Apocalypse 2012
Ponzi and I decided to pick up Apocalypse 2012 (a real book!) this weekend. At first, we took turns reading chapters to one another – but Ponzi’s brain voluntarily dropped out at the halfway point. I continued to read the rest of the book on my own, finishing up around 3AM. I was hoping for a truly scientific approach to these matters, but Joseph couldn’t quite deliver full impartiality. I’m particularly interested in the “facts” on page 114:
The next peak in the planetary tidal force, essentially the sum total of the planets’ gravitational pull on the Sun, will come in late 2012, according to [solid state quantum physicist] Burgess’s calculations. The sunspot maximum, coincidentally also due in that year, will compound the situation, subjecting the Sun to maximum stress. The Sun’s magnetic poles, which reverse every twenty-two years, at the peak of every second cycle, are also expected to switch in 2012, adding further volatility to the situation.
The resulting synergy of gravitational and electromagnetic pressure on the Sun cannot help but distort and distend its surface, releasing megabursts of imprisoned radiation, quite possibly ones that are far deadlier than any the Earth has encountered since homo sapiens has been around.
By and large, I found the book a compelling read – but it left too many questions unanswered. Numerically speaking, it’s possible that the “end of the world” will come independent of any actions Man may take. Will it? Best to be prepared than otherwise.
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15 Comments
Morningzoo
November 9th, 2009
at 1:53am
Apocalypse 2012 “F” That “S” Does Microsoft Price Gouge Europe? Copyright Insanity When is a Tablet PC not a Tablet PC?
The Chris Pirillo Show
November 9th, 2009
at 1:53am
[IMG] Chris Pirillo Apocalypse 2012 ?F? That ?S? Does Microsoft Price Gouge Europe? Copyright Insanity When is a Tablet PC not a Tablet PC? The Ultimate Free Guide to Stop Viruses and Spyware The Telemarketer Game Watching the Shuttle Landing (and other stuff)
D. Burlakoff
June 25th, 2007
at 8:49pm
Very scary indeed. But how in the world could you protect yourself & your loved ones? Guess I need to start buying a LOT or Reynolds Wrap. :):)
Ted Sbardella
June 26th, 2007
at 5:33am
2012 is the new 2000. Art Bell where are you? Come back from the Philippines they don’t love you like we do. Just when the pet chupacabra’s were cheap enough to buy I have to stock up on food again.
mprnair
June 26th, 2007
at 9:49am
Dear Ones,
I think the Caravan will go on despite the dogs’bark. The Globe should balance in the Water. It has therefore to shake off the excess that makes it imbalance, at intervals. It is a natural phenomenon. There is no end as there is no beginning. It is infinite. The fear is unneeded, it seems. Adjust time and space, as far as possible. That is all.
Good Luck,
mpr.
cerwin
June 26th, 2007
at 10:35am
Calculations, end of the world? Probably due to one missed placed decimal place and whoops there goes the fabric of the universe
Kestrel
June 26th, 2007
at 2:29pm
Aztec calenders that have proven to be more accurate that the modern day calenders also predict an apocalypes early in December, 2012. I think it was December 12th. Their accuracy has been verified by modern historic data. Kinda spooky, huh?
Kestrel
June 26th, 2007
at 2:32pm
Addendum to the above comment. The date predicted by the Aztec calender was actually December 21, not the the 12th so that give a couple more days anyway.
Mike
June 27th, 2007
at 8:19am
December 21,2012 is also the end of an “era” or “age” in the Aztec calender cycle. December 22, 2012 is the beginning of the next “era” or “age” – a period about which Aztec mysticism says very little. The Aztec, Maya and Inca peoples had a very deep cultural/religious obsession with time that is very poorly understood by scholars of the modern world. This has given a number of “writers” of questionable scholarship and well lubricated imaginations the opportunity to write books that are little more than money making fantasy conjecture. I wouldn’t take this guy seriously – my guess is that he is just weaving oddly related bits of information into a bad scifi scenario. The planets have lined up before and all of the other stuff has happened before also – and home is still here.
Mike
June 27th, 2007
at 8:55am
Back again to make a quick point – something about the sun’s magnetic poles reversing every twenty-two years struck me as very wrong. Did a quick google and according to a Stanford University news article the suns magnetic poles flip every 11 years.
The story is here: http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2002/june12/solarmagnet-612.html
Careful about what you read Chris, bad science & tall tales = “Plan 9 From Outer Space” (worst scifi movie ever made)
Meg
June 30th, 2007
at 10:20pm
Since the Mayan calendar is clearly wrong about the origins of the planet, it can be safely assumed it is wrong about its end and everything in between.
Sean
July 14th, 2007
at 8:43am
Oh Noes, not another planetary alignment book! We all remember how the world came to an end the last time this occurred! Ragnarok all over again. Seems these things are perpetrated on a gullible population every decade or so.
End of the (world, universe, civilization) predictions are pretty lucrative scams, buy the book, make the guy a millionaire. Who cares if the end of the world doesn’t come in 2012, your bank balance at that date is a good indicator that the suckers will be ready to shell out on another one.
David
January 9th, 2008
at 3:00am
The Mayan calendar does not predict the end of the world on Dec 21, 2012!!! It says there will be massive floods and death. They also say on that day the great dark evil at the center of the universe will let loose. We only recently discovered a black whole lives at the center of our universe, and in every universe we can see. On that day the solar system will align with the Sun, and the sun will align with the center of the universe. The calendar has an inner ring for the days of the week, a middle ring for the months and an outer ring for the years. There year was 51 days no one lived to be 100 so they did not use it.
The Mayan calendar is the most accurate calendar ever created. Our calendar is a quarter of day off every year. There calendar was one tenth of a day off every century! They made many predictions that have been on the money. For example the calendar said the exact day Cortes stepped ashore it was something like strangers from afar will bring destruction. The Mayans made these prophecies some 4.000 years ago! Many cultures in the past made prophecies of the end of the world being right around the corner, but only the Mayans put it on a specific day.
One of the few things that would bring that sort of destruction would be a polar shift. That is the poles change places ….north becomes south and south becomes north…or even North becomes east etc….it would happen suddenly and quickly….sort of like moving the inside of an orange with out moving the skin. Polar shifts have happened before on this planet and it will happen again. Such a shift would case massive earthquakes the world over, and the water of the world would cause huge tidal waves that could potentially wash completely across places like Japan killing everything…potentially everything with in 100 miles of the coast could be washed out to sea.
Also, the next solar maximum starts in 2012 as well the sun is more active and sends out more energy…the possibility of a solar burp occurring is pretty high. A solar burp (my word) is the sun sends out a huge ejection of matter and energy. This burp can occur in any direction and if it happens to come towards earth we will have a max of eight minute warning. Such ejection of mater and energy is enough to temporarily push aside our magnetic shield, and if that happens every piece of electronics the world over goes dead! Imagine the insanity that would occur…food runs out, no communication, no planes, no computers, supermarkets would be picked clean in moments. Mankind would go back to the stone age more or less. Shortly after the first telegraph lines were laid they stopped working and had to be replaced…i think it was 1812 and could have been the result of another solar ejection.
Yes, Virgina there have been predictions about the end of the world since the start of mankind, BUT for the first time in our history we have the capacity to actually do it!
Jared
February 26th, 2008
at 1:35pm
the poles of the sun reverse every 11 years
apparently this guy cant get basic science right so how can we believe anything else
yadira
February 26th, 2009
at 11:12pm
im not too religious… but my fiance just passed away and in my dreams he’ll let me know hes in heaven, im very glad he let me know that hes there because when he passed away i was very depressed and struggling now i know hes ok and he said we were still going to be together forever like he promised me. he was to propose to me this valentines day 2009. he passed away 12-20-2008. 2 days before his birthday, holidays, and our annaversity. i fucken miss him. he says hes at heaven and i believe him… so there is a HEAVEN!!!!