As the saying goes – “time is ticking away” – but will it actually ever end completely?
The recent hit movie “2012,” which was released at the beginning of 2010, paints a picture of an apocalypse. All of the chaotic hype stemmed from an ancient Mayan calendar, the Long Count Calendar. In synchronization with a Gregorian system, which is the type we use today, the exact date of the resetting of time is December 23, 2012, also commonly believed to beDecember 21, 2012.
One of Mexico’s greatest civilizations until around 900 AD, the Yucatan Peninsula was home to the Mayans. This group was famous for constructing several complex calendars. According to the Mayan Long Count calendar, every 1,872,000 days, time is reset to 0. This event is documented as the “New Age of Transformation,” which does not even include clear documentation about its significance, other than time simply resets, as would a digital clock at midnight. People who believe that the Mayans were flawless in predictions must also consider that they were not even able to predict the collapse of their own society in 1697, when the Spanish took over the final Mayan state.

The Mayan Long Count Calendar: but don't ask us to explain it; we haven't got a clue.

One of the main myths regarding the alleged apocalypse in 2012 includes suspicion aboutNibiru, or “Planet X,” a celestial object thought to be a planet that will bring destruction upon the earth in its passing. Projected ideas about it knocking the earth out of rotation, reversing its poles, destroying gravity or even knocking it into the sun have been proposed by doomsday believers. Such destruction is believed to cause widespread natural disasters stronger than any in history. While many of these theories may be presented in a convincing form, but minus scientific fact, it is important to understand the source of the information.
The idea of Nibiru existing as a planet came from ancient mythical beliefs, studied by Zecharia Sitchin, who is currently a journalist in New York.
In ancient Sumerian texts, a celestial object or planet filled with gods brought great destruction upon the earth. Some mythical stories say the gods recorded in history ruled that planet, coming to earth to create humans to do their slave work of digging gold and treasures. Ancient texts predict the object or planet to return every 3,600 years in our solar system.
Originally born in Azerbaijan in 1920, Sitchin studied Economics in London and gained knowledge abroad about ancient languages, not studying them in an institution. His publications about the theory of Nibiru are widely criticized. The main reason, as pointed out by Michael S. Heiser, is that Sitchin’s self-taught interpretation of the word “nibiru” is incorrect. Heiser points out that the ancient word “nibiru,” according to The Chicago Assyrian Dictionary, has several different meanings, ranging from “crossing” or “transfer,” to “ferry” or “boat.”
According to ancient Mesopotamians, “nibiru” also refers to a god or diety, believed to possibly be a star, Jupiter or Mercury, based on theories stemming from accurate linguistic translations. Heiser holds a PhD in Hebrew Bible and Ancient Semitic Languages from The University of Wisconsin, earned in 2004; his scholarly works are posted on his self-titled website.
It is important to keep in mind that Sitchin is not the individual responsible for widely suggesting the idea that Nibiru will destroy the earth in an apocalyptic manner in 2012; he simply believed that, as it once did in supposed ancient myths, it would pass near earth again in the year 2085.

Come in, Zeta Reticuli: can you read me?!

The idea of Nibiru’s return for the purpose of destruction, coinciding with the date the Mayan time reset was predicted, began in 1995 by a woman named Nancy Lieder, who is a self-proclaimed medium between supposed extra-terrestrial beings and humanity. Founder of theZeta Talk website, she professes to have a device in her brain that allows her to connect with these beings in the Zeta Reticuli Star System (!); she claims they chose her to give a warning to humans about this horrible planet that would destroy the solar system in – here’s the part that disproves half the theory – 2003. That is correct; pre-2003 documentation points to the original prediction of May 2003 to be the time when the supposed Planet X, commonly believed to be one and the same as the mythical Nibiru, would sweep through the galaxy and somehow destroy the earth. Clearly our planet, poles and axises are still intact.
A well-known and respected NASA NAI Senior Scientist, David Morrison is continually asked by panicked people about Nibiru. On the famous “Ask An Astrobiologist” Q&A section on NASA’s official site, Morrison clearly states that even the most intelligent, educated and technologically-equipped scientists of NASA have confirmed that the mythical planet does not exist! He states that there are a few dwarf planets past Neptune, but they are on stable orbits, meaning that they would not come hurtling into the earth, knocking it out of rotation or reversing gravity. David Morrison identifies the idea of Nibiru or Planet X as a hoax. In another article published by Morrison, he points out the mistaken prediction of this event happening in 2003, then being moved to 2012 after 2003 passed with no catastrophes.
After earning a First Class Honors degree from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, British scholar Roger Darlington performed extensive research regarding why humans tend to believe what they hear. He explains that we are creatures who seek patterns and connections – hence why the 2012 connection to Nibiru may be believed automatically by many, without proper research to check the facts. He also points out that people tend to seekwonder.
Wonder may be good or bad; it is simply connected to ideas that are beyond the normal and everyday events of our lives. Also noted in his report is that many people have a tendency to reject evidence or choose it selectively. This is a good explanation as to why theories about 2012differ – and why people reject the existing facts from reputable scientists and scholars, instead favoring speculations of people who claim to have connections with extra-terrestrials whose existence is also not a proven fact.

A poster from the 2012 Hollywood movie: but are most people smart enough to separate fact from fiction?

The panic surrounding the last month in 2012 is nothing new; scare tactics have been used multiple times in history, with results opposite of those expected by the predictors and doomsday followers.
Common examples that most people will remember are the Y2K scare, the 1997 Hale Bopp Comet and the 1982 Jupiter Effect scare.
To answer the question of why these scares happen, think about who came out on the winning end – the people making money from survival kits or supplies and cults needing members, as reported by various news organizations.
News and radio broadcast ratings also increase during scares, according to individual company historical rating statistics. Concerned teachers have posted notes on 2012hoax.org, stating that children under the age of 10 are displaying suicidal thoughts because of the 2012 scare. Mass suicides occurred in 1997 from the Hale Bopp Comet scare to avoid supposed alien abduction.
This is one of the dangers humans face when the truth is not sought; when scare tactics are readily believed with lack of facts, instead of being thoroughly analyzed!
We at Online Clock urge you to be calm and look at the facts…the doomsday scenarios for 2012 are of course just another hoax.
So, when it comes to 2012 and the end of the world, do like Flavor Flav suggests and “d-d-don’t believe the hype!“.