29 replies to this topic

[GuardianNinja]

Hope you guys get prepared. Shits going down.
I have also heard it could happen around september 22 in 2012.

[Emiko]

I watched something about this same thing .... not the same program I don't think...but it said that there is supposed to be another huge solar flare that, because of all the large holes in the OZone layer and the magnetic field that it could possibly knock out all the satellites and even the electrical field through out the whole world. Flipping the magnetic field upside down and what not...and if it happens during the winter time like they expect it to a lot of the world will freeze to death. They said that it might even take up to 10 yrs to get the electrical field back up...

I think it was on the history channel

[wisp]

I feel like the Discovery Channel should be ashamed of themselves for publishing a show that's clearly designed to scare people. Present the facts, and if the facts are scary then so be it; people should be informed of how best to prepare for a potential disaster. But spare us the clips of people running screaming from trains wrecking and sirens blaring. Anyone else smell Y2K?

I need to look up some more scientific and less sensational information about this.

Edit: http://www.universet...er-solar-flare/

This article seems to present some more grounded information.

Although space weather prediction is improving, it will be a few years yet until we can read the Sun accurately enough to say with any certainty just how active a solar cycle is going to be. So, regardless of prophecy, prediction or myth, there is no physical way to say that the Earth will be hit by any flare, let alone a big one in 2012. Even if a big flare did hit us, it will not be an extinction event. Yes, satellites may be damaged, causing secondary problems such as a GPS loss (which might disrupt air traffic control for example) or national power grids may be overwhelmed by auroral electrojets, but nothing more extreme than that.

But hold on, to sidestep this issue, doomsayers now tell us that a large solar flare will hit us just as the Earth's geomagnetic field weakens and reverses, leaving us unprotected from the ravages of a CME… The reasons why this is not going to happen in 2012 is worthy of its own article.

Arunma, wanna weigh in on this?

[Selena]

SCIENCE.



*moves*


It probably won't happen. And if it did...

I don't know what you're so worried about. A longterm global power-out would be such fun! I love power-outs. People actually start going outside, so things would start to be more interesting on my long walks. The stars are brilliant without the light pollution. Roaring fires and cuddling under blankets rather than electric heaters. Diving into open water to cool off in the summers rather than using air conditioners. No distractions from computers or video games so that you can get some cool projects done. Outdoor adventures. Storytelling. Roasting marshmallows at night. Fishing. Hunting. Hiking.

GO SUN GO.

...


Ah...

But then we wouldn't have LA. What would we do without it?






!!



QUICK. TV PITCH TIME.


"They had been friends for nearly ten years, though they had never met face-to-face, all bound together by a humble online community. When the Great Darkness of 2012 spread over the globe, their connection to each other was severed. Isolated across the world. Struggling to survive. One-by-one, they heed a mysterious call taking them to the center of America - to the great plains of Kansas. Watch as our diverse heroes battle the rugged new wilderness each week in order to reunite with their friends.


DJ! The brooding, formidable Texan! *insert picture of DJ with a shotgun and manly scars*
Toan! The gadget-loving martial artist! *insert picture of a stressed Toan hacking into a derelict ATM as police approach from down the street*
Chik! The manipulative anthropologist! *insert picture of Chik grinning smugly as she watches two rival hostile factions start killing each other*
wisp! The music student turned bounty hunter! *insert picture of wisp strangling someone with piano wire*
Vet! The British illegal goods dealer! *insert picture of Vet making money off some poor fool by selling him overpriced hot merchandise. And Legos.*
Lena! The badasss, emotionless biker! *insert picture of a Mad Max-style biker fight, with Lena at the head of the pack on her bright red motorcycle*
Rova! The troublemaking drunk from Ohio! *insert picture of Rova drinking from a bottle as she sails down a river on a self-made raft*
Mitch! The lazy Australian! *insert picture of Mitch sleeping, since he can't be arsed to travel all the way to Kansas*
JRP! The renegade artist! *insert picture of JRP stabbing random badguys with an improvised spear*
Rhiannon! The feisty Canadian! *insert picture of Rhia throwing knives at people from the back of Lena's bike as they team up to travel*

And many more!


Danger! Betrayal! Booze!

All on this week's edition of "KANSAS BOUND: THE LEGENDARY JOURNEYS"

[Egann]

Lena...let's just say that meeting up somewhere in Kansas is plan B. I'm sure that going some place over the rainbow with you guys would be thoroughly enjoyable at first...but life is life, and role playing is role playing. I don't fancy getting caught in the crossfire of your war. I don't care to know if you're trying to get out of Chik's pocket or into her pants, and frankly I don't really see any difference, seeing how she always keeps you in the inside pocket. Either way, you're a manipulative kniving roguish wench.

Besides, LA owns our SOULS. With that kind of pressure, I'm sure that if the server fails on a permanent basis, one or the other of you admins will figure telepathy out. You've done some remarkable things before.

I feel like the Discovery Channel should be ashamed of themselves for publishing a show that's clearly designed to scare people.

Where HAVE you BEEN? The History Channel has been airing things like "God of the Bible is a Alien Craft and the parting of the Red Sea was firing the propulsion unit" for five or six years now. I tell you, these networks are shameless.


So the world is going to end? Yeah. Right. It might be kinda nice for it to actually happen once because there are certain problems with our way of life I can't fix otherwise, but it ain't gonna happen. That, and while I'm SURE we can get LA to work again, I don't relish the thought of arunma in full boobie-withdrawl.

Edited by Egann, 30 June 2010 - 05:44 PM.

[arunma]

Arunma, wanna weigh in on this?

Heh, no need. You've pretty much got it covered.

But yeah, the Sun actually goes through an 11 year cycle. Things like this happen all the time. As for this idea that the 11th year will coincide with the reversal of the earth's magnetic field, there's no evidence the the field will suddenly drop to zero at the same time as the beginning of a new solar cycle. If the field were to go away, we'd have other problems to worry about too, like charged particle radiation from the Sun and cosmic radiation. The most solar flares are going to do is mess with satellites. No one's going to die.

Unless satellite TV goes out during the Superbowl and a bunch of people commit suicide or something.

Edited by arunma, 30 June 2010 - 06:49 PM.

[CID Farwin]

...and add in some Nicolas Cage and Voila!



Hm, solar flare on September 22, world ended by December 21.

People are going to be so disappointed if nothing particularly spectacular happens in two years.(well, except for the new Batman and Avengers movies)

Anyone else smell Y2K?

Yes... *sniff* Smells like Teriyaki Chicken.

Edited by CID Farwin, 30 June 2010 - 07:25 PM.

[Emiko]

...and add in some Nicolas Cage and Voila!



Hm, solar flare on September 22, world ended by December 21.

People are going to be so disappointed if nothing particularly spectacular happens in two years.(well, except for the new Batman and Avengers movies)

Anyone else smell Y2K?

Yes... *sniff* Smells like Teriyaki Chicken.

That was like the crappiest movie ever...

[GuardianNinja]

You moved this to where its less visable even though it is a major crisis? lol thats LA


Anyone find it funny that once the earth is charged anything will be pull down to the surface?
I'm thinking disaster.

[wisp]

I see you've missed the part where it's really not likely to be a giant disaster as the Discovery Channel would like for you to believe. XD

[Selena]

No, I moved it to the section on SCIENCE. Since it involves a theoretical SOLAR STORM and the effects of such an incident. And, as people have said, it's not actually a crisis. The Discovery Channel's programs have gotten more sensational now that they're having to compete with dumbass reality TV for ratings just to stay afloat. For that matter, doesn't the specific show in the video only document the 'worst case scenarios' to begin with? As in, the scenario that isn't likely to happen?

Not everything on Discovery is sensationalist crazy talk, but a lot of it is these days. This show especially. It used to be better several years ago. And TLC used to show science programs rather than Kate Plus Eight or whatever it is. Now the only real science-y channel left is National Geographic, and even that buys into the reality stuff sometimes. Or NASA's channel, but that can be a bit dull.





Now, I was about to get on Reflectionist for constantly teasing you, but seriously, do you read other posts? You always seem to ignore everything.

[GuardianNinja]

I read, and you guys screamed y2k, but hey its fine if a world black isnt a big deal.

But hey have you heard about the singularity and the mayan calender earth cycle ? What will you be doing on December 21 ?
I'm gonna watch the stars.

[Sir Deimos]

Anyone with any type of actual knowledge will tell you the whole Mayan calendar thing is a myth created by popular culture. The Mayans weren't exactly the most technically sophisticated people around. Hell, their calendar lasted longer than THEY did!

Don't always believe what you hear from TV, kiddo.

[Selena]

Um, no, we didn't just scream Y2K. We debunked your end-of-the-world scenario with actual science. As opposed to sensationalist media and rumors.


In addition, the Mayan calendar is just a calendar. That's it. There's no mysterious magic involved and the Mayans were no better at predicting huge disasters than any other ancient civilization. Nothing abnormally catastrophic is going to happen in the year 2012. There might be a big earthquake. A volcano might erupt. All of these things are normal and will happen on any given year. There's nothing special about 2012 other than the fact that people like to build ancient myths up into something they're not.

[DarkJuno]

People do realize that the reason why the Mayan Calender ends is because......they never got around to extending it any longer since they were killed off before they could, right?

What will you be doing on December 21 ?

So probably last minute Christmas shopping.

[Sir Turtlelot]

People do realize that the reason why the Mayan Calender ends is because......they never got around to extending it any longer since they were killed off before they could, right?

You would think common sense would tell you this.

Edit: That or they just got lazy.

Edited by Sir Turtlelot, 01 July 2010 - 04:17 PM.

[wisp]

Yes, but common sense answers like, "They just never got to finish it because they were killed," just aren't as interesting as scary, sensational answers. So I suppose people are going to tend to the wilder ideas because they're more entertaining.

[Showsni]

You think the Mayans had it bad? Imagine living in like 5BC and seeing the years count down to zero!

[GuardianNinja]

Its a calender. As in, after the end of it, it starts over people. They didn't 'get lazy'
And what of the earth's galactic cycle? the largest one humans have observed? And the singularity? Search those things and come back, I might as well start a new topic later for it.

[wisp]

Okay, what about them? XD

If there's some information that you want us to see concerning those other topics, then you should really provide us with some sources and discussion material rather than telling us to look them up ourselves. What about them? How does a singularity apply to a solar storm? Prove your own point; don't wait for us to discuss it for you.

[DarkJuno]

Its a calender. As in, after the end of it, it starts over people. They didn't 'get lazy'

They DIED. The Spaniards and others killed them off/drove them into hiding and integrate with the larger population. The calender ended because their equivalent of 2012 was so far in the future they never felt the need to fix it right then and there. Similar to how our calender "ends" because that's too far away for us to be arsed to add to it.

Edited by DarkJuno, 01 July 2010 - 05:24 PM.

[Showsni]

The Mayan calender doesn't end in 2012, though. December 21, 2012 is merely the start of the next b'ak'tun. It's exactly the same as our calender ticking over to a new millenium. It's like if people in the future believed we'd predicted the world to end of 31st December 6000 AD, simply because a new millenium was starting. It's not even a significant b'ak'tun, it's the 14th. The Mayan calender includes dates a long time past it.

[Selena]

I find it slightly amusing that you insult theists for believing in crazy stuff, then believe in this kind of stuff.

The world is not ending. Any time soon. Period. Not from singularities, not from comets, not from Mayan calendars, not from zombies, not from Egyptian mummies coming back to life, not from the non-existent Planet X knocking us out of orbit, not from ancient curses, not from anything except maybe global nuclear war. And that'd just be our fault.

Just because something sounds scientific doesn't mean it actually is. The only "science" websites talking about the end of Earth as we know it are probably the bad-science make-shit-up aliens-created-us type of websites.


And yes, as Showsni says, there is nothing special about the Mayan calendar and 2012. The whole 2012 thing is basically one big misunderstanding.

[Egann]

Listen to Lena. She speaks the truth.

If my timer is accurate, however, we still have 25 years, 3 months, 2 weeks, a day, 5 hours, 23 minutes, and 43 seconds until Lena's power core restores normal function. (Synile didn't exactly save, so much as prolong the world. He overloaded her Gaydar unit, you see.) So yeah, the world is gonna end, but no time soon.

[Nevermind]

I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that the December 21st and 2012 mythos actually became popular through X-Files. From there it just went viral.

[wisp]

I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that the December 21st and 2012 mythos actually became popular through X-Files. From there it just went viral.

If delusional people who think X-Files represents reality are really what's responsible for this ridiculous hype, then...



I mean really. It's a science fiction program. XD

[GuardianNinja]

No. I said above it is a cycle and it is flipping(starting over). I did not imply that the world was ending
wowzers.
/thread

[Jasi]

Hope you guys get prepared. Shits going down.
I have also heard it could happen around september 22 in 2012.

You moved this to where its less visable even though it is a major crisis? lol thats LA


Anyone find it funny that once the earth is charged anything will be pull down to the surface?
I'm thinking disaster.

I read, and you guys screamed y2k, but hey its fine if a world black isnt a big deal.

But hey have you heard about the singularity and the mayan calender earth cycle ? What will you be doing on December 21 ?
I'm gonna watch the stars.

Nope...totally not implying the world is ending.

Edited by Jasi, 02 July 2010 - 09:48 AM.

[vodkamaru]

Isn't this the plot of Assassin's Creed 2?

[Elvenlord]

I find it slightly amusing that you insult theists for believing in crazy stuff, then believe in this kind of stuff.

The world is not ending. Any time soon. Period. Not from singularities, not from comets, not from Mayan calendars, not from zombies, not from Egyptian mummies coming back to life, not from the non-existent Planet X knocking us out of orbit, not from ancient curses, not from anything except maybe global nuclear war. And that'd just be our fault.

No zombies?
Well there goes my hope for adventure in life. Guess I'll just have to get a job like everyone else.