean."
(Source: Wikipedia)
Next up we have the idea that the planets will align and will all point towards galactic central point.
First up, according to NASA, and I imagine they might know, there are NO planatery alignments for a few decades and as for galactic central point. Well, that happens EVERY DAMN YEAR!!!
As for the whole Nibiru / rogue planet concept. Well, apart from the fact it's got no scientific basis... we'd see the damn thing by now! Right now, in the sky with our naked eyes. But the thing is we don't. And there is a reason for that, it's not there.
What we have here are two conflicting predictions. One by a group of non-scientific people who wish to sell books, DVD's and cinema tickets. The other prediction is by scientist who have spent decades on a mixture of disciplines and know what they are talking about.
Sadly, I suspect it's the former who are going to get more and more attention as time goes on.