The only end of the world prediction that will come true has nothing to do with 2012, but in 5 billion years when the Sun becomes a red giant and roasts the Earth, if not swallows it completely. By then, we'll either have gone the way of the buffalo or moved on to a more clement part of the galaxy.

Of course, you could always destroy the planet Earth by towing it into the orbit of a gas giant and making it the moon Earth.

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CNN Article on 2012 today.
Apocalypse in 2012? Date spawns theories, film

I can't tell if it's really an objective story because it really doesn't say anything except whose books tell what side of the story.

Then how about alerting us without having to buy a book.

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Here, see this:

http://i44.tinypic.com/2ppaogn.jpg

That’s a chart from an old archaeology book I have. The Mayan calendar system works like geared wheels that turn, like an old car’s mechanical odometer. If you drive the car long enough, it will start at 000000 miles and go up to 999999 miles, after that it will roll over to 000000 again.

The chart shows when the Mayan calendar rolled over to the next set of numbers:

It rolled over to 10.0.0.0.0 in 830 AD.

It rolled over to 11.0.0.0.0 in 1224 AD.

It rolled over to 12.0.0.0.0 in 1618 AD.

It will roll over to 13.0.0.0.0 in 2012 AD.

It will roll over to 14.0.0.0.0 in 2406 AD.

Etc, etc.

According to this chart, the Mayan calendar rolls over every 394 years.

Well, yes and no. The Mayan did have a longer cycle, called (in English) The Long Count. Think of it as the difference between centuries and millenia in our calendar.

One reference
Wikipedia article
I also found an interesting bit in this Wikipedia entry on the Mesoamerican Long Count

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Swift, interesting, thanks. At last I can now relax again, at least until the eve of October 21, 4772!