end of the world 2012?

The only 'theories' in favour are the rantings of crackpots who have no scientific knowledge. Meantime, here's a list of things that won't happen in 2012, particularly December 21st:

Planetary alignments: There aren't any.

Alignment of Sun with centre of galaxy: Can't happen because the centre of the galaxy is not in the plane of the Earth's orbit.

Once in 26,000 year alignment of the solstice sun and galactic equator: Happened in 1998. Did anything happen as a result? Of course not. Alignments mean nothing in measurable physical terms anyway.

Passing of the Solar System through the galactic central plane: Won't happen for 30 million years or so.

Planet X/Nibiru: Doesn't exist. If it was the size the claimants describe and following the trajectory they indicate, it would now be visible to the naked eye.

Pole shift: Magnetic pole reversal takes thousands of years and may not start for thousands of years. There is no reason to link it with 2012. As for rotational pole shift, that would take a huge amount of force on the earth. Where is this force going to come from?

Solar storms: The Sun is due to reach a maximum in its 11 year cycle in 2013, not 2012 as some doom merchants tell you. No reason to suppose the next peak will be any more energetic than normal.

26,000 year precessional movement of Earth's axis: Doesn't 'begin', 'end' or 'wobble' but carries on smoothly and unnoticed by all.

The doomsday cranks like to tell us that lots of other cultures predicted the end of the world for this date. That and 'predictions' by the Bible, I Ching and Nostradamus have all been contrived to agree with this date and are all false.

These are the major predictions 'for' the world ending on Dec. 21st, 2012.

* The "world ends 2012" theory was created by a very intelligent and very ancient civilization - the Mayans - who created a calendar that ends on Dec. 21st, 2012. They believe that human history has cycles that last about 3000-5000 years, after which there is a catastrophic event that kills off all existing civilizations. According to the Mayans the present cycle began on August 13th, 3114 BC and will end on Dec. 21st, 2012 AD.

* The Mayans were extremely good at building astronomical equipment out of stone: thousands of years ago they managed to calculate the length of the lunar moon as 329.53020 days, and were only 34 seconds out!

* The Earth is surrounded by magnetic fields that shield us from the sun's radiation; well, we are about 30,000 years overdue for a new shift in poles (that happens once every approx. 750,000 years). Scientists have noted that the poles have been moving around much faster than usual, so they may be getting ready to switch around.

The problem? While they switch they have a supposed habit of 'blanking out' and not appearing for 100 or so years. This is bad because the magnetic fields block us from the sun's radiation - without the field we would be burnt to a crisp!

* Doomsayerss have supposedly decrypted the Bible and found 'Bible Codes" that hint that the end of the world will come in 2012. It is a supposed date for the Armageddonn (ultimate battle between God and all Evil, during which we all die).

*Dec. 21st is the Winter solstice (shortest day of the Northern Hemisphere year) during which the sun will align with the centre of the Milky Way (our galaxy). This only happens every 26,000 years or so. It's such a coincidence that extremists believe something catastrophic will have to happen.

Don't fret that the world will end by 2012; people have been predicting the end of the world since day 1, yet here we all still are. A lot of scholars see this as a way for extremists to cash in on the fears of others, and that's pretty much all it is.

There is actually no real scientific evidence out there that the world will end on 2012.

I doubt I'll be thinking much about the doomsday predictions for 2012 when the date actually rolls around as I'll be too excited for christmas :P

The claimed 2012 doomsday is a hoax. Everything the scam artists are saying about 2012 is utterly false.

The Mayan calendar doesn't end, it just recycles. The Maya didn't predict anything for 2012. They didn’t make prophecies and the end of one cycle and start of another was an event to celebrate.

The people talking about all the signs of the end times happening now don’t realize that they have been happening throughout history.

The History Channel doomsday schlockumentary is all lies, half truths, and wild speculation.

There were no ancient prophecies concerning 2012. Nostradamus never mentioned it. No one predicted it before the hoaxers started claiming it. This was after their 2003 doomsday failed to occur on schedule and they needed to keep selling their books and assorted doomsday garbage.

None of it is said or supported by scientists.

All the claimed astronomical events are either impossible or have no effect on us.

The Solar maximum is now expected to occur in May 2013 and to be less energetic than average. It could interfere with electronics and communications.

We aren't going to have any alignments aside from the apparent alignment that occurs every year at the December solstice.

Geomagnetic reversal (polar reversal) takes hundreds to thousands of years to occur. We wouldn’t even feel it happening.

Swine flu has a mortality rate of less than 10%, as compared to 70% for the avian flu that was going around a couple of years ago. We had a round of swine flu in the late sixties and guess what? The world didn’t end.

Nibiru doesn't exist. It came from Z. Sitchen's misinterpretation of ancient Sumerian references to the planet Jupiter. Even Sitchen didn't claim it would come back in 2012 (he said 2085). Nancy Lieder, who hears aliens in her head and originally said her "Planet X" would be here in 2003) took over Sitchen's imaginary planet and changed her doomsday date to 2012 when her original prediction failed.

The Institute for Human Continuity isn’t a real organization. It is a website advertising the movie 2012. It is run by Sony Pictures and if you look around on the site, you will find that the “Press Releases” are all about characters in the movie. It is all fictional.

That covers most of the absurd claims. The world will still be here after 2012, along with most of us.

The problem with this question is that you contend that there are simply opposing theories. But it can be proven that there is no factual basis to the "pro" side. Many of the claims made on the "pro" side are motivated by pure financial greed, and a callous disregard for the harm that the misinformation is causing. The claim that honest scientists feel that there is validity to the "pro" side in almost criminally negligent.

Even the actual Mayans think we are ridiculous for believing in all this 2012 end of the world crap. You know it's got to be bad when the Mayans accuse us of being superstitious.

None of the "theories" supporting this are in favor here since all of them, without exception are superstition, delusion and straight lies.

Everyone who predicts disaster in 2012 is a superstitious fool, a deluded fool or a liar. Without exception.

See http://www.2012hoax.org/

Mayans, if they predicted the end of the world, to be in 2012 were unprepared for their own demise.

Wait till 2013 and we both will be sure. I am planning my life as if 2013 were coming. Are you not?

Some believe Mayans have the most exact just calendar out of all.

They lived long ago but they much exceeded the current measuring systems and mathematics.

Many people say the world might at least much change quite soon.

I believe that too - SOMETHING APPROACHES THE EARTH.

Trust me,when that day comes,you'll know.