# Why do many people seem to think that the world will end on May 21, 2011? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 24, 2010, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621 "2010-05-24T21:44:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![jasourdough](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@jasourdough](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasourdough)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2010, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621/101 "2010-05-26T10:03:59Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > We don’t know. We don’t know if it’s knowable, in fact. > > There, that was easy. Notice that I answered the question without resorting to numerology or ancient myths. It’s true that having an explanation (‘God did it!’) is more satisfying than saying we don’t know what happened and we may never know. But that doesn’t mean the explanation is true or fits the facts. Like I said upthread, the idea of a very recent global flood violates our basic knowledge of archaeology (there are no independent records, and your date isn’t even in the Bible), geology (the fossil record and silt issue mentioned earlier), and physics (where did all that water come from and where did it go?). Those are serious problems and “the Bible says it happened” doesn’t even come close to overriding those objections. > > Your attempt to bring in asteroid impacts creates more problems than it solves. Plate tectonic movements are not caused by asteroids, and an asteroid collision like that would have probably killed off humanity, like **The Hamster King** said. I don’t think you understand the force that would be involved. The continents are drifting slowly. I think the rate is a few inches a year. So they have not moved very much in the last 5,000 years. If an asteroid impact led to Australia breaking off from Antarctica, Australia would still be moving away from Antarctica very fast - it hasn’t had much time to slow down. Think about how much force you’d need to slow the movement of a continent. Why did man, after 2 million years, suddenly begin to scribble symbols into rocks? According to you, it couldn’t be for any particular reason. The first known writings of man are about 5,000 years old. This date in history just “happened” to coincide with the following verses in Gen 11: 7 “Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” 9 “Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.” Maybe it was because a new method of communications was needed. Does your reasoning sound better, well, just because… Fact: Any claim of a particular date beyond 5,000 years using radiometric dating is an unfalsifiable claim. It cannot be proved or disproved. What type of machine(car…computer…etc) simply evolved from the elements of the earth. They were designed and built by a creator. Just exactly how can any reasonable or logical person conclude a machine as complex as a man simply evolved from the elements of the earth. ---
**Author:** ![jasourdough](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@jasourdough](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasourdough)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2010, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621/102 "2010-05-26T10:14:54Z")
> [@Yumblie](#): > > Don’t you realize what you’re doing? Let’s go through your list. > > Comets are made of ice water. How do you know this? Have you ever touched a comet? In fact, how do you even know comets exist? You know that comets exist and that they’re made of ice because of _science_. > > Sharks. How do you know anything about the behavior of bull sharks? The Bible doesn’t mention the migratory patterns of bull sharks, does it? How do you know bull sharks even exist? Hey, it’s _science_ again. > > Continental drift. I don’t remember that being in the Bible. In fact, it was considered a rather ridiculous idea up until about 50 years ago when the evidence came in to support it. And all this stuff about P-type wave propagation through different layers of the Earth…I’m pretty sure the Bible didn’t mention any of that. Are you telling me that you only know about this because of…_science_?! > > And just look at that contraption you’re using you post that message. How does a computer work? I don’t think the Bible had any silicon chip schematics in it, though I could be wrong. Perhaps it was…_science_ again? > > You know, you actually seem to be quite a fan of science! It’s pretty amazing all the things science can tell us, isn’t it? This science thing, it’s like some kind of miracle! > > No, actually, it’s rather mundane. All it is is common sense. Observation. Experiment. It’s all done the same way. People make a guess, they test it, and see what happens. Anyone can do it. It’s so simple, and yet it gives us so much. > > All those things you don’t like about science…they were discovered in the exact same way as the things you do like. You have to take the good with the bad. That’s how it works. If you don’t like it, then maybe science isn’t for you. There’s probably still some open woods somewhere in the northwest you can go live in. Did I say I didn’t enjoy science? What I don’t enjoy, is arrogant religious dribble taught as fact rather than theory. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2010, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621/103 "2010-05-26T10:49:10Z")
> [@jasourdough](#): > > Why did man, after 2 million years, suddenly begin to scribble symbols into rocks? Because answering machines hadn’t been invented yet? I’m not an expert on this but I dispute two points here: that writing “suddenly developed” rather than progressing gradually from things like cave paintings to symbols to something we would recognize as a language, and your proposed date means anything. If your theory is that people developed language in a hurry to write about the flood, you have to explain why they bothered - because they would have needed to teach everyone to read in a hurry. And you have to explain the evidence that writing systems were developing before that. > [@](#): > > According to you, it couldn’t be for any particular reason. Where did I say that? > [@](#): > > Any claim of a particular date beyond 5,000 years using radiometric dating is an unfalsifiable claim. It cannot be proved or disproved. Not true, for reasons already given. > [@](#): > > What type of machine(car…computer…etc) simply evolved from the elements of the earth. They were designed and built by a creator. Just exactly how can any reasonable or logical person conclude a machine as complex as a man simply evolved from the elements of the earth. Unless you’re dealing in metaphors, a man is a living organism, not a machine. An overwhelming amount evidence shows that living organisms change over time. > [@jasourdough](#): > > Did I say I didn’t enjoy science? What I don’t enjoy, is arrogant religious dribble taught as fact rather than theory. So what about all this Bible stuff you’re giving us? ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2010, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621/104 "2010-05-26T11:17:03Z")
> [@jasourdough](#): > > Did I say I didn’t enjoy science? What I don’t enjoy, is arrogant religious dribble taught as fact rather than theory. You are James Randi and I demand my £5. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2010, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621/105 "2010-05-26T11:37:41Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Hmmm. Does the Bible say anything about giant sharks? The Book of Rationalizations, 3:14 “And lo, the shark, which is a Bull Shark, shall grow most greatly in the mixing of the Waters and be called unto a Great White of the Large Teeth.” ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2010, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621/106 "2010-05-26T11:40:06Z")
> [@jasourdough](#): > > Just exactly how can any reasonable or logical person conclude a machine as complex as a man simply evolved from the elements of the earth. Well, [here’s one way](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergence). > [@](#): > > A broader example of emergent properties in biology is viewed in the biological organisation of life, ranging from the subatomic level to the entire biosphere. For example, individual atoms can be combined to form molecules such as polypeptide chains, which in turn fold and refold to form proteins, which in turn create even more complex structures. These proteins, assuming their functional status from their spatial conformation, interact together and with other molecules to achieve higher biological functions and eventually create an organism. Another example is how cascade phenotype reactions, as detailed in chaos theory, arise from individual genes mutating respective positioning. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2010, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621/107 "2010-05-26T13:10:55Z")
> [@jasourdough](#): > > Why did man, after 2 million years, suddenly begin to scribble symbols into rocks? According to you, it couldn’t be for any particular reason. Now your just flailing around. You can’t explain the gaping holes in the flood story, so you’re changing the subject. Where’s the silt? How did kangaroos get to Australia? Why are Noah’s descendants so racially diverse? Why don’t ice cores show any evidence of the flood? > [@](#): > > Any claim of a particular date beyond 5,000 years using radiometric dating is an unfalsifiable claim. It cannot be proved or disproved. This is particularly silly. We have ice core data going back hundreds of thousands of years. You can see the bands, just like with tree rings. Someone who doesn’t have your best interests at heart has been lying to you. Why might that be? ---
**Author:** ![YamatoTwinkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/cc9497/32.png) [@YamatoTwinkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YamatoTwinkie)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2010, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621/108 "2010-05-26T13:15:10Z")
> [@jasourdough](#): > > Differentiating temperatures drive weather. If you “took” thermodynamics you should understand it. Your two quotes from Ecclesiastes say nothing about differentiating temperatures. Something as mundane as the water cycle (and a rather poor version at that) belongs in a 6th grade science textbook - to claim that it shows knowledge of an author that “understood thermodynamics” is laughable at best. ---
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2010, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621/109 "2010-05-26T13:31:12Z")
I am really enjoying the posts from our new friend jasourdough. We should pony up a subscription for him so he is not annoyed by those pesky ads… ---
**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:** [May 26, 2010, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621/110 "2010-05-26T13:38:38Z")
> [@jasourdough](#): > > Just exactly how can any reasonable or logical person conclude a machine as complex as a man simply evolved from the elements of the earth. Is it slightly more or less reasonable than someone who believes all life’s answers are written in a book, cobbled together centuries ago? Or believes a magic sky pixie breathed life into an eternal void because it was sick of talking to itself? ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2010, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621/111 "2010-05-26T14:45:18Z")
> [@jasourdough](#): > > II haven’t ignored anything. As one individual attacked from all sides, It’s difficult to respond to everything. > > Deep space water clouds: > What do comets primarily consist of. If you don’t know google it. Ice is water in a solid state. You seriously believe in a global flood? Do you believe the earth is only 6-10k years old as well? If that’s so, do you believe that the earth has been [hit by meteors, comets, etc](http://www.unb.ca/passc/ImpactDatabase/CIDiameterSort2.htm)? If both of those are true, please explain how life exists - since the fact is, if all the craters on the earth occurred within 10k years, no life would be possible. I’m not just talking about the KT or the vredefort craters. To quote from another board where I brought this up: "There have been 5+ huge meteors that have struck the earth, in addition there have been over 140+ large meteors that have also hit the earth. The reason I bring up the 5 is that each of those five, by itself, is an extinction level meteor. Meaning that when it hit the earth, the entire earth was effected by it. In otherwords it’s simply not even remotely possible that the earth is around 10k years old. It has to be older, unless there is some explanation of how mankind was able to survive these meteor strikes. There certainly isn’t any biblical support for all of these strikes. So how do YEC explain them? For the most part, it seems that the YEC I’ve encountered have simply ignored them. " In short, **a young earth isn’t possible from the evidence on this planet**. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Dave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/46a35a/32.png) [@Great\_Dave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Dave)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2010, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621/112 "2010-05-26T14:57:33Z")
I thought my post would have merited some attention, but this sourdough guy seems to have permanently derailed the thread. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2010, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621/113 "2010-05-26T15:32:35Z")
> [@Great\_Dave](#): > > I thought my post would have merited some attention, but this sourdough guy seems to have permanently derailed the thread. And you guys have totally missed the impending doom foretold by Journey… ---
**Author:** ![Twoflower](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/twoflower/32/22_2.png) [@Twoflower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Twoflower)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2010, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621/114 "2010-05-26T15:58:23Z")
> [@Great\_Dave](#): > > I thought my post would have merited some attention, but this sourdough guy seems to have permanently derailed the thread. It’s been awhile since we’ve come up against such an invincible foe in the fight against ignorance. We’re throwing everything we’ve got at him, and it’s just bouncing off!! ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2010, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621/115 "2010-05-26T16:09:04Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > During. Everyone will feel compelled to go to their local low-rent fast food place and order a hamburger. The world will end, not with a bang, but with a Wimpy’s. We don’t have Wimpy’s in Ohio. The world will end with a Hardee’s. Har-har. ---
**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:** [May 26, 2010, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621/116 "2010-05-26T16:14:47Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > We don’t have Wimpy’s in Ohio. The world will end with a Hardee’s. > > Har-har. Oh, my god! _standing in the street and pointing_ It’s Giant Jackie Gleason! He’s come to pound civilization into rubble for NOT laughing at “You’re In The Picture”! Ruuuun!!! ETA: Wow. Was this as “cross-genre/cross-era entertainment geek” as it looks in hindsight? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2010, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621/117 "2010-05-26T16:27:49Z")
> [@Great\_Dave](#): > > I thought my post would have merited some attention, but this sourdough guy seems to have permanently derailed the thread. Yeah! And I provided a list of perfectly reasonable (according to this thread) questions and comments that nobody responded to either! There is some nonsense chauvinism going on here. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2010, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621/118 "2010-05-26T16:49:24Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > ETA: Wow. Was this as “cross-genre/cross-era entertainment geek” as it looks in hindsight?[/size] Uh-huh. Tomorrow’s our anniversary, you know. Smooch. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2010, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621/119 "2010-05-26T17:49:49Z")
> [@jasourdough](#): > > As I said earlier, unlike many people on this forum, I’m not willing to debate something I know virtually nothing about. If you feel this one point is a gotcha, that is your freedom. Your posts are our cite. The sort of drivel (note spelling) you spout is a prime example of the worst sort of tinfoil-hat nuttery that the far right has to offer. It’s pointless to debate someone who deals in myth and circular logic, and who dismisses thoughtful argument with a Palinesque “you’re just playing ‘gotcha’”. ---
**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:** [May 26, 2010, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621/120 "2010-05-26T18:13:00Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > Uh-huh. > > Tomorrow’s our anniversary, you know. Smooch. 😉 Oh, geez…has it been a year since that, already? No call here, sadly. This means I’m eligible to take the next one at the beginning of 2011, right? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-people-seem-to-think-that-the-world-will-end-on-may-21-2011/540621.md?page=7)