Comments on: Actual USGS science feature: "Will the World End on December 21?" http://boingboing.net/2012/12/19/actual-usgs-science-feature.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Thu, 23 May 2013 07:18:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Michael Baird http://boingboing.net/2012/12/19/actual-usgs-science-feature.html#comment-1612184 Michael Baird Wed, 19 Dec 2012 22:13:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=201447#comment-1612184 Anyone who reads Boing Boing knows the calculations for the end of the Mayan long form calendar are off and the actual date was August 22nd, 2006.  Duh. http://boingboing.net/2006/08/11/world-to-end-on-aug.html Anyone who reads Boing Boing knows the calculations for the end of the Mayan long form calendar are off and the actual date was August 22nd, 2006.  Duh.

http://boingboing.net/2006/08/11/world-to-end-on-aug.html

]]> By: lesmanalim http://boingboing.net/2012/12/19/actual-usgs-science-feature.html#comment-1612101 lesmanalim Wed, 19 Dec 2012 21:00:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=201447#comment-1612101 OMG IT DIDN'T SAY NO (which means yes) OMG IT DIDN’T SAY NO (which means yes)

]]> By: Jim Saul http://boingboing.net/2012/12/19/actual-usgs-science-feature.html#comment-1611915 Jim Saul Wed, 19 Dec 2012 18:11:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=201447#comment-1611915 Oh I bet you're right. I didn't think of that one. But it brings to mind the Saint Malachy "last Pope" prophecy that's supposed to be the one after the current: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prophecy_of_the_Popes Oh I bet you’re right. I didn’t think of that one.

But it brings to mind the Saint Malachy “last Pope” prophecy that’s supposed to be the one after the current:

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

]]> By: Brainspore http://boingboing.net/2012/12/19/actual-usgs-science-feature.html#comment-1611910 Brainspore Wed, 19 Dec 2012 18:08:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=201447#comment-1611910 Still a couple of decades away, but I'm guessing somebody is going to make a big deal out of the two-thousanth anniversary of Christ's crucifixion circa 2033. Still a couple of decades away, but I’m guessing somebody is going to make a big deal out of the two-thousanth anniversary of Christ’s crucifixion circa 2033.

]]> By: Jim Saul http://boingboing.net/2012/12/19/actual-usgs-science-feature.html#comment-1611904 Jim Saul Wed, 19 Dec 2012 17:59:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=201447#comment-1611904 Since this millenial eschatology doom-lusting isn't going to disappear after the Mayan Disappointment, what's the next one? What is the next "prophecy" or illuminati conspiracy after this one? Apophis in 2029/2036 seems too remote. Next year's possibly glorious sundiving Great Comet will certainly trigger some hysteria if it gets as impressive as some predictions. But what's five or ten years away that the doomsday-hysteria sellers will settle on? Or something farther off that could be pulled into the prediction timeframe? Transhumanism? AI? It would be awesome if this energy were diverted into concern for the legitimately apocalyptic concerns of antibiotic resistant diseases, climate change, deforestation, and loss of biodiversity... but that never seems to happen. Is there something about solvable problems that make them unappealing as doom-memes? The 2000 bug is the only one I can think of that both caused hysteria, and was a real problem that got fixed with a massive mobilization of resources. Perhaps the cold war nuclear arms race, but that only shifted players. Since this millenial eschatology doom-lusting isn’t going to disappear after the Mayan Disappointment, what’s the next one? What is the next “prophecy” or illuminati conspiracy after this one?

Apophis in 2029/2036 seems too remote. Next year’s possibly glorious sundiving Great Comet will certainly trigger some hysteria if it gets as impressive as some predictions.

But what’s five or ten years away that the doomsday-hysteria sellers will settle on? Or something farther off that could be pulled into the prediction timeframe? Transhumanism? AI?

It would be awesome if this energy were diverted into concern for the legitimately apocalyptic concerns of antibiotic resistant diseases, climate change, deforestation, and loss of biodiversity… but that never seems to happen. Is there something about solvable problems that make them unappealing as doom-memes? The 2000 bug is the only one I can think of that both caused hysteria, and was a real problem that got fixed with a massive mobilization of resources. Perhaps the cold war nuclear arms race, but that only shifted players.

]]> By: Brainspore http://boingboing.net/2012/12/19/actual-usgs-science-feature.html#comment-1611901 Brainspore Wed, 19 Dec 2012 17:54:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=201447#comment-1611901 Somebody's hedging their bets! Somebody’s hedging their bets!

]]> By: Yaanu http://boingboing.net/2012/12/19/actual-usgs-science-feature.html#comment-1611889 Yaanu Wed, 19 Dec 2012 17:41:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=201447#comment-1611889 I like how it isn't actually an article about the world ending, and is actually all about disaster preparedness. I like how it isn’t actually an article about the world ending, and is actually all about disaster preparedness.

]]> By: Gustavo Hexsel http://boingboing.net/2012/12/19/actual-usgs-science-feature.html#comment-1611851 Gustavo Hexsel Wed, 19 Dec 2012 17:14:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=201447#comment-1611851 Oww man, you could have at least put a tag in front of it! ;) Oww man, you could have at least put a tag in front of it! ;)

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