One in 10 of us is said to be anxious that 21 December marks the end of the world. The Ancient Mayans predicted this doomsday, and the press is eating it up. But where are all the believers?
That the world will end in 2012 is the most widely-disseminated doomsday tale in human history, thanks to the internet, Hollywood and an ever-eager press corps.Recent hurricanes, unrest in the Middle East, solar flares, mystery planets about to collide with us - all "proof" of what the ancient Mayans knew would come to pass on 21 December 2012.
According to a Reuters global poll, one in 10 of us is feeling some anxiety about this date.Russians have been so worried that the Minister of Emergency Situations issued a denial that the world would end.
Authorities in the village of Bugarach in the South of France have barred access to a mountain where some believe a UFO will rescue them.And survivalists in America - many of whom use the term "prepper" - have been busy preparing for all manner of cataclysm.
Now you can scoff all you like but it seems that the Mayans were pretty good at predicting stuff. Their knowledge and understanding of astronomy and physics was light years ahead of their time. Indeed they accurately (and incredibly) charted every lunar and solar eclipse and most major celestial events for hundreds of years hence using nothing but observation and calculation.
All of which suggests the fact that their 5,125 year calendar just sort of stops on 21/12/12 is unlikely to be because they just ran out of ink. Or because the Mayan Calendar Department went for their Christmas do and got so drunk they just forgot to finish it.
They obviously knew something we don't and they just forgot to tell us exactly what it was. The world is going to end. End of. We're not sure why, not sure how, but if the Mayans said it then it must be true. Get over it.
Personally, my money's on a collision with an asteroid like that film with Bruce Willis while my kids think a zombie apocalypse like in the Walking Dead would be cool. Either way, it's only a few days away now so it's probably time to make a few arrangements.
