I am probably going to regret this, but someone needs to do it, and really, all of my geoblogosphere friends should do it, too...
THE WORLD IS NOT GOING TO END ON DECEMBER 21, 2012!
A movie is coming out, and the moviemakers benefit from lots of free publicity generated by everyone who is easily swayed by the newest and most bizarre conspiracy "theory". So it's going to be laid on really thick for the next two years, until the big day comes, and nothing happens.
It may be useless to try and explain the faulty and ridiculous logic to the true believers, because in addition to their lack of critical thinking, they also see us scientists as part of the vast conspiracy. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try. Who knows, when the world doesn't end, maybe they will remember that we tried to explain to them just why it wouldn't.
A commenter from my previous post on this subject...
THE WORLD IS NOT GOING TO END ON DECEMBER 21, 2012!
A movie is coming out, and the moviemakers benefit from lots of free publicity generated by everyone who is easily swayed by the newest and most bizarre conspiracy "theory". So it's going to be laid on really thick for the next two years, until the big day comes, and nothing happens.
It may be useless to try and explain the faulty and ridiculous logic to the true believers, because in addition to their lack of critical thinking, they also see us scientists as part of the vast conspiracy. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try. Who knows, when the world doesn't end, maybe they will remember that we tried to explain to them just why it wouldn't.
A commenter from my previous post on this subject...
...our planet will experience a powerful event. This time we're not talking about Planet X, Nibiru or a "killer" solar flare, this event will originate deep within the core of our planet, forcing a catastrophic change in our protective magnetic field. Not only will we notice a rapid reduction in magnetic field strength, we'll also see the magnetic poles rapidly reverse polarity (i.e. the north magnetic pole will be located over the South Pole and vice versa). So what does this mean to us? If we are to believe the doomsayers, we'll be exposed to the vast quantities of radiation blasting from the Sun; with a reversing magnetic field comes a weakening in the Earth's ability to deflect cosmic rays. Our armada of communication and military satellites will drop from orbit, adding to the chaos on the ground. There will be social unrest, warfare, famine and economic collapse. Without GPS, our airliners will also plough into the ground…
Basically I'm speechless. The scenario certainly looks as if the commenter cribbed the movie "The Core" as their literary source. If only we could get some unobtainium in the next two years!
On the other hand, if the world DOES happen to end as scheduled (as I've said before), I will be glad to let you say "I told you so" wherever we happen to end up...
Today's picture is a photo of a disaster we can and SHOULD be thinking about and preparing for: a major quake on the San Andreas fault in California. The 1906 event in San Franicisco killed around 3,000 people and enough stress is built up on several strands of the fault that another damaging quake will probably occur well within the lifetimes of most of my California readers. If you want to be paranoid, be worried about something that has a real likelihood of taking place.
I love the bit about airliners plowing into the ground because they don't have GPS. Uh, as far as I know, people were flying planes for at least a few decades before GPS. Using those little instruments on the dashboards. And their eyes. (I.e., just because some people don't know how to navigate without a talking box strapped to their windshield doesn't mean everyone does...)
ReplyDeleteSeriously, though, if we get unobtainium in the next couple of years, I want to be the scientist who fries a peach in front of the joint chiefs of staff.