# How bad is 2012 going to be? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 27, 2009, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-is-2012-going-to-be/483291 "2009-01-27T21:53:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-is-2012-going-to-be/483291/41 "2009-01-28T04:31:05Z")
> [@CurtC](#): > > I’ve come across only one person in real life who even knows about the 2012 craziness, and he thinks it’s crazy too. My prediction is that on Jan 1, 2013, you can say how we dodged the 2012 bullet, and most people won’t know what you’re talking about. On December 22nd 2012 you can say that. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-is-2012-going-to-be/483291/42 "2009-01-28T04:36:57Z")
The world ended in January of 2000, hell is just like earth except the president is different. The good people got sent to the earth where Emeril Lagasse in surprise landslide won the election. Sure the balanced budgets, crime free streets, utopian eradication of poverty is nice, and the free hookers and blow is totally sweet. The problem is he interrupts the tv airwaves to announce “BAM” whenever he signs a bill. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-is-2012-going-to-be/483291/43 "2009-01-28T05:41:46Z")
The crazies will get air time on slow news days. We’ll all laugh at them here. Maybe even create a pit thread or three. I’m more interested in seeing the movie that will come out of it. Think Spielberg will take it? Or will it be an M. Night Shyamalan flick? What I’d really like to know is what the Mayan’s would be saying if they were still around. I’m betting that they’d be laughing at the loonies right along with us. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-is-2012-going-to-be/483291/44 "2009-01-28T06:51:12Z")
Xtisme, search the Dope articles. Unca Cece tells all about the FOUR Mayan calendars. This doomsday you speak of could really happen within two or three years. Although the Mayans knew astronomy, their time measurement sucks. Search “Mayan calendar” in the archives. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-is-2012-going-to-be/483291/45 "2009-01-28T07:11:27Z")
> [@Projammer](#): > > I’m more interested in seeing the movie that will come out of it. Think Spielberg will take it? Or will it be an M. Night Shyamalan flick? Nope. [Roland Emmerich](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1190080/) and [Michael Bay](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0988032/). ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-is-2012-going-to-be/483291/46 "2009-01-28T10:02:40Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > I was on duty on an army base at midnight, just in case civilization collapsed. > > It didn’t, by the way. Do tell! Was it to watch for a specific failure? Or was it just in case of general chaos? I was only going to prevent embarrassment for my employer, or call important people if things really went south for some reason. My point was, that there was a real problem then. This lead to sane, grounded people worrying about it in addition to the fringe. It was mostly handled, but even then there were people making more of the same real problem to deal with. (Seriously, the programmer knew people who were full time Y2K consultants at the time he wrote the code. My mind boggled.) Fortunately, they didn’t write important programs. At one point in time before Y2K there was valid cause for concern about things breaking. That problem was (probably) averted through the concerted efforts of many people. This time, there is not even a real problem that is going to draw in the sane. So, the group worrying about 2012 will be smaller than the group that worried about Y2k, probably much smaller. I don’t think that anyone will have to pull extra duty. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-is-2012-going-to-be/483291/47 "2009-01-28T10:35:07Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > Xtisme, search the Dope articles. Unca Cece tells all about > the FOUR Mayan calendars. This doomsday you speak of > could really happen within two or three years. > > Although the Mayans knew astronomy, their time measurement sucks. > > Search “Mayan calendar” in the archives. Not that it matters anyway, because even to the Mayas the long count was just a, well, _calendar_. When the long count stops, it starts all over again from 0 and you add a number to the Era or Age counter (we’re in the 5th Age right now IIRC). Switching ages is not a portent of anything, not any more than going from 23:59 to 0:01 is a portent - they just had a looooong rollover to avoid software bugs 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-is-2012-going-to-be/483291/48 "2009-01-28T11:49:45Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Not that it matters anyway, because even to the Mayas the long count was just a, well, _calendar_. When the long count stops, it starts all over again from 0 and you add a number to the Era or Age counter (we’re in the 5th Age right now IIRC). Switching ages is not a portent of anything, not any more than going from 23:59 to 0:01 is a portent - they just had a looooong rollover to avoid software bugs 🙂 Hmph. I was promised orks, trolls, elves, dwarves, dragons and an immersive worldwide network that I could plug my brain into directly. I’m miffed. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-is-2012-going-to-be/483291/49 "2009-01-28T12:01:27Z")
I’d have thought people would feel mighty privileged to be able to witness the End Of The World? What a story you would have to tell to your grandkids…oh, hang on… ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-is-2012-going-to-be/483291/50 "2009-01-28T12:01:41Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Hmph. I was promised orks, trolls, elves, dwarves, dragons and an immersive worldwide network that I could plug my brain into directly. I’m miffed. Meh. The immersive world never gets used anyway 😛 ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-is-2012-going-to-be/483291/51 "2009-01-28T14:17:33Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > I doubt it will be as big a deal as Y2K. There was **some** rational reason to be worried about that and the whole world knew it, plus there was the whole calendrical flipping-over-the-odometer factor. Ran into a Y2K problem yesterday. Computer kept crashing on boot. Apparently, the battery died… resetting the clock, to Dec 31: 1999. When it rolled over in one second to 1/00, it crashed. (Technically, not a computer as you understand it, more a bit of hardware with an embedded processor, but long story short.) Oy. ---
**Author:** ![BlinkingDuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eada6e/32.png) [@BlinkingDuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlinkingDuck)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-is-2012-going-to-be/483291/52 "2009-01-28T17:14:26Z")
So…after 2012 passes…what will the next doomsday be? There always has to be a next doomsday! What date will they pick? ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-is-2012-going-to-be/483291/53 "2009-01-28T17:15:25Z")
I think in 2029 there is an asteroid that will pass fairly close to the earth. At a guess that will be the next doomsday target after we get by 2012. -XT ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-is-2012-going-to-be/483291/54 "2009-01-28T17:28:52Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > I for one plan to be partying down in some Mayan nation on December 21st. I think it’ll be pretty awesome in Guatemala. 😉 Do the Maya people who are living in Mexico and Central America today use the calendar that is going to roll over in 2012? If so, do they have any kind of plans for a celebration? That might be a lot of fun to go visit for, if they did. ---
**Author:** ![BlinkingDuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eada6e/32.png) [@BlinkingDuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlinkingDuck)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-is-2012-going-to-be/483291/55 "2009-01-28T17:31:48Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > I think in 2029 there is an asteroid that will pass fairly close to the earth. At a guess that will be the next doomsday target after we get by 2012. > > -XT Too distant. In order to sell books and stuff it needs to be 10-13 years in the future 😃 Also, we will be able to determine if it will hit or not. What is needed is some ‘mystical/religious’ reason the world will end. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-is-2012-going-to-be/483291/56 "2009-01-28T17:32:27Z")
> [@BlinkingDuck](#): > > So…after 2012 passes…what will the next doomsday be? There always has to be a next doomsday! What date will they pick? I’ve always thought picking an exact date was a critical, amateur mistake. It’s better to keep things vague but ominous, like the legal status of Gitmo detainees. So, dry oil wells ! Global warming ! Death of the bees ! Bell bottoms revival ! Things like that. Those are good, strong doomsdays to endorse and get book deals about. You can keep that schtick going for ever. The Mayan calendar and Halley comet ? Not so much. Think about it : what’s the more ominous answer to “so when will the world end ?” - December 21, 2012 or - soon. Very soon. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-is-2012-going-to-be/483291/57 "2009-01-28T18:10:16Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > Do tell! Was it to watch for a specific failure? Or was it just in case of general chaos? I think it was just in case there were mass power failures and such, akin to the then-recent experience of [the 1998 ice storm](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_ice_storm_of_1998) where the Canadian military had pitched in bigtime to help civil authority. Anyway, there was a room full of officers monitoring world events and they had a wicked big-screen TV setup, on which I got to see the Paris celebration which was pretty cool. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-is-2012-going-to-be/483291/58 "2009-01-28T20:12:50Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > I’ve always thought picking an exact date was a critical, amateur mistake. Saying that, the most disconcerting prediction I’ve ever seen was on one of those daytime ‘magazine’-type programmes, in which a young Asian boy was being interviewed and declared with utmost sincerity that a large meteor was going to hit Earth on 26th Sept. 2028, and that he intended to be a scientist in order to prevent it. Does this ring a bell with anyone else, or is this another of my ‘phantom broadcasts’, like the one I heard on breakfast tv once, announcing that a B52 had crashed nr Lubbock, Texas, but with not a mention made in any of the following news updates?! ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-is-2012-going-to-be/483291/59 "2009-01-28T22:04:14Z")
I always ask in these threads but no one seems to remember, but I’ll try again. Does anybody remember this EXACT same situation when some Mayan/Incan/Olmec/Pig Latin/Whatever calendar supposedly ended back in August of 1999? I went to an “end of the world” party on the night it was supposed to happen and everybody (I’m talking probably 100 people) got really quiet just before midnight, and someone said “well, the [??? Incas?] have about 3 more minutes” and a few people laughed uncomfortably and then midnight passed and everyone slowly started relaxing and I swear I haven’t heard a word about it since then. But I was hearing about it for a few years before. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-is-2012-going-to-be/483291/60 "2009-01-28T22:07:12Z")
> [@ivan\_astikov](#): > > Does this ring a bell with anyone else, or is this another of my ‘phantom broadcasts’, like the one I heard on breakfast tv once, announcing that a B52 had crashed nr Lubbock, Texas, but with not a mention made in any of the following news updates?! No, it doesn’t ring a bell, but don’t feel bad because I get those too. I distinctly remember hearing, among all the news chaos on September 11th, 2001, a report that Saddam Hussein had been killed in a separate but related attack. No one else I know remembers hearing this. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-is-2012-going-to-be/483291.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-is-2012-going-to-be/483291.md?page=4)