NASA facing down the stupid: "credible scientists worldwide know of no threat associated with 2012."

[eppur_se_muova]

A French mayor has expressed concern over an influx of New Age believers to his village who are convinced they will escape the end of the world in 2012.

Jean-Pierre Delord, mayor of Bugarach, says rumours are circulating that the village offers shelter from an impending Armageddon.

Bugarach is a small village of about 200 people in south-west France.

The mayor says that in recent years the village has attracted visitors looking for alien activity.

Now it is seeing visitors who predict that the end of civilisation is due to occur in two years' time, he says.

They believe the world will end on 21 December 2012, the end of a 5,125-year-long cycle in the ancient Maya calendar.
***
more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12058674




Nasa states on its website: "Nothing bad will happen to the Earth in 2012. Our planet has been getting along just fine for more than four billion years, and credible scientists worldwide know of no threat associated with 2012."
Lots more, likely futile debunking, at http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/2012.html

[hlthe2b]

1. Why on earth would the village in France be the focus?

Good luck, NASA... Science and fact haven't converted the fools who believe the earth is a few thousand years old. :eyes:

[eppur_se_muova]

3. Because of the aliens hiding inside their mountain.

Didn't you read the story? :D

[hlthe2b]

7. nope... the chip embedded in my brain, wouldn't let me....

;)

[hatrack]

18. Hey, if you're waiting for The End Of The World, at least go somewhere with good food!

I know I sure would!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. There are IDIOTS everywhere...

Jeez.

:eyes:

Recommended.

[HopeHoops]

4. The world ended on 9 October 1996 at 8:57 EST. Nobody noticed.

I hate when that happens.

[BB1]

8. I broke a shoelace at that very moment.

I thought I heard something snap.

[Hugin]

13. I did.

But, nobody listened.

[hootinholler]

19. AM or PM

Google 9 October 1996 and the first hit is in IMDB for a Rosie O'Donnell show episode.

:shrug:

So WTF?

-Hoot

[customerserviceguy]

5. Have they considered the possibility of Palin being elected President?

Outside of that, I guess there are no possible threats associated with 2012.

[MisterP]

6. it's more an issue for Mesoamerican shamans and "day-counters" anyway nt

[backscatter712]

10. And they're gonna be proved wrong...

because the only reason the Mayan calendar ends in 2012 was because they ran out of space on the rock it was etched on...

[gratuitous]

9. NASA would say that; it's just what they want us to think

Meanwhile, they're making all kinds of plans to spirit Kenyans to France with their birth certificates while a tape of the president addresses school children, indoctrinating them and leading to a world-wide outbreak of wedgies and Indian burns.

If any of you have one of these loonies in your lives, by all means, take down every nitwit pronouncement they make, be sure you have it written down properly, then have them initial it. Come January 1, 2013, take out the paper with all their foolishness on it, point, and laugh.

[beam me up scottie]

11. "likely futile debunking"

It always is.

sigh...

[Hugin]

12. The Mayans must be terrified!

I bet they've upgraded their security level to "Blood Red".


Oh, wait... Their civilization already collapsed. :whew:

[A HERETIC I AM]

14. The REAL reason the Mayan calendar ends in 2012;

[Motown_Johnny]

15. we all know jesus comes back on 5/21/11 and it all ends on 10/21/11

2012



gimme a break





:sarcasm:

[billyclem]

16. If only the WooWooBots would keep their beliefs and psuedoscience to themselves.

We can see it in the title of the OP how some at NASA are addressing the woo-woo rather than doing whatever they are getting paid to do. It seems to have shown up all over the place in the past ten years or so. The History Channel programs much woo-woo and even NatGeo has a little showing up. Popular science based magazines and forums have increased the amount of woo-woo, some has even appeared in the moderated sci.physics.????? newsgroups, other physics forums and ListServs.

I know the WooWooBots are not in control of where the stories and programming appear, for this post they made a nice, single point target. From their point of view the increased coverage for ratings and circulation is probably viewed as an increase in the number of believers. I actually enjoy the History Channel series 'Ancient Aliens', it is fun to watch the convoluted chain of thought that a believer will undertake to arrive at a conclusion. Or a logic train of if A=B and B=C then C=Z without bothering about the details between C an Z. I just don't think it belongs on the History Channel.

O well, think I'll put on my tin foil hat and wander off.............

[old mark]

17. Well, I worked with a guy who believed the earth is only 6,000 years old

because of the literal number of days someone totaled up that are mentioned in the bible.

He believes all the dinosaur fossils and other evidence of the earth's true age was planted by god to test people's faith.

He is an idiot, and there are plenty more like him, some in congress starting in January.

Good work, scientists - hope you actually convince some people.

K&R

mark