Knowing, the Mayan Calender, Doomsday Theories...

Alright, so I went to see "Knowing" starring Nicholas Cage tonight and besides being an awesome movie, maybe one of the best I have seen in a long time, it got me to thinking about all things existential and metaphysical. I won't give away the movie, but let's just say that the end is a doozy, leaves nothing to the imagination (which is good, because the point of a good movie, especially a sci-fi movie, is to put somebody's imagination on screen in tangible images), and really makes you question the big things in life. Can it all end? Why am I here? Is there a point to all this or do I have to just go on faith that something is after my inevitable death?

I decided to do some quick research on the theory that a massive solar flare could spark up without us knowing (I know, cheap shot...) and wipe out all life on earth. Furthermore, because our sun is and has been so stable, what are other E.L.E. (extinction level event)type catastrophes might befall us within our lifetimes, and more importantly those of our children. The chances of an external, non-human factor for our demise are exponentially smaller than something as mundane as a good, old-fashioned nuclear war or a super germ being unleashed accidentally by some scientist who hadn't thought to make a cure. The movies, and theories, of a true doomsday are endless but the fact remains that it will all end for all of us, and we have to hope there is something better than this struggle in a weak, flesh and bone vessel for our souls that is this life.

That being said, it's always smart to prepare, and you have to give some credence to the Popol Vuh, an ancient text that was held sacred by the Mayans and told the story of our creation from "tree people", i.e. primates, to the complex creatures we are today. The date December 21st, 2012 has always been a harrowing date. It was the traditional "end of days" for the Mayans, the time when our earth sits exactly in line with our own sun and the center of the milky way galaxy. Science fiction has theorized all manner of fantastical events that will unfold for us on this day, including solar flares, the end of the spinning of earths molten core, the appearance of a rouge black hole, the collision of our planet with either Venus or mars, etc...but what can we really do about it?

First, educate yourself about some of the potentials. Check out http://www.greenoverrun.com/9-examples-of-apocalyptic-extinction-level-events.html, which will give you a small taste of the sensationalism surrounding the so-called ways we can kiss it all goodbye.

The only real way we can stop something like an asteroid colliding with earth would be to set-up not only an early detection system, which would be a stretch given that astronomers are only watching about 1% of all appreciable angles of visible space at any given time. Secondly, we would have to have a deflection apparatus in place, maybe a volley of nuclear missiles could do the trick, but it would be a crapshoot for any object over about 6 miles in diameter. The chances of this happening are very slim, but we should hopefully have some sort of contingency plan in place within the next 20 years. With China shooting for a moon visit by 2020 and seeming to have the capacity, capability, and motivation to accomplish that feat, look for whoever succeeds Obama to start pumping more than the paltry sum NASA currently gets currenty ($17.6 billion for 09') to a total closer to the amount JFK authorized in 63' (about $25 billion in adjusted dollars). It is absolutely vital we start to look to our aerospace industries as the total world population races towards 7 billion people, because eventually as we get closer to about 20 billion people, the argriculture industries are going to be at capacity and people will literally be killing each other to eat. In other words, we will someday soon (probably the next 100 years unless an agressive population/birth control program takes root) need to start seriously relocating a significant amount of the population off-planet.

Also check out http://thembonez.blogspot.com/2007/09/surviving-2012-and-planet-x.html, which is further 2012 mythos, but highly entertaining if implausible. All this crap is driving me nuts and I need to recharge the cranium, but keep reading, be prepared for stuff, and enjoy life to the fullest. Moral of the story is keep doing what you're doing, live for today and plan for tomorrow, spend time with your loved ones, and above all else take comfort in not knowing. Ignorance truly is the most sublime bliss of all...