Doomsday 2012, a documentary from the history channel

[Into the blue]

Originally Posted by Mikefule

2000AD comic predicted we'd all be mutants zooming around in flying cars in massive enclosed megacities, fighting wars between rival burger chains by now.

Mike, you're totally zarjaz.

[Biggestbtc]

Originally Posted by madmattunipro

I think the true test of any prophet is whether they are 100% accurate or not. If not, then I don't think the prophet is reliable enough to depend on for a doomsday prediction. I noticed that what they said about some of their oracles was that they were citing some of their accurate prophesies, but they never said that these oracles never got it wrong.

They seemed also to use a lot of oracles that never predicted an accurate date to support the idea that the world is ending in 2012. Certainly and interesting show at any rate.

Good point. Right on. False prophets should be stoned.

[Michaelgoround]

Originally Posted by johnfoss

Someone's always predicting the end of the world. So far they've all been wrong. The occurrence of tsunamis and earthquakes, if you look at them historically, don't seem like indicators of anything other than tectonic activity. But the world never seems to "end". But how about a major asteroid or comet strike? A really big one? That wouldn't "kill" the Earth, but it might kill all of us. However I can't seem to think of a good way to plan for one of those, so I'll keep hoping we "lose" that lottery every year.

The Mayans had awesome calendars. How far into the future did they need to project from 500 years ago? Have we forgotten how our much-more-recent 20th century computer programmers didn't think past the year 1999? The world didn't end on 1/1/2000 either.

And our computers didn't all eat us while we slept.

What I was going to say, but said 10 times better.

[Michaelgoround]

Originally Posted by johnfoss

BTW, when's Nostrodamus going to weigh in on all this? His is a track record that would probably be fun to check out as well. I'm sure there have been tons of predictions based on his writings that have never happened as well. But he's dead, so it's not polite to make fun of him.

Plus a lot of his "predictions" are so vague that they are bound to happen. Its like me saying "One day a man from the united country will land on mars."

[johnfoss]

Originally Posted by peleschramm

The thing is it wasn't only the Mayan calender that predicted such a thing.

The thing is, the Mayan calendar did *not* predict the end of the world, it merely only counts up to 2012. This is no different from a programmer thinking less than 30 years into the future by using 2-digit dates. There appears to be no evidence of the Mayans thinking the world would end that year. Is this the foundation upon which they build the fear of the latest end-of-the-world event?

[SqueakyOnion]

All I know is that this will be an excuse to host an "End of the World" Party!

It'll be on December 11th 2012, from 9pm til 9am. If the world is supposed to end on 12/12/2012, then at least I'll be ringing in the end with a party! If the world doesn't end, well, heck, I still had a party!

[madmattunipro]

Originally Posted by Biggestbtc

Good point. Right on. False prophets should be stoned.

Well I'm not sure we need to stone them. Besides, it's tough to stone somebody who died hundreds or thousands of years ago.

I think an end of the world party sounds allright though. It's like when that designer named his skimpy new bathing suit the bikini, after the place, bikini atol, where they were testing a nuclear bomb. He figured if the world ends what the heck, if not, this just might catch on.

Maybe it's just me, but I always thought it would be cooler if it was the year 2112, because the date would then be symmetrical:
21/12/2112.

[peleschramm]

Originally Posted by madmattunipro

I think the true test of any prophet is whether they are 100% accurate or not. If not, then I don't think the prophet is reliable enough to depend on for a doomsday prediction. I noticed that what they said about some of their oracles was that they were citing some of their accurate prophesies, but they never said that these oracles never got it wrong.

They seemed also to use a lot of oracles that never predicted an accurate date to support the idea that the world is ending in 2012. Certainly and interesting show at any rate.

Yes, very, very good point.

Yeah, I thought this show was somewhat biased towards the apocalyptic side (Of course if they sound apocalyptic people will be more interested and they will have much more customers). But yeah, just because it's biased doesn't mean it's not interesting

[Bondo]

Originally Posted by madmattunipro

Maybe it's just me, but I always thought it would be cooler if it was the year 2112, because the date would then be symmetrical:
21/12/2112.

Yeah...and the music would ROCK!!

[Mikefule]

Originally Posted by peleschramm

Have you not seen the documentary?

It explains that the sources of the 2012 prediction have actually produced quite accurate predictions in the past. You have shown us that some predictions are unreliable, but you have only shown us the ones that are not even in question in this specific case.

OK, I promise you that if you are right and the world ends in 2012, I will buy you a beer to apologise.

[peleschramm]

Originally Posted by Mikefule

OK, I promise you that if you are right and the world ends in 2012, I will buy you a beer to apologise.

Did I ever say that I believe that the world will end in 2012? No, I never said such a thing. I do not necessarily believe so. I think that there may or may not be some sort of astronomical occurence in 2012 that may have a slight effect on the world or a big effect on the world, or there could be nothing at all.

I merely believe that the year 2012 wasn't simply pulled out of their a**es, they probably had some reason or another to choose that time. It may be something that is actually significant, it may just be some bullsh*t believed thousands of years ago.

As to what actually occurs then, we will see.

[Mikefule]

Originally Posted by peleschramm

Did I ever say that I believe that the world will end in 2012? No, I never said such a thing. I do not necessarily believe so. I think that there may or may not be some sort of astronomical occurence in 2012 that may have a slight effect on the world or a big effect on the world, or there could be nothing at all.

I merely believe that the year 2012 wasn't simply pulled out of their a**es, they probably had some reason or another to choose that time. It may be something that is actually significant, it may just be some bullsh*t believed thousands of years ago.

As to what actually occurs then, we will see.

So is that a yes or a no to the beer?

[peleschramm]

Originally Posted by Mikefule

So is that a yes or a no to the beer?

Hmm... I don't care. I don't like beer . Unless it's Pacifico, then it's good...

I'll pass on anything that's not Pacifico.

[feel the light]

I watched all 7 parts. After watching Merlin, I think it was, for a long time, the specific example was that Merlin prophesied that virgins will form a new country farming virgin land. Virginia ? USA ? really ! ?

That was a notable hit ?, a bunch of English fornicators plow up and grow corn the Indians gave them, on the same land the Indians had farmed for centuries.
I guess I was supposed to be impressed by the name Virginia or something. I fear the rest of the evidence was of similar rigor, yet very few specifics were provided, it is hard to tell.

They had a magic internet box that must be science I guess, it is a computer ! So 60's and 70's. I remember when if scientists used a computer in making a prediction, that meant something ! LOL Still, no examples of how the magic box came up with 2012. Maybe google "end of the world" and pick the most popular date mentioned ?

[Catboy]

Originally Posted by peleschramm

Hmm... I don't care. I don't like beer . Unless it's Pacifico, then it's good...

I'll pass on anything that's not Pacifico.

Dear lord! You've made a fatally horrible mistake in judgment about beer. A cardinal sin!
It appears to me that you probably haven't tried many varieties of beer since you're young, not to mention your "Pacifico only" mentality. While everyone has the right to be as picky as they want to be, you should definitely be open to new ideas at all times, if only to find a better beer! Amen.