Today is the final day in the 13th 144,000-day cycle of the ancient Mayan Long Count Calendar — otherwise known as the Mayan apocalypse.

Nevermind that the ancient Maya never predicted an apocalypse, and that their calendar is, in fact, capable of continuing on for millions of years. The idea of a world-ending event in 2012 bubbled up on conspiracy-minded corners of the Internet and caught on in pop culture with movies like the 2009 release "2012." The end result? Chinese farmers making "doomsday escape pods," NASA being flooded with worried phone calls, and supposedly mystical mountains in Europe getting overrun with apocalypse tourists.

Doomsday scares have been happening for hundreds of years, but most are sparked by charismatic leaders issuing divine proclamations. Not so for the Mayan apocalypse scare.

"It's quite unlike any other doomsday prediction," said Lorenzo DiTommaso, a professor of religion at Concordia University in Montreal.

Roots of an apocalypse myth

The Mayan apocalypse arises from one of three calendars the ancient Maya used and carved on temples and monuments. This particular calendar, the Long Count Calendar, recorded the days since the Maya's mythical creation date in five chunks of time. First, the k'in, which counted day-by-day up to 20 before rolling over like a car odometer into units called uinals. One uinal is 20 days. Uinals then counted upward to the next unit, called a tun, with each tun consisting of 18 uinals, or a total of 360 days.

From there, the cycles continue. Twenty tuns become one ka'tun (7,200 days total) and 20 ka'tuns become one b'ak'tun (144,000 days total, or close to 400 years).

By matching Mayan calendar dates to our own calendar, researchers have concluded that Dec. 21, 2012, is the likely date for the last day of the 13th b'ak'tun. (Dec. 23 or Dec. 24 are other possibilities, thanks to different units on the calendar turning over at different times of day.)

Written in modern translation, that makes Dec. 21, in Mayan date, 13.0.0.0.0. Tomorrow, Dec. 22 will be 13.0.0.0.1

A different doomsday



What makes this doomsday different is that no one religion or cult is pushing it, as occurred with the Biblically inspired Harold Camping doomsday in 2011. Doomsday predictions are almost always a top-down phenomenon driven by one religious leader, DiTommaso told LiveScience. The Mayan apocalypse rumors, however, arose online and consist of dozens of conflicting predictions about what will happen.

"This is the first time it's occurred as a global phenomenon," DiTommaso said of the grassroots doomsday rumors. [Oops! 11 Failed Doomsday Predictions]

The rumors may arise from a simple culture clash. The Maya saw time as cyclical; westerners, influenced by early Jewish and Christian tradition, tend to assume an end will eventually come.

"It's that world of the ancient Maya colliding with the Western world, which has all kinds of religious traditions firmly anchored in these end-of-the-world types of beliefs," said Dirk van Tuerenhout, an anthropologist and curator of "Maya 2012: Prophecy Becomes History," an exhibit ongoing at the Houston Museum of Natural Science.

Debunked predictions

Among the predictions: A "rogue planet" or asteroid will crash into Earth; solar flares from the sun will destroy the planet's electronics; the Earth's magnetic field will flip-flip, similarly destroying electronics or perhaps leaving people without protection from cosmic radiation.

NASA has debunked all of these astronomical predictions. There are no near-Earth objects set on a collision course with the planet, for example, nor is the sun unusually active. Magnetic field flip-flops do occur, but over periods of thousands of years, not in the blink of an eye.

Another set of believers doesn't think the world will end on Friday, but instead will undergo a change in consciousness or a move toward universal peace. The Maya themselves see the day as the dawn of a new era, and there are ceremonies scheduled all over Central America that are not fearful, but hopeful.

Follow Stephanie Pappas on Twitter @sipappas or LiveScience @livescience. We're also on Facebook & Google+.

Right now i'm watching cartoon with my gf...f.uck mayans they ain't GOD It's only God that knows that day not those f^ck A$$ MAYANS

Guys don't celebrate yet not until after 12 midnight. Mayan maybe right.

There is no end of the world, there could only be end of the human race.

While some people jez dey travel go village because them talk say the world go end me i je je dey on top of mango tree anxiously waiting 4 d world of d mayans to end.bt wait o these mayans must be learners.lolz

I can't find my roomate and the indomie and egg I bought yesterday night hoping to eat this morning. Does that count?

[color=#770077][/color]

You people are still here? We don dey the other side oh!
In other news NASA confirmed that on the 21st of December, late evening, the sky will turn very dark. This is a phenomenon called "Night""

Well, if today doesn't turn out to be the end of the world , I heard there is a Somalian calendar ending on 11/12/2013..... Maybe that might be the the true end

Fredrick909: Hi Guys the much anticipated day/date 21-12-2012. is finally here. The day the ancient Mayans predicted the world will end(DOOMSDAY) So what do you guys think will the world still end today or not. ? Share your opinion.

Say what?! No way!

It is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.... Na wa for people ooooooo..... Humans can be so hilarious fa!!! www.cnn.com/2012/12/20/world/doomsday-coming/index.html

I and my family boarded a space shuttle to Mars last night. We just landed safely. We're taking no chances.

Libkid: While some people jez dey travel go village because them talk say the world go end me i je je dey on top of mango tree anxiously waiting 4 d world of d mayans to end.bt wait o these mayans must be learners.lolz

go here www.cnn.com/2012/12/20/world/doomsday-coming/index.html

Mtcheeew!! Ow can the world come to an end wen all God's words and His prophesies haven't been filfilled?! Gotta stay wrapped wit God thru' Jesus Christ..!

Trash.

The calender of the world is very clear.

1.As soon as we have peace talks in middle east brings a positive result. Then we should expect rapture anytime as the antichrist will be unveiled three and half years after the peace treaty is sealed.

Then Christ will come back to rule this world for one thousand years from Jerusalem as the headquarters where there will be a thousand years of peace (even Nostradamus predicted this)then we have the final battle of Armageddon where Satan is defeated totally then comes the end of this present physical planet earth.

Then a new world will be unveiled where GOD almighty is the ruler and everyone who have accepted Jesus as their lord and savior will dwell for ever and ever living in golden mansions and walking on the streets of Gold. Eating,drinking and merrymaking every day without an end. Glory, honor, power and adoration be to JEHOVAH forever and ever. Amen!

That's what my bible teaches me from the books of revelation.

Mtcheeew!! Ow can the world come to an end wen all God's words and His prophesies haven't been filfilled?! Gotta stay strapped wit God thru' Jesus Christ..! Lord God,lead me not into temptation,deliver me from evil and let Thy Kingdom come!

I heard that the noise of Nigerian generators did not allow Nigerians
hear the sound of the trumpet when it sounded

I LAFF IN NEPOTISM

Breaking news!!! The end of d world has been rescheduled to 3012 due to some technical issue.am sorry people u guys are stuck here.

Fredrick909: Hi Guys the much anticipated day/date 21-12-2012. is finally here. The day the ancient Mayans predicted the world will end(DOOMSDAY) So what do you guys think will the world still end today or not. ? Share your opinion.

Is lucifa back from his anual leave ?

I deh heaven now

k2039: Only a s.tupid fool will believe that sh.it.

Just waiting for the explanation that will be provided after they realise all their assumptions were just an illusion.

Anyway nice thread by 12.00GMT on the 22nd I will comment on their stupidity.

You ar stil waiting for explanation that is already out.... Chai you dull o! Them say the endtime shuttle developed technical problem abi na malfunction dem say, I no sabi am. Them don reschedule the take-off for later 2day. No go unpack your luggager yet o! The day is stil young na... I don laugh go fall inside shalanga *shouting help me*

Fredrick909: Hi Guys the much anticipated day/date 21-12-2012. is finally here. The day the ancient Mayans predicted the world will end(DOOMSDAY) So what do you guys think will the world still end today or not. ? Share your opinion.

please research this claim well. The Mayans never claimed the world will end today, by their claculation, today marks a specific time frame from creation and another calendar starts off from tomorrow, much the same way your gregorian calendar rounds off on the 31st of December. People just make too much ado about everything.

For further clarifications please read http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/mayan.html

jerk: This is to show those atheist that God exist,even all their science and predictions regarding creation is exposing their dumbest @sses.
As for me,i believe in the existence of the supreme God and wl forever worship Him. No man can tell wen the world will end.

Come on... NASA released a video since last week on why the Mayan "prediction" is bull$hit.. Dunno which "scientists" you're talking about...
Besides the doomsday sect spreading rumours and fear in China are not scientists...
www.guardiannews.com/world/2012/dec/20/china-doomsday-cult-almighty-God


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osLM4BIvSrg&feature=youtube_gdata_player

My bathing soap and condom expires in 2013 and some bloke is saying the world ends today? No! Na lie! Wetin go come happen to my toothpaste, sardine, gala, peak milk e.t.c
BIG LIE!!!!

I die if the world ever ends.it can never end now.

Reasons.
1.I have not gotten married,meaning I have not tasted my dear's legal taste bud.

2.I have not seen my cute first child.

3.I have about 200k left to acquire my Own Buggati.

4.I have not met Toni Braxton.

5.I have not seen Nigeria's 2020 vision.

6.I have not experienced 24hr Electricity for at least 6mths in Nigeria.

7.I have not taken my wife to be to the Bahamas on honeymoon escape.

8.I have not concluded my second professional exams which I have paid so much for.

9.I have not taken revenge on all those who looked down on me.

10.I have not discovered why some things are not just the way I thought they would be.

11.X-mas is just in few days time,how can it end before Jesus's most beloved day.
The world can never end now. ! LAILAI !

I am waiting for who will end it by 12pm ! Its a sure bet,it can't end,even saintiest Man of God can't predict it.

Hahahahahahahahahaha ! Never mind me o o o
Back to work before OGA boss halla !

Mtcheww

SimonAndal: Coming in from Australia:

Alien invasion?!! YAY!!! Now I get to shoot me FN-FAL rifle at some green slime balls, Halo style!!

The world will not end until the scriptures is fufilled.
Lemmie giv u a hint...
Christ will rapture the saints, the anti-christ will be un-veiled, he will run a government for 3 and half yrs on earth, then Christ will return with the raptured to reign (rule) for a thousand yrs (millenium reign of christ), then the devil/antichrist will be released again to tempt and decieve people once more, after that, christ will judge the earth; satan, antichrist and his followers, this present earth and death will be cast into the lake of fire (this is called the 2nd death in revelations). Then the new heaven and new earth wil christ establish, this new earth will function with the original default settings God intended for it, no death, no pains, no sorrows, just like God intended it to be b4 adam messed it all up.
Till then, this world remains kamkpe.
This isnt rocket science, its all in the bible.