Article Archive for February 2010
What if nothing happens in 2012?
This is a common question, and one that especially concerns 2012 prophets, 2012 fearmongers, and 2012 spiritual evolutionists – for they could all have egg on their face.
First of all, there’s a good chance something will happen, because most years somewhere in the world there is a major story. 2012 will still have legs, because proponents of the meme will say things like:
that earthquake / volcano / tsunami is the beginning of the end
that politician just voted in is the anti-Christ
that new scientific discovery will lead to something disastrous
that piece of heart-warming good news indicates the start of a global spiritual uplifting
But also, don’t dismiss the human ability to self-fulfill prophecy, in either a good or bad way. If enough people believe we will undergo a spiritual transformation in 2012, and cause it to happen within their selves – who knows what the flow on effects might be?
Conversely, if enough …
WR 104 – Potential Space Nasty
I really like “bad astronomy” articles, but even more so when they admit they are scared. In this instance it is a binary star known as Wr 104. At a distance of 5000-8000 light years a supernova is not expected to harm us. But a Gamma Ray Burst might, especially if it is aimed straight at us!
GRBs are a special type of supernova. When a very massive star explodes, the inner core collapses, forming a black hole, while the outer layers explode outwards. Due to a complex and fierce collusion of forces in the core, two beams of raw fury can erupt out of the star, mind-numbing in their power. Composed mostly of high-energy gamma rays, they can carry more energy in them than the Sun will put out in its entire lifetime. They are so energetic we can see them clear across the Universe, and having one too close …
Nostradamus: Epistle to Henry II
For anyone who caught the recent cable TV shows regarding Nostradamus and 2012, here’s something that might tickle your fancy:
Michel Nostradamus wrote an Epistle to Henry II in 1558 which basically described his prophecies, and seems more rooted in reality than his quatrains. Within it, he says:
…most of the prophetic quatrains are so ticklish that there is no making way through them, nor is there any interpreting of them.
But what caught my eye was:
This will be preceded by a solar eclipse more dark and gloomy than any since the creation of the world, except that after the death and passion of Jesus Christ. And it will be in the month of October than the great translation will be made and it will be such that one will think the gravity of the earth has lost its natural movement and that it is to be plunged into the abyss of …
A Russian Solution to the Apophis non-problem
Universe Today recently reported a Russian plan to deflect an asteroid that is not expected to be a problem:
Russia is considering sending a spacecraft to deflect a large asteroid and prevent a possible collision with Earth, according to a radio interview by the head of the country’s space agency. Anatoly Perminov said the space agency will hold a meeting soon to assess a mission to Apophis, and said NASA, ESA, the Chinese space agency and others would be invited to join the project. Apophis is a 270-meter (885-foot) asteroid that was spotted in 2004. It is projected to come within 29,450 kilometers (18,300 miles) of Earth in 2029, and currently has an estimated 1-in-250,000 chance of hitting Earth in 2036.
Perminov said that he heard from a scientist that Apophis is getting closer and may hit the planet. “I don’t remember exactly, but it seems to me it could hit the …
Post-2012 Gear: Kyoto Box
If anything good ever comes from the poverty in Africa, it’s the recent ingenious inventions providing self-help at affordable prices. Although the aim is to provide cooking/boiling facilities for the poor, this is a great concept for a post-cataclysm scenario. The parts are easily scavenged, and most people would have the skills to construct a Kyoto Box. Therefore boiling water and cooking food should be easy to achieve for just about anyone.
It might look a bit primitive and simplistic, but it is 400 times more cost effective than photovoltaics – and that’s if you buy one ready made. If you recycle, it’s basically free.
All you need is:
2 cardboard boxes – one a little smaller than the other
a knife
black spray paint
aluminium foil
glue
duct tape
insulation / packing material
In terms of scavenging, a supermarket or hardware store, and a dumpster are about all you’d need to source the above items.
Here’s the official site – …
Thank You, eBay
The postie knocks on our door more days than not, delivering parcels. Most of these are used books I’ve sourced from around the globe that have some connection to 2012. For people like me, leaving no stone unturned, that’s a lot of books. We don’t know what will happen in 2012, so many topics need to be traversed.
Last year I wrote a piece on Comet Caesar (which is the cover story this month, Hard Evidence magazine, only available in Australia I feel). That was easy – one book on the comet itself, and less than a dozen on killer comets in general. But for the 2012 meme there is no limit to the number of books I can potentially buy.
There is, however, a limit to how many I can read, even if I had the good fortune to work on 2012 full-time. At some point I need to admit that …
What Does Mel Gibson Know About 2012?
Note: this is pure speculation, or even could be classed as fantasy!
Mel Gibson made the news today, again, due to his behavior. A reporter asked him about his public profile over the last few years, and implied that it might affect ticket sales for his new movie (yes, it didn’t do so well in its opening weekend, but Avatar could be a reason). Poor Mel was looking decidedly uncomfortable, and at the very end called the reporter an arsehole.
Mel has been very good in recent times, apologizing and trying to improve his image, so today was a little bit unusual. What may have triggered this behavior? Did he just get out of bed on the wrong side? Did he have a hangover? Is he going cold turkey? Or did he just find out something new about 2012?
Plenty of 2012ers believe that governments know about whatever will occur in 2012, and …
