NASA warns Mayan apocalypse stories pose threat to frightened children and suicidal teenagers (Video)
NASA scientists took time on Wednesday, Nov. 28, to soothe 2012 doomsday fears, warning against the dark side of Mayan apocalypse rumors — frightened children and suicidal teens who truly fear the world may come to an end Dec. 21.
These fears are based on misinterpretations of the Mayan calendar. On the 21st, the date of the winter solstice, a calendar cycle called the 13th b'ak'tun comes to an end. Although Maya scholars agree that the ancient Maya would not have seen this day as apocalyptic, rumors have spread that a cosmic event may end life on Earth on that day.
Thus NASA's involvement. The space agency maintains a 2012 information page debunking popular Mayan apocalypse rumors, such as the idea that a rogue planet will hit Earth on Dec. 21, killing everyone. (In fact, astronomers are quite good at detecting near-Earth objects, and any wandering planet scheduled to collide with Earth in three weeks would be the brightest object in the sky behind the sun and moon by now.)
"There is no true issue here," David Morrison, an astrobiologist at NASA Ames Research Center, said during a NASA Google+ Hangout event. "This is just a manufactured fantasy."
Real-world consequences
Unfortunately, Morrison said, the fantasy has real-life consequences. As one of NASA's prominent speakers on 2012 doomsday myths, Morrison said, he receives many emails and letters from worried citizens, particularly young people. Some say they can't eat, or are too worried to sleep, Morrison said. Others say they're suicidal.
"While this is a joke to some people and a mystery to others, there is a core of people who are truly concerned," he said.
Not every 2012 apocalypse believer thinks the world will end on Dec. 21. Some, inspired by New Age philosophies, expect a day of universal peace and spiritual transformation. But it's impressionable kids who have NASA officials worried.
"I think it's evil for people to propagate rumors on the Internet to frighten children," Morrison said.
Myths and misconceptions
NASA scientists took questions via social media in the hour-long video chat, debunking doomsday myths from the rogue planet Nibiru to the danger of killer solar flares.
In fact, said NASA heliophysicist Lika Guhathakurta, it's true that the sun is currently in an active phase of its cycle, meaning electromagnetic energy has picked up. Large solar flares can impact electronics and navigation systems on Earth, but satellites monitoring the sun give plenty of warning and allow officials to compensate for the extra electromagnetic activity when it hits our atmosphere. What's more, Guhathakurta said, this particular solar maximum is the "wimpiest" in some time — scientists have no reason to expect solar storms beyond what our planet has weathered in the past.
Nor are any near-Earth objects, planetary or otherwise, threatening to slam into our planet on Dec. 21, said Don Yeomans, a planetary scientist who tracks near-Earth objects at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The only close asteroid approach on the horizon is forecast to occur on Feb. 13, 2013, when an asteroid will pass within 4.5 Earth radii to our planet (for perspective, Earth's radius is 3,963 miles, or 6,378 kilometers). The asteroid is not going to hit Earth, Yeomans said.
Other rumors — that the Earth's magnetic field will suddenly reverse or that the planet will travel almost 30,000 light-years and fall into the black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy — were also dismissed. (A light-year is the distance light travels in one year, or about 6 trillion miles, or 10 trillion km.)
One popular rumor that the planet will undergo a complete blackout from Dec. 23 to 25 earned a "What?" and blank looks from the panel of scientists.
Ultimately, concerns about Earth's fate would be better focused on slow-acting problems such as climate change rather than some sort of cosmic catastrophe, said Andrew Fraknoi, an astronomer at Foothill College in California.
Mitzi Adams, a heliophysicist at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, agreed.
"The greatest threat to Earth in 2012, at the end of this year and in the future, is just from the human race itself," Adams said.
SOURCE
VIDEO 12-21-2012 Just Another Day
My son is 13 now and about 3 years ago his father told him the world was comming to an end on Dec. 21 2012. since then my son has been missing alot of school. He's often sick to his stoache and very stressed out. He doesn't like to admit he's worried about the world coming to an end but he has told me that this is what he thinks about almost everyday. I believe he has ulcers. This last couple weeks he has been very upset and has missed 2 weeks of school due to feeling sick. I try to reassure him that this will not happen. and even if it did,it would probly be sudden and no one would suffer. I really hope other children will get through these next few weeks without taking their own lives and without worrying themselves sick. It should be a happy time of year. It is holiday season and NO ONE especially our children should have to worry about the world ending. My son says " I haven't even had time to grow up and enjoy life yet." It's sad. I feel helpless. I try to set his mind at ease but he really doesnt believe me. And I don't think he will feel better till after the 21st. I wish everyone dealing with the stress of this day, the best of luck. And if you believew in a higher power then that higher power has your back and will protect you and your family. PEACE AND LOVE a concerned parent.
?
Take your child to the forest and teach yourself that mother nature is who decides and he doesn't have to worry. He will notice!
The end of the world is Now
the human does not have the capacity to wipe out the world. There will be a light that will activate the Consciousnesses that are still attached to the matrix
ftw
Before humans knew that the earth was a sphere, revolving and rotating, they noticed patterns of stars, planets, the sun and the moon, and they observed and recorded these things and used them to predict seasons and weather. They used this information to make decisions on when to plant what seeds and practical things like that. They also made up stories and characters, giving names to the constellations and planets and when there were catastrophes, they made up stories of gods fighting or punishing the humans, etc. The Mayans weren't the only ones who had this same information about this coming winter solstice and they never said that it was the end of the world. The Mayans destroyed their own civilization thousands of years before.
The real concern is that climate change caused by human activity is beginning to become more and more obvious, as more and more catastrophes are showing up more frequently and in places where they hadn't shown up before. Personally, I am concerned that if there is a polar shift, or overlap of magnetospheres of several planets, or whatever electromagnetic activity occurs(I don't how anyone ever got the idea that something would hit the earth and scientists wouldn't know it in advance) , the already fragile planet could experience greater catastrophes and power outages.
Thinking that the world will end on a particular day, very soon, may be frightening for children, but for me, I wish it was so simple and I could know when the world would end. Then I could cash in my retirement funds and buy the house I want and have a wonderful time until it all ends. But I have to go on juggling money and trying to figure out how to be prepared for the next tropical storm or earthquake or tornado, and be prepared to go on and on like this for decades.
One thing that has occurred to me, is that the New Age theory that everything would evolve in the 21st century, could actually come true, in a sort of "All of the Above" situation. Electromagnetic activity ravages an already fragile climate, causing outages and shaking things up and it gets rid of all the corruption and cruelty that's been going on for thousands of years and the people rebuild civilization in a way where nature and technology peacefully exist, as do all cultures of humans. But that's just my wishful thinking; there's no theory like that from any scientists, religions, or theorists of any kind and it probably won't happen.
Thug LIfe!!!
Only God will decide when the world will end. Man doesn't know. Get over it. God Bless...
I hate People how think they know it all, but there are people think thatthe Mayans were here thousands of years ago. WRONG, The civilization of native South Americans were here between 1500 - 2000 year ago, 'cause if their were alive the time of the Great Spirit, the Holy Creator. If the Mayans made the Temples that long ago, we would not beable to see the writing on the Walls Dummy. 'M not a professor or a scientist, but I do know the Native American History.
'' Everyone thinks of changing the world,
but no one think's of changing himself, and i mean for the greater of mankind''
Thankyou to the person that commented in "a Native American" way. You are absolutely right! We as Natives (or at least me as an Abenaki) believe that it will usher in a Change in Consciosness and that is all. This is actually a bigger thing than many believe and is a Very Good Thing in my opinion anyway along with many of my Brothers and Sisters! Blessings
dont be fear . if u fear u dont find anything truth. Fear is only control mecanisim by controling corparations, (dark cabal, illuminati etcc.. what ever u want to call. greedy people is good one) the time is now all the time. our thoughts,feelings and action create our reality. so be conscious about your vision.
free your mind and use your heart. www.youtube.com/user/777alaje
GET WHAT YOU GET THEN ....... BUT THIS IS NOT FOR EVERYONE .. ONLY THE ORIGINAL PEOPLE .. AND THE ONE WHO DID THE NATIVE AMERICAN WAY .. IF YOU CALL YOUR SELF NATIVE AMERICAN YOUR MIND IS NOT RIGHT ANYWAY .. BUT YOU ARE ON THE RIGHT TRACK .. BUT THEY DONT BLOCK THE MAYANS FOR NOTHING ...... WE KNOW WHY AND WE KNOW WHATS GOING TO HAPPEN .. EVERYONES IN CEREMONY RIGHT NOW ...... BUT I BET THE ONES WHO CALL THEM SELVES NATIVE AMERICANS ARE NOT .. WHICH THEY TOO WILL FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS LATER ....... IM AN ORIGINAL BEING WHICH IN MY LANGUAGE WOULD BE OKLA FOR THE PEOPLE ...... WE DONT CALL OUR SELVES NATIVE AMERICAN, AMERICAN INDIAN, NATIVE , INDIGENOUS, AB ORIGINAL, OR TRIBAL NAMES .............. ......... AND THE CEREMONIES THE FOREIGN PEOPLE TRY TO DO WONT WORK TO STOP WHATS COMING ......... WHY? BECAUSE THEY DONT KNOW WHAT IS COMING ........ LIKE WHEN THEY FIND OUR INFORMATION .............. WRITTIN IN STONE NOT ON PAPER .......... BUT HAVE TO GET ORIGINAL PEOPLE TO TELL THEM WHAT IT IS ......... BUT WE NEVER TELL THEM THE WHOLE THING ............... BECAUSE THE FOREIGN PEOPLE WOULD TRY TO USE IT LIKE THEY TRY TO DO OUR CEREMONIES ............
AND NASA IS A NAZI SCIENTIST .. WHERE DO YOU THINK THEY CAME FROM ....... GERMANY ............ ROCKET SCIENTIST ........ BUT SOME DONT KNOW THAT AND THEY ARE MORE INTO KILLING PEOPLE THAN ANY OTHER PEOPLE ON THE PLANET ........... SO YES THEY WONT TELL YOU WHATS COMING AND THEY HAVE ALL THE TELESCOPES .. MAKE THE CONNECTION ...... OR DONT ....... ;)
AND ALSO NASA IS A PRIVATE OWNED COMPANY ... NOT A US.COMPANY
This message comes backed by my conversations with Mayan Day Keepers (in connection with the Mayan Council) and other Elders who have been keeping this calendar before it was on doomsayers radars. What they have said is that every day we get closer to the Solstice the smaller the chances are for catastrophic disaster, as well as the scope. Right now the slowing down to a halt of this cycle, is the most dangerous time. Once that Sun rises on the Solstice we have made it past the dangerous darkness of No-Time-ness. That is why it is a time for celebrating, for on this day a new frequency of light will be upon us. Climate change will continue and will push us back into balance and the old systems (economy) will collapse but it will be more organic and communities will rise together for good. At least that's what the Prophecy Calendars (5 of the 25 different calendars Mayans keep) says is a heavy possibility, among other positive things. Knowing these things and the fact that the window for catastrophe size things has passed is also great news to me and worth a celebration. These words are not necessarily mine, but (as best transcribed through me) the Elders whom I spoke with who asked me and others to carry their message forward. To help alleviate fear, hopelessness and despair which are at a peak while this cycle winds down. See our Calendar is a circle and the new Time is not to be feared, any more than night turning to day or fall give way to winter. We are entering a new Galactic season and we celebrate this just as we celebrate the Equinoxes and Solstices.
Me, as a modern/urban NDN, I am just a blind eagle being led by the warmth of the sun. Together we Rise!