Those Doom Predictions

The ancient Mayan calendar (combined with a dash of New Age mysticism and people stoned on their favorite drugs) allegedly recently predicted that on December 12, 2012 the world would end. Unless I am typing this in a dream state (for you anything you read from me is probably better termed a "nightmare"), I think those nuts who believe in ancient prophesies can come out of their caves now. Seems to me our universe is still intact.

It's curious how many humans believe in such garbage...that Nostradamus left "predictions" for modern humans, than The Mayan Indians were fortune tellers and on and on. There are more crazy doom sources than one can list and a whole group of morons who believe in them. We used to laugh at the guy with the, "The World Will End Tomorrow" sign. Now we debate whether the prediction will come true. I wonder how much of the acceptance of the silly is due to lack of education and how much with simple disillusionment with the world in which we live. Too, the Internet and the free flow of "information" puts every crazy theory on an equal plane with those based on the scientific method. If you have a wacky idea you can find someone who agrees with you on some web site.

But what are some serious things that science says that could suddenly end the world or cause a catastrophic calamity? How about these.

* A new plague- The bubonic plagues of the past have ravaged the world. Now scientists say a newer stronger plague, probably starting in one of the overcrowded impoverished areas of an under developed nation is a possibility. Hmmm If there is a plague I bet there will be almost as many movies made about it as people who die from it.
* Solar flares- While NASA says that there is no real danger from this year's possible solar flare-ups, others believe that the solar storm could completely disable the world's satellites and electronics. Just think how many cell phone nuts couldn't bear life without their annoying phones after a solar storm....could lead to mass suicide among the cell nuts. Well, this proves that there is some good among disaster.
* The Rapture- Just like the Mayan predictions, this one has been a dud, failing to come to fruition several times already. The Rapture (The Second Coming of Christ that will occur in stages) is another of the biblical predictions that organized religion likes to throw out to remind us to listen to every non sequitor they dish out.
* World economic market crash- This would be the final crash that breaks the world's back and throws us back into the dark ages. I thought were were already having that?
* Nuclear war- Now that Lil Kim of North Korea is dead and gone, his little progeny Lil Kim II seems just as crazy as daddy. Maybe II will decide to have fun with his new technology and start firing away. Fortunately, Arnold Swarzenagger and Sylvester Stallon, older but ready to rescue us, will probably disable Lil Kim II before he can fire.
* Super volcanoes- The eruption of this or any super volcano could cause another ice age. But this would disappoint the global warming nuts since they have already promised we are all going to die soon from man made warmth.
* Waking up- Are we all just dreaming now and will we awaken to find out we weren't really in our man made world of Reality TV, cell phone mania, and mass ignorance? I hope so!
* Alien attacks- Scientists are discovering more and more evidence of life on other planets. While the current examples are closer to single celled amoebas than blaster wielding lizards from those terrible science fiction films of Hollywood, there is no telling when our celestial neighbors will pay us a visit. If we are lucky they will visit Snookie first and learn there is no intelligent life on earth and that it isn't worth zapping us after all.
* Asteroid collision- The last time the earth was hit by an asteroid it destroyed the dinosaurs and Russian scientists have determined that a giant asteroid called Apophis will likely collide with the earth on April 13, 2036. But then...who trusts the Russians to be capable of getting anything right.

Are you sufficiently worried now? I don't know about you but I'm gonna get me a crash helmet and hunker down.