Etcetera

13.0.0.0.0, Party's Over, Ooops, Out Of Time

pO157.

Posted to Etcetera on Sun Feb 04, 2007 at 09:25:21 PM EST (promoted by 1fastdog). RSS.

The Maya built one of the larger empires in the "New World" at the time -- one that lasted from at least 1800 BC to at least 1697. They were known to have had some knowledge of complex math, and believed in a cyclical course of existence based on astronomy. Their calendar system has begun to raise attention again, ages after their civilization fell, because the current Mayan age ends at about December 21, 2012.

We all know of multiple predictions of the impending end of the world that were all proven to be wrong by our continuing existence. For example, many believed Y2K would be the end of us all for various reasons. Many doomsayers now turn their attention to December of 2012 as the next likely end of civilization.

Don't fret, not all agree that the world is going to end. Some say that it will simply be a period of cataclysmic change and upheaval. Others, including some archaeologists disagree, saying that all of this hoopla may simply be due to a clerical error and the desire for brevity on the part of the Maya and that the end will not come for thousands more years.

Nevertheless, the termination of creation is a common theme in popular culture. Perhaps we should take a moment out of the drudgery of serious discussion and reasoned debate to discuss these sorts of loony predictions. So, will there ever be such a thing as the end of the world? And on a lighter note, what would YOU do if you knew the end of the world was imminent?

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Tags: written by pO157, edited by 1fastdog, Maya, Guatamala, End of the World, Apocalypse, Y2K, 2012 (all tags)
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4

Well, for one thing...

rombuu.

Mon Feb 05, 2007 at 09:51:13 AM EST

4.33 (brilliant, funny, funny)

ages after their civilization fell, because the current Mayan age ends at about December 21, 2012

I bet you should be able to get good deals on Myan calendars at Border's then.

1

I just need the airfare

Lou.

Sun Feb 04, 2007 at 10:41:18 PM EST

4.00 (funny)

And on a lighter note, what would YOU do if you knew the end of the world was imminent?

I'm going to find out where Shumway lives and go there and kiss him full on the lips!

No tongue though, Gord...sorry.

It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine

8

^ 1

Re: I just need the airfare

Steve Urkel.

Mon Feb 05, 2007 at 10:33:39 PM EST

none

I live at your house. Don't you remember? As a matter of fact, I'm there right now.

9

^ 8

Re: I just need the airfare

Lou.

Mon Feb 05, 2007 at 11:24:28 PM EST

none

Ok, I concede.  You out creepied me.

It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine

10

^ 9

Re: I just need the airfare

Steve Urkel.

Mon Feb 05, 2007 at 11:58:52 PM EST

none

That's creepier than what you said? Not from my perspective.

Though the movie scene that comment is a reference to is hair on the back of the neck rasingly creepy.

Speaking of the Maya, as a youth I had a fascination with them, and the Aztecs and Incas, even the Olmecs. Strange cats.

You think I could add something better, but no.

11

^ 10

Re: I just need the airfare

Toby Flip.

Tue Feb 06, 2007 at 02:04:22 AM EST

none

Is it Lost Highway?

12

^ 11

Re: I just need the airfare

Steve Urkel.

Tue Feb 06, 2007 at 02:12:18 AM EST

none

Yes.

When Lynch cast Blake, did he sense something?

As freaky as much of that movie was, parts of it were retarded.

2

Re: 13.0.0.0.0, Party's Over, Ooops, Out Of Time

joshv.

Mon Feb 05, 2007 at 09:02:21 AM EST

none

Well, if we survive this, there's always 2038, when all the Unix machines crash.

7

^ 2

Re: 13.0.0.0.0, Party's Over, Ooops, Out Of Time

pO157.

Mon Feb 05, 2007 at 01:24:21 PM EST

none

Pbbht. Everybody knows the only people who use linux/unix platforms are software pirates* and dirty dirty hippies.

*Because everybody knows that people who don't pay licensing fees at all to Microsoft are pirates. Yeah.

3

TnT -- educating me since 2006

wetkarma.

Mon Feb 05, 2007 at 09:47:10 AM EST

none

I have to say I'm a bit surprised. I've been vaguely familiar with the Mayan 2012 end of the world calendar for some time, but honestly had no idea that the idea that their calendar "ends" in 2012 is off base. For that alone p0157 has my thanks :)

I suspect that the idea that creation is going to end is ego driven. You understand that you are mortal, and therefore extend the idea out the rest of the universe. If you are going to die, then "obviously" everything else is going to die too..preferrably before you do. This is why we are perpetually in the "end times"...someone somewhere is always dying and expecting other people to die along with him.

If/when we ever figure out immortality (or something close to it), a lot of these myths are going to die a quiet death.

Memory is a strange bell, jubilee and knell.

5

^ 3

Re: TnT -- educating me since 2006

nmiguy.

Mon Feb 05, 2007 at 11:19:56 AM EST

none

If/when we ever figure out immortality (or something close to it), a lot of these myths are going to die a quiet death.

Unless we find that the myths are the immortal things...

6

^ 3

Re: TnT -- educating me since 2006

coquito.

Mon Feb 05, 2007 at 12:05:53 PM EST

none

I suspect that the idea that creation is going to end is ego driven.

Or maybe we're just intuiting the truth of our circumstances. Even science (physics, anyway) seems committed to the notion that there will be an end, whether it's with a bang or a whimper (sorry, couldn't resist). Of course, when it comes to the universe, it's not exactly an impending end, but it's an end just the same. What I find the most interesting about science positing an end to existence as we know it is precisely the fact that it conforms so nicely to our own intuition. In fact, it's downright poetic:

"There is an end to everything." --Chaucer

Now with caps!

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