Is it the end of the world as we know it?

By: Jason Blatt

Posted: 3/9/09

December 21, 2012. While the mere mentioning of this date may not conjure up images of hellfire and brimstone, for many it symbolizes a long awaited judgment day. The root of these fears is not the voice of a lone prophet, but rather one of a long departed civilization.

The age-old premonition that the world will end on a cold December day has remained constant for years. While past doomsday crazes have come and gone without incident, the basis of most apocalyptic theories can be traced back to the Mayan long-count calendar.

The long-count calendar's origins lie in the Mayan's extensive astrological knowledge. Their forecasts of both the sun and planet have remained some of the most accurate recordings of their kind to this day. However the calendar dead-ends in December of 2012 after approximately 5000 years of seemingly unimpeded bliss on Earth.

The Mayan civilization was considered highly developed academically with notable advances in astrology, written language, and mathematics. However other elements of their culture such as ritualistic human sacrifice and the destruction of natural soil through the constant rebuilding of architecture reveals an interesting contradiction. The Mayans, aware of the ecological destruction occurring during their watch, were said to believe that such behaviors would result eventually in a cataclysmic world event. This concept results in the date that some believe will serve as the modern judgment day.

One modern day doomsday theory that has gained some of the most recent attention is that of a polar ice shift. Incidentally, this theory ties directly into the Mayan Calendar. In this theory, an increase in solar activity would cause the Earth's magnetic poles to reverse suddenly on December 20 or 21, 2012, in turn causing catastrophic earthquakes and floods. Countries that had once experienced moderate-to-above average climate would be covered with large patches of ice while others would be subjected to intense volcanic heat.

The main source of this theory has been widely debated although it appears to stem from modern fears of global warming. While increasing fears about global warming help give the polar ice shift theory more steam, the possibility that such a dramatic shift might occur in the next 5 years is said to be almost nonexistent.

In a January 26, 2009 interview with the New York Post, Carol Raymond, a principle scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, dismisses this theory about the current weakness of the Earth's magnetic fields. Raymond states the inference that such a scenario would occur in 2012 was "not supported by anything we've observed." Raymond concludes that such an activity would take thousands, if not millions of years to fully develop.

In spite of this paranoia, skepticism still remains for many who feel that such theories should be taken in historical context. Dr. Linda Scherr, a History professor at Mercer, questions the modern relevance of the Mayan theories. Dr. Scherr explains that while "the Mayan theory is able to make good sense of the times from which they came, it is hard to say that they are truly able to capture the modern sensibilities of a 21st century world view".

Student opinion on the matter was mixed. Some students like Michael Ricitelli, a second year Liberal Arts major, says "Everything has to end eventually." Others, like Vishal Patel, a second year nursing student, offered a more skeptical analysis. Patel compared the fears to Y2K, deeming the theory of a 2012 doomsday a "fairy tale," and stating that "while some might feel it is in fact true, the reality is, it isn't."

Victoria Kuchtyak, a second year Business Administration major at Mercer, offered simpler analysis of Earth's final days saying: "While I don't actually believe that earth will actually end in 2012, anything is possible." Kuchtyak added: "Stuff blows up. What are you going do about it?!"