2012 – A year which frighten each of us. It is the most searched year in the history of internet. It is the year when the whole human civilization will sweep out. It is the year when Mayan Long Count Calendar (also called Mesoamerican Long Count calendar) will end.

21 December 2012 is the last date of a 5,125-year-long cycle in the Mayan Long Count calendar. According to some ancient mythology, after 21 December 2012, another age will start. It is a transformation from an age to another in which the whole Earth will destroy & re-construct as a result of transformation where everything will have a spiritual transformation. Yet, in some other mythological believes, it is believed that 21 December 2012 is the day of apocalypse. It is believed that in the date, our Earth will destruct as a result of solar storm or a collision with asteroid or a collision with a hypothetical small planet called “Nibiru”. So, there’re several believes.

After leaking of the news in public; the newspapers, news channels, websites & documentaries are filled up with this news. Then, a sudden panic spread among public. 2012 became a big topic. It became very famous. All over the internet, there seems nothing but 2012 doomsday. In 2009, a film – 2012 was also released which was directed by Roland Emmerich. It is a science fiction disaster film which pictures the incident of 2012 apocalypse. Day-by-day, both the popularity & panic started to rise. 2012 became a huge concept. After all these, scientists & experts had announced that 2012 is nothing more than a hoax. It is just a misconception. Earth is not going to destroy anytime soon.

Today is 21 December 2011 when I’m writing the article. Exactly, 1 year from today, i.e. on 21 December 2012, our Earth is expected to be destroyed. Now, let’s explore whether 2012 is another ordinary year or the last year in human history.

The coming week is the last week of the year. After that, a new year – 2012 will begin. New Year parties & celebrations are about to come. On 31 December 2011, almost everyone – especially youths, will have parties & grand celebrations to welcome the next year. Now, if it’ll be true that 2012 will be the last year in human history, it’s obvious that next year’s welcome will not be good enough. In fact, it’ll be worse with no party & celebration. So, it’s important to know whether 2012 will be an ordinary year for which everyone will celebrate or will it be the last year for which everyone will shed tears.

The predicted apocalypse of 2012 is purely a mythological event.  It’s based upon traditional astrological (don’t confuse with “astronomy”) ideas. As mentioned in the first two paragraphs, prediction of 2012 apocalypse came into existence as Mayan Long Count Calendar of 5,125-year-long cycle will end on 21 December 2012. Though, it’s strongly believed by astrologers & religious personalities that 2012 will be the last year of this age, it’s strongly opposed by scientists. It’s true that there’re many predictions from ancient past that 2012 is the last year. But as they’re not based upon scientific calculation, it’s nothing more than a wrong predication. There’re many followers of 2012 apocalypse in the world, though. But it’s good to think rationally about the matter. I’d like to prove that there’ll not be any cataclysmic event on 2012 by two approaches.

First one is that the prediction of 2012 apocalypse is based upon a calendar (Mayan Long Count Calendar) which is nothing more than a system of counting days by human beings. It’s not a calendar made by nature or God. According to the date-counting system by ancient people, 21 December 2012 is the last day. After that, there’ll be a new beginning. There’re various date-counting systems out there in world. So, it’s simply an idea of humans. Today, we use solar calendar (it is a calendar whose dates indicate the position of the earth on its revolution around the sun) to count date. Now, all these are human’s way to keep tracking on past-by-days. The ideas present in those systems are of humans, not of nature. To happen a thing, it’s important to be natural. “We live on earth”. This is a solid natural fact. No one can disprove it. Nothing will happen to it by human-made ideas. In earlier days, we thought that Earth is in the center of solar system. But as it’s not a natural fact, it’s not true. Later, it’s found that sun is in the center & we revolve around it. As it was wrong, it was proved wrong. Now, one can’t believe that Earth is in the center. In the same way, the 2012 apocalypse is a human-made idea. It’s not a natural fact. No one had seen any threat to Earth neither in 2012 nor anytime soon. So, it’s an unnatural phenomenon having no reality. If you say – “I’ll die today.” Will you die today? If you say – “I’m a superman. I can fly in the sky & can do magic.” Will you become a superman? The answer is “no”. The things simply thought in mind are not necessary to happen. The predictions in the form of theories & laws, made by scientists, are also carefully tested by experiments. If they’re found wrong, they’ll be dismissed. Even, the Einstein’s famous equation: E=mc2 was questioned last months by experiments. So, one must test by experiments whether a prediction is correct or wrong. The only mistake in astrology or mythology is that they predict or accept things thought by humans without any experimental testing. Scientists also make predictions by studying the nature & religious persons also. “Sometimes”, both of their predictions prove correct & “mostly” scientists’ predictions prove correct. Why so? The answer is that scientists test their predictions by experiments & if found wrong they dismiss them. But religious persons or astrologers don’t test their predictions & if found wrong (by experiments made by scientists), they don’t dismiss them. Thus, those predictions are nothing more than superstitions & hoaxes. It was also believed that during solar eclipse, demon ate the sun. But now, it’s found by scientists that moon blocks the sunlight which cast shadow on Earth. Science is based solely on the natural phenomena & tests the predictions. Mythology is based on human ideas & doesn’t test the predictions.

Second one is that the apocalypse of 2012 will likely to occur as a result of:

  1. Collision with asteroid or meteors or comets.
  2. Collision with planet Nibiru or Planet X or Eris.
  3. Polar shift (1800 flip of Earth; i.e. north pole will shift to south & south pole to north).
  4. Solar storm.

Now, let’s see is there’re any danger to us from these 4 things.

First, we’ll start from collision with asteroid or meteors or comets. Well, from the very beginning, our Earth & the other planets have been subject to be collided with asteroids or meteors or comets. Though, they’re very rare, it’s also good to be informed that within a millions of years, they’re likely to occur. But today scientists (astronomers) are carrying our survey called Spaceguard Survey to find any large near-Earth asteroids long before they hit, by most advanced instruments available on Earth. But there’s nothing out there in solar system which will collide with Earth anytime soon. Simply, there’s no threat of any kind of asteroids or meteors or comets. So, this possibility is rejected. Earth is not going to be collided with any space-rocks neither in 2012 nor anytime soon.

Our next target is collision with planet Nibiru or Planet X or Eris. Well, Nibiru is a supposed planet discovered by Sumerians. It’s believed to collide with us. But in reality, there’s no confirmation of the existence of such planet. Nibiru or planet X is purely a hypothetical concept. There’s no planet out there in solar system. If it really exists, astronomers would have already found it & in fact, it would have seen to naked eye. Regarding Eris, it’s truly a planet, but its dwarf (sufficient to sweep out life from Earth). But, it’s located beyond Pluto, in outer solar system. Moreover, the closest it can come to Earth is about 4 billion miles!! So, it can’t collide with Earth. Thus, this idea is also rejected. There’s no planet out there in solar system – whether hypothetical or real, to be collided with Earth in the next billions of years.

Third possibility is polar shift (1800 flip of Earth; i.e. north pole will shift to south & south pole to north). Polar shift is the flipping of 1800 of Earth. That is, north pole will shift to south & south to north. It’s a 1800 reverse of Earth. If, it’s really going to happen, then everyone on Earth will roll across the Earth until the 1800 degree reverse is complete. Such phenomena will cause complete chaotic condition on Earth & even the death of many lives. But, it’s completely impossible to happen. So, there’s no fear. There’s no mechanics which can completely flip the Earth 1800. It’s like not having horns on the head of a donkey!! However, many websites are claiming that such things can happen to make people foolish. They’re trying to make relationship between the rotation and the magnetic polarity of Earth, which does change irregularly, with a magnetic reversal taking place every 400,000 years on average. But, such magnetic reversal doesn’t have any harmful effect on Earth & such reversal is not going to happen in next millennia or so. So, this possibility is also dismissed. Earth is not going to flip anytime in future. Arctic will be in north pole & Antarctica will be in south. Reverse is impossible.

Fourth or the last possibility is solar storm. Solar storm is the storm associated with sun. Such solar activity has a regular cycle of 11 years. In the storm, solar flares are ejected which can interrupt the satellites & other electronics in space. But engineers are researching on how to design electronics so that solar storm can’t affect them. The next solar storm is expected to occur between 2012-14. But rest assured, there’s no harm to Earth. It’ll be an ordinary solar storm happening throughout the history of solar system. So, this possibility is also rejected. There’ll not be any harm to Earth from solar storm – neither from next solar storm, nor from future solar storms.

So, you’ve seen from both of my approaches that 2012 apocalypse is impossible from every side. So, no need to worry. You can welcome New Year with as much celebrations as you want. In reality, the idea of 2012 apocalypse is nothing more than pure superstition. As you all know, we people are interested in making a fact bigger than it actually is, we’ve made the apocalypse of 2012 a big issue. Internet is filled up with articles related to 2012 apocalypse & to the amazement; almost every website says that 2012 apocalypse will occur, except few educational websites. Moreover, newspapers & news channels are also making 2012 apocalypse a big issue. People are accepting their fate on the hands of mythology & astrology which don’t tests their ideas. As I’ve pointed out by my two approaches, 2012 apocalypse is nothing more than a hoax. If you’re still thinking that there’s almost a percent possibility that 2012 apocalypse will occur; think over how will it occur, what are the agents responsible for it, on the basis of what you’re thinking that it’ll occur & is there any experimental prove of this. First, get answers to these questions & then say whether 2012 apocalypse is a reality or a hoax. Saying something is not enough, you’ve to prove it. If you still believe in 2012 apocalypse, you didn’t get complete education because an educated person wouldn’t let to decide his or her fate on the basis of a calendar!!

With finishing this discussion, I’d like to point out few conclusions. Yeah, it’s true that you can rest assured that 2012 is an ordinary year. It’s not the last year. But it’s good to think for the future. Though 2012 apocalypse is a fake idea, it’s equally true that in the coming decades or centuries, we’d have apocalypses. There’re 4 possibilities of how 2012 apocalypse can occur. Within those possibilities, second & third possibilities are completely impossible. There’s no planet like Nibiru out there in solar system which can collide with Earth & Earth can’t flip 1800. But, first & last possibilities are completely possible, especially, the first one. Earth can collide with asteroid in future. There’s almost 100% possibility of such occurrence. Though solar storms don’t have any effective impact on Earth, it can cause potential threats in future, especially to electronics like satellites. Though, this time we’ll be saved, but in the future we may not be saved. The highest threat to us is from asteroids. Anytime, we can have collision with asteroid. Not only we’ve threats from space. There’re also terrestrial or Earth-borne threats like global warming. From every side, we are bound. We’ve no chance of survival. What starts must end. But if we devise new techniques, we can of course continue our civilization for a longer time. Earth is not going to be a suitable home by the end of the century. (Read my article – Space: Our Next Home – Part I, Part II for further ideas.) We’re having troubles from now onward. By the last of this century, the troubles will rise to its highest peak. Our terrestrial problem is global warming. (Read my article – Is Diwali transforming from the festival of light & joy to the festival of pollution & destruction?) Our space-based problem is collision with asteroids or other small near-earth bodies. From every side, we’re bound with threats. So, we must leave Earth, if not today, then of course tomorrow. So, we should start preparation from today onward. We don’t have much time. We’re actually neglecting the problems we’ll have to face in our future. These problems wouldn’t occur in the next century, but in the next decades. By raising education, we can prepare the next generations of talented people who will protect our planet. Moreover, we should invest more & more in space as space is our future. Space is our destiny. If not today, then by tomorrow, we’ll have to live in space by leaving earth because Earth is not going to be a suitable place for survival. If we’re not going to live in space anytime soon, we’ll have to protect our Earth from space-borne threats like asteroid impacts or solar storms. Our future is in the hand of space science. Space science is now a rising field. Lots of countries are taking interest in developing their space science. NASA has been a world leader in space science. Today, European Space Agency, Indian Space research Organization, Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency & many more are improving their understandings on space science. They’re improving their capabilities & appointing many talented people to improvise space science.

My next article will be on why we’re giving or have to give importance to space science. Next article of this blog will be – Why Are We Spending Billions Of Dollars In Space? Till then, good bye & take care. Wish you all a very Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!! Welcome 2012 with all the happiness & celebrations. There’s no need to worry about 2012 apocalypse. But be active toward making the Earth safer. After all, precaution is better than cure.

 Copyright©2011 Sandeep Deba Misra