National Museum of Anthropology

Armageddon, judgment day, doomsday, annihilation—dark as they may be in connotation, these are the terms many people associate with 21st December 2012. In anticipation, astrologists, scientists, and media men have foreshadowed the near future with a catastrophic picture of the earth’s end. As time approaches, public obsession on the earth’s destruction continues to spread, leaving us to our own interpretations and causing panic to the general public, including of course the business sector. As the day draws near, people question themselves how they should prepare for the destruction.Undoubtedly, many religious followers will form big crowds in churches and houses of worship to plead for God’s mercy. At the same time, computer programmers may think this phenomenon as another Y2K in the making, thus backing up files and creating new programs seem rational at this point. Moreover, some governments have already pronounced concern on the issue, and pushed some efforts to prevent disaster. However, in the midst of all these, it is equally wise to consider pondering on the phenomenon with skepticism. This way, we could come up with a good judgment of whether to believe the prophecy or not.The 2012 hysteria started with the observation that the 13th Baktun of the Mayan Long Count calendar, also referred to as the Aztec calendar, ends on 12-21-2012, a winter solstice (Soveign 2008; Eden n. d. ; Cooper n. d. ). The calendar which is carved on the Aztec â€Å"sun stone† is currently on exhibit in the National Museum of Anthropology and History in Chapultepec Park, Mexico City. Relevantly, some people ponder that since the â€Å"sun stone† shows days of the sun, its final day which is December 21, 2012 ultimately predicts the â€Å"end of the sun.† History recounts a number of phenomena predicted by the Mayas, some of which include solar and lunar eclipses, taking into consideration the rotation of the earth and its speed. T he Mayas also predicted that in 1996, people would create an inter-dimensional network that could enable people to communicate despite a far distance such as the Internet. These prophecies establish reliability of the Mayas and their Long Count calendar in predicting future astrological events.In line with the 2012 phenomenon, many are awed by the Mayan prophecy as the date corresponds with the galactic alignment in which â€Å"the ecliptic of our solar system will intersect with the Galactic plane, called the ‘Galactic Equator’ of the Milky Way. † (Eden n. d. ) At the same time, the earth will also be aligned with the center of the Galaxy where there is maximum mass. This alignment, which never occurred before could definitely cause disruption in the earth’s activity. Furthermore, the said date coincides with the earth’s solar maximum.During this time, solar flares, sunspots, and coronal mass ejections are strongest. These flares come from the sun and shoot through planets, discharging radiation and strong electrical currents and causing problems for satellites, communications, and power grids. (Raeder, as mentioned in Eden n. d. ) An investigation conducted by NASA's THEMIS (Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms) satellite declares that conversely, galactic alignment will create â€Å"a huge breach,† allowing more sun particles to come in, possibly causing great danger to both living and non-living creatures.Implications to Different Sectors In line with the upcoming phenomenon, investors to electric and power companies should take precautions in the next three years. Due to strong electrical currents predicted by experts, power failure may likewise take into play. On the contrary, those who have invested in solar energy might reap the harvest, though this still needs in-depth investigation. Moreover, since the forecasted catastrophe is caused by the flares of the sun, it basically implie s earth’s need to contradict the main force, which is heat energy.To control excessive amount of heat onto the earth’s surface, we may need to make serious efforts to counter this by taking better care of our environment. Basically, plant and marine life, which produce the greatest amount of oxygen should be multiplied in order to save the planet. While the Mayan prediction and scientific explorations offer substantial explanation regarding the 2012 catastrophe, let us consider how other sectors of the society react to the said end. In particular, we may note portions of the business sector that thrive from the said prophecy.For example, Sony Pictures Entertainment will release a movie titled, â€Å"2012† in November this year. This movie, directed by Roland Emmerich, centers on the doomsday of 2012 based on the Mayan prophecy. As early as last year, the movie outfit has already released a teaser trailer and launched a Web site that not only promotes the film bu t also invites viewers to register for lottery. Similarly, a number of Web sites (i. e. , December212012. com) that have been established are used not only to promulgate the news but also to sell products that bear captions related to 2012 phenomenon.Some of these include books, t-shirts, caps, and other accessories. All these reveal a hidden agendum of how some profit makers earn from the panic they have just caused the people. These also give the impression of how this prophecy would culminate to a meaningless end similar to prophecies made in the past, such as the Y2K. The truth regarding galactic alignment offers enough warning for everyone to start preparing for the next cycle of weather disturbances and natural disasters. Although many visionaries including Nostradamus (mentioned in December212012.com) offer common views regarding doomsday, we should not allow ourselves to be victims to profit-seekers who proliferate the news only for their personal gain. May this also serve a s a call to stop sensationalizing the issue because at the end of the day, no one can really predict what exactly will happen in the future. Furthermore, may this remind media people and Web authors of their responsibility to our people to tell and live the truth. Works Cited Cooper, Adrian. â€Å"The Year 2012. † (n. d. ). Retrieved 4 March 2009 < http://www. whatismetaphysics. com/year2012. html>. Eden, Dan. â€Å"December 21, 2012: The Real Doomsday? † (n. d. ).Viewzone. Retrieved 3 March 2009 . Emmerich, Roland. â€Å"2012. † (2009). [Film]. NY: Sony Pictures Entertainment. â€Å"History Presents Nostradamus 2012. † (2006). Retrieved 3 March 2009 < http://www. december212012. com/articles/news/History_To_Air_New_Nostradamus_Special. htm>. Raeder, Jimmy. â€Å"Important Update: January 2009. † In Eden, Dan. â€Å"December 21, 2012: The Real Doomsday? † (n. d. ). Retrieved 3 March 2009 . â€Å"Soveign, Mark. â€Å"What Exactly will Happe n in 2012? † (2008). Retrieved 4 March 2009 .