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NASA Attempts To Assuage 2012 Fears
eldavojohn writes "The apocalyptic film 2012 has dominated the box office, taking in $65 million on opening weekend. But with all those uninformed eyeballs watching the film, NASA has found itself answering so many common questions that their Ask an Astrobiologist blog offers calming, professional reassurance that there is no planet Nibiru, nor will it collide with Earth (although I do recall a massive solar storm forecast). NASA's main site even offers a FAQ answering similar questions. NPR has more on NASA scientist David Morrison and his efforts to calm the ensuing public hysteria, but survivalists are already planning for the big one. Pretty funny, right? Not according to Morrison: 'I've had three from young people saying they were contemplating committing suicide. I've had two from women contemplating killing their children and themselves. I had one last week from a person who said, "I'm so scared, my only friend is my little dog. When should I put it to sleep so it won't suffer?" And I don't know how to answer those questions.'"
Just, wow.
Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
This whole thing proves that this world is big enough for everyone. Including total retards.
I just wonder how the hell did some of these people reach adulthood. A mistery that is deemed to remain unsolved.
...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
Tell them to off themselves now. More food for the rest of us when it does hit!
You respond with, "It's only a movie. The world isn't ending. Don't kill your children, your pets, or yourself."
2. Create a hysteria and panic about the world ending due to Y2K or Planet Nibiru or Mayan Calender cycle ending or Banks collapsing or Obama winning the elections.
3. ...
4. Stock of survivalgears_are_us.com zooms up and ..... profit!
sed -e 's/Chuck Norris/Rajnikant/g' joke > fact
NASA reports that giant alien spaceships have not in fact destroyed the White House and Empire State Building.
Reports of time-traveling robots looking for John Connor are unsubstantiated at this time.
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.
Why is the taxpayer's money being spent on this nonsense? What's next? Scientific evidence, that there is no Santa Claus? That black cats crossing your path do not cause "bad luck" (whatever that is)?
In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
Nasa tries to convince people that the moon is also not made of cheese, despite what cartoons clearly depict.
Holy crap. This surely must be satire or stolen from The Onion.
this is my sig
I guess it's best for everyone if they kill themselves...
The War of the Worlds (radio)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_of_the_Worlds_(radio)
Quote: "Some listeners heard only a portion of the broadcast, and in the atmosphere of tension and anxiety leading to World War II, took it to be a news broadcast. Newspapers reported that panic ensued, people fleeing the area, others thinking they could smell poison gas or could see flashes of lightning in the distance."
CC.
TaijiQuan (Huang, 5 loosenings)
NASA Attempts To Reason With Idiots, Lunatics
Welcome to the internet, David Morrison.
I too bought over 9000 pills to commit suicide.
Do you believe me too?
Let them off themselves. We don't need these fuckwits around when some bastard decides it's time to remake The Secret of Nym thinking that the rats have gained sentience...
How many of those sending their questions to NASA are part of the 2012 movie marketing campaign?
Why must the pulse of social consciousness behave like that of lemmings?
Thought experiment: if the 'Mayan, ancient, or whatever' calendars that the 2012 'disaster' scenario reference were lost many moons ago, would all this F.U.D. still exist? /"Been around the world and found that only stupid people are breeding..."
There aren't words to describe how I feel about an ignorant mother killing her kids over a movie. Is the public at large really so ignorant that they cannot discern movie "facts" from real life?
this is just sad very sad... so now are they going to question if finding nemo really happened?
epic sig..... ya i got nothing
Methinks its quite idiotic to worry about something that, if it actually hits hard, we wont be able to survive no matter what we do. No, we really can't survive a hit like the one that created the Gulf of Mexico (if indeed the big hole came from an asteroid). Why worry so much about it? I have no idea.
NO SIG
Never.
Good friggin grief.
Never.
Anyone asking this question needs to be kept under watch, that's just sick.
Now where is that tin hat?
Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.
I've had two from women contemplating killing their children and themselves
You tell them to come in, explaining that you have a secret rocket that will take some of us off of this planet. When they arrive, you have social services take the kids away and the police can take her to the nearest asylum for the criminally insane.
Unhelpful Truth: "Please do so, and take yourself out of the gene pool."
Helpful Truth: "I completely understand your position. Make an appointment with your doctor and just say you have some health concerns (no need for the staff to get into your business.) Then explain the situation to the doctor, and he can help you take the appropriate steps."
"As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly." A. Carlson
wow, just think of all the sequel opportunities
oh... yeah, never mind
intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
Should be a good year for the Darwin Awards.
You can only be young once, but you can be immature forever.
Yes, do us all a favor.
Tnxbai
Before you breed...
Some people are too stupid. But that is okay -- there's more then enough intelligence left for the rest of us ;)
"Can of worms? The can is open... the worms are everywhere."
This is the first film I've worked on that caused actual general panic. Grudge 2 scared people, but it's actually a little gratifying to think that work I did is scaring people even AFTER they walked out of the theater. At the time we were making it I knew the whole black president/conspiracy thing was definitely going to push a lot of buttons, just considering the way things are right now, but to be honest, the whole scientific backstory of the film is so thin I never actually considered that people would genuinely fear a cataclysm as depicted in the movie. "Mutating neutrinos"... really?
ps. I was the lead sound effects editor on the show. Along with blowing up Yellowstone and other sundry destructions, I personally cut about 80% of the computer screen beeps. And I cut every one of them just for you guys, because I know you love them so much :D
Don't blame me, I voted for Baltar.
How about make-believe congressional districts!
"Natural Selection".
I mean, the original radio broadcast - it was suggestive enough to cause moderate and short-termed, but state-wide panic during the middle of the actual broadcast. People fleeing their homes, calling for emergency services and so on.
This is Slashdot. Common sense is futile. You will be modded down.
Anyone who fears the end of the world because of a stupid Hollywood movie. May I recommend self reduction. Avoid the rush.
if you think that is an appropriate response to a fucking movie about a half-assed myth, then by all means, do the world a favor
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - Evelyn Beatrice Hall, re Voltaire
Why is NASA answering these questions some of which surely are just jokes? Can't they tell the difference? Why is it NASAs' job to handle this? They must have better things to do and obviously whatever they thought they were doing trying to educate people HAS NOT WORKED. Not that educating isn't important, but instead of the symptom, go for the cure? NASA is not it...
I've said it before but not here, there should be laws called crimes against reality and the movie should have a disclaimer stating that as entertainment it has no bearing other than appearance to the planet earth and the world we call home.
When really bad weather happens governors can declare state of emergency to get money. Old buildings fall down, things must get rebuilt, but what about damage to minds? Isn't there some sort of rational response that should be made when we become aware of a vast swath of ignorant people? I think the responses to this movie are quite scary, in fact terrifying. And if this isn't proof that the US education system only produces reliable tax payers, what else is?
NASA get back to work! Your friends in the government are producing meat to pay taxes and won't stop until individuals become property again. Do your jobs which is managing space and research, not the stupidity of people who eat popcorn.
There's always an Arquillian Battle Cruiser, or a Corillian Death Ray, or an intergalactic plague that is about to wipe out all life on this miserable little planet, and the only way these people can get on with their happy lives is that they Do... Not... Know about it!
WE WON'T MAKE IT TO 2012!
Ps; Since you won't need your money any more please send it to me. Hurry; there are only 6 weeks left!
Actually this could make NASA more popular or interesting because if they debunk this 2012 crap like a dad explains his boy, woman aren't flesh eating medusas people might feel some more respect?
Ignorance is not stupidity. NASA has addressed the ignorance. Good for them.
Often wrong but never in doubt.
I am Jack9.
Everyone knows me.
I'll answer the questions and I won't feel bad about the answers I give to stupid people.
In a few years, the rest of you will notice there's a lot fewer stupid people around, and you'll thank me.
You're welcome.
Fascism trolls keeping me up every night. When I starts a preachin', he HITS ME WITH HIS REICH!
And I don't know how to answer those questions.
Let me help you out on this one: "It's a fucking movie you FUCKING IDIOT! Fiction, make-believe, pretend. You know what fiction is, right? YOU FUCKING IDIOT!"
You may laugh, but I really do think that in most cases that would reassure the person asking the question!
And remove themselves from the gene pool.
We do our children a service by building a future for them that includes viable mates with high-quality DNA that excludes any "very gullible, superstitious, and just plain stupid" genes.
Yeah, so if you run into one of these idiots, and she happens to be cute, just tell her that you are a Mao Shan master and you know the perfect ceremony to stop Nibiru from hitting the Earth, if you could just get a little help from her...
- None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
I find it difficult to believe that people can take something like this so seriously to the point they will end their lives. If these people do exist it's very sad that there are people out there who have no way of evaluating information to decide what's real or not. It must make their lives very difficult.
I'm selling insurance for 2012. You can get it now for the limited low fee of $1,000 a year. When the world ends in 2012 you'll receive $10,000,000. Buy now, before it's too late.
"I've had three from young people saying they were contemplating committing suicide. I've had two from women contemplating killing their children and themselves. I had one last week from a person who said, "I'm so scared, my only friend is my little dog. When should I put it to sleep so it won't suffer?" And I don't know how to answer those questions.'" The answer is "Go for it". Seriously, gene pool weeding CLEARLY needs to happen. Make sure they kill their children as well.
I first read "Ask an Astrobiologist" as "Ask an Astrologist" -- frankly, I think were NASA to set up an 'Ask an Astrologist' blog and just put up a bunch of "predictions" that the world ISN'T going to end, that they might have more lasting luck with this project.
The economy is in a shambles and you need a job. You respond with "The FSM will return on Dec 24, 2012 and your death will be more horrible than you can imagine. The only way to prevent this fate is to kill yourself, preferably by drowning in a bowl of spagettios."
Then you take his job after he kills himself.
If he doesn't kill himself, drown him in a bowl of spagetti.
Free Martian Whores!
There was a giant calculation in the calendar, it's not 2012, it's 2200 !! So everything will be ok for you... it's your grand-kin who need worry about planed Nubuin. And thats the cold truth. Sha-clakee.
Why would people believe the world is ending in 2012 when there's clear evidence that the Earth/mankind survive until the 23rd century?
(Hey, if people will believe that 2012 is a documentary showing the end of the world, maybe they'll buy this!)
My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.
I didn't know the movie was about some planet collision!
The movie was that bad?
I got these sorts of questions and comments during the Y2K hoopla and I've gotten some of it with this whole 2012 thing. Actually been getting questions about it since around 2004. About all I can do is point out to them that it's silly fiction and ignorance and suggest they get on with their lives.
The sad truth is, a lot of people want the world to end; they have death wishes.
To the questions of suicide or putting down your dog: NOW. DO IT NOW. You will most assuredly put the rest of the world at ease.
2012 isn't going to end the world and wipeout man-kind. If it did, our robotic overlords would have no one to control, and that's just silly.
...human society can't have too much longer when there is an appreciable number of people stupid enough to be driven to suicide by a Roland Emmerich movie.
To the haters: You can't win. If you mod me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine
...how do I make money off these fools?
Table-ized A.I.
..saying they were contemplating committing suicide.. And I don't know how to answer those questions.
Just say it happens in 2009 instead. Weed them out early.
I know. You'd think a a gov agency ran by nerds would only watch scifi movies, not lame disaster movies. But then some people can't differentiate fact from fiction.
If people don't understand science then everything scientific becomes mystical. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_c6HsiixFS8
Go read about The War Of The Worlds .
Warning: this article may contain humor, sarcasm, parody, and perhaps even irony. Read at your own risk.
'I've had three from young people saying they were contemplating committing suicide. I've had two from women contemplating killing their children and themselves. I had one last week from a person who said, "I'm so scared, my only friend is my little dog. When should I put it to sleep so it won't suffer?" And I don't know how to answer those questions.'"
He should answer "As soon as possible." Put some chlorine in that gene pool. The human herd could do with some culling of the credulous.
Kwisatz Haderach
Sell the spice to CHOAM
This Mahdi took Shaddam's Throne
Any wonder why we have so many problems?
Lots of people have commented on how incredibly stupid these people are. I don't think it's quite that simple.
I think that they're just scared. There's so much fear in our culture, people are scared of health care, scared of a black president, scared of terrorists, scared of oil prices, scared of cell phone companies, scared of pirates (the Somalian kind), scared of pirates (the MPAA kind), scared of the RIAA and MPAA, scared of swine flu, scared of unemployment, scared of having a job that doesn't pay a living wage, scared of peanuts, scared of global warming, scared of pollution, scared of home invasions, scared of floods, earthquakes and fires, scared of nuts with guns, scared of the government taking away everyone's guns.
Fear makes you irrational. It suppresses the "carefully think about the situation" part of your brain, and supercharges the "fight or flight" part. If people stopped to think rationally about it, they would realize it is fiction. But the fear prevents them from thinking rationally.
We live in a constant state of fear, and our culture (or our media, depending on how you look at it) keeps giving us more reasons to be afraid.
What we need is more reason to be hopeful, not fearful. If we remove the irrational fears about health care, presidents, terrorists, MPAA, pirates, global warming, etc., then we would also have fewer irrational fears about the planet Nimbus crashing into Earth on December 21st, 2012.
I hate it when I make a joke and I get modded "+5 insightful". Mod the stupid comments "funny", not "insightful", pleas
I would go LOL Americans but I'm sure we'll experience the same thing here (UK) as more people see it...
I think this professor is making the whole thing up. No one came up to him who were genuinely contemplating suicide. My statement to him is: "Undoctored video of real people genuinely contemplating suicide, or it didn't happen."
And the slahbot commenters are even more stupid than the strawmen they are laughing at.
A Darwin award.
You go in a movie theater, watching a movie with fancy effects and a lot of sound and destruction which so ridiculous that is obvious that it is not a documentary or a feasable forecast. How could anyone really believe it? Do they have no education at all? Or are they just dumb from watching too much TV?
I honestly view this as an opportunity to rid the human race of some of the less quality stock.
Look, if people honestly believe, that the world is going to end in December, or whatever, of 2012 because of a movie, or an ancient Calendar, or because of our position in space with regard to an observed 'Galactic Plane' or boundary that we might be crossing, and in turn they want to kill themselves, I fully support their position to end their life. As long as they don't want to take anyone else with them, let them remove themselves from the gene pool faster than you can say eugenics. People THIS stupid, gullible, or susceptible to social influence, are both a drain and danger to society.
Sadly, if they have already reproduced, their genes have already been passed on. At most it gives us one less person who requires energy.
Look at the definition for psychotic, travel from there to delusion. We recognize those as a mental problem.
The problem is as a society we stand proudly on the thin edge of religion with an unprovable God. A strict application of the definitions of Delusion and Psychotic would line up a very large segment of the population for the psych ward.
How do you tell the difference between the voice of God in your head and just "voices"?
The fear and uncertainty and all that just feed into the blind acceptance of "god" like acts. Thus the god-fearing population runs scared from pronouncements like this.
The above poster "If we remove the irrational fears" that would include any form of God.
I know I am going to get flamed like crazy for this hence the anon.
it's really weird that NASA is responding to a 2012 movement....but from the other side maybe just maybe...there is something more to that then just a movie :)
Maybe some people like the idea that the world will come to a fiery cataclysmic end in 2012 because it beats the alternative: a second term of the Obama administration.
While 2012 may be fiction and guillable people are overreacting, it might be a good thing to raise awareness for the doomsday scenario of an earth - massive asteroid collision, which is a very real threat we have no escape plan for.
We know it has happened at least once already. And I do get a bit nervous when I look at the lunar surface and at all the big craters it's splattered with.
against being stupid enough to confuse a movie with reality. If a person is that dumb, they should not be allowed to watch movies or TV.
Yeah, two thigns.
1) Just because you weren't around to see the stupid thigns humans have done in the past, doesn't mean that they're somehow less stupid than the stupid thigns we're doing today. A vocal but very small minority could topple civilization, but not by means of self-destructive ignorance and worry.
2) The 2012 myth is not reaction to the movie; the movie is reaction to the 2012 myth. The 2012 myth takes many forms, and each of those forms have some elements that resonate wtih some people. The movie has magnified and publicized that resonance to a larger audience, although even so the vast majority do understand it to be fiction.
The apocalypists will just choose another date for the end of the world then a few more years into the future. They've been doing this for centuries.
Astronomers have determined there were two Thursday seders during Pilate's governorship. This date is the favored one. Then the millennialists can add an even 2000 years to that for the end of the world.
This will oblivate a massive reprogramming effort to fix the UNIX clock which runs out of bits four years later.
I hate to tell you, but it's real, and very very real. Unfortunately, not quite as the movie depicts it, but I could see how when NASA plans to crash their satellite into the moon to see "what happens"...it may be a catalyst that could effectively break off part of the moon
and then being that its orbiting the earth, that part could come crashing down on earth, as well now that the moon is not a full moon, the effects on the earths climate and atmosphere could change for the worst.
Slashdot covered the story of NASA crashing their junk on the moon, supposedly to see what the impact would cause in terms of crater size...but I say, any time mankind has the idea to blow stuff up, nothing good comes of it....especially the item in question is responsible for our atmosphere, and our tides and currents in the sea, giving life (to sum up) to the whole planet.
Call e crazy, but I do not see us out of the woods yet.....
ps- Also, can anyone tell me why the international council has not stepped up and asked the Amercians (NASA) why they think they have the right to crash things into the moon...it isn't just theirs to do as they wish with!
There are the same kind of people who believe in Jesus and Santa Clause xD
So when the day it is supposed to come about, and absolutely nothing happens apart from being an frantic day full of people buying almost-last minute Christmas gifts. and then all of us who are intelligent enough to know that nothing catastrophic is going to happen, we can all sit back, crack open a cold one and roflmao at everyone for being stupid enough to believe in this conspiracy.
I also can't wait to see what people will come up with next, now it is "2012, the day the Earth, Sun, and Galatic Center align!" next its going to be something stupid like 2102 "The day the earth, the sun, and the galatic center align with the center of the universe!!!!1!one!"
Modern medicine has kept those that would succumb to disease or illness alive. Now evolution relies on the stupid to make sure the strong survive.
No sig for you!!
Maybe/Probably not like in the movie. I haven't seen it, so I can't say.
I do worry, slightly, that if the Yellowstone Caldera goes, I may well wish I had been dead first. And there exists the impossibly tiny possibility that an imminent explosion could be triggered by this whole 'moving through galactic center' business. Even the scientists on the page would admit they don't know what causes it to erupt. They don't even know what formed it, for that matter. But if/when it does go, most of North America will be ashen wilderness for the foreseeable future, planetary temperatures will plummet, etc. In that light it might be nice to have an idea as to when we're going to see that puppy go up.
On the other hand, there isn't exactly a single thing you can do to prepare for this kind of an event. Nothing conceivable anyway, because there exists a greater possibility that nothing interesting will happen at all. Similar to how the world didn't end yesterday...
Nice job trying to ignorantly categorize a culture not of your own. If anything, christians fear THEIR apocolypse, not an apocolypse allegedly defined by what they call a "heathen" religion.
You know, I love NASA and the work they do, and I learned some interesting things reading that FAQ (particularly from the links to other active projects). Sadly, I think they take the wrong approach to deal with fucktards who think they should kill themselves and their loved ones to spare them from the apocalypse. Take this quote from the FAQ, for instance:
Q: Is the Earth in danger of being hit by a meteor in 2012?
A: The Earth has always been subject to impacts by comets and asteroids, although big hits are very rare. The last big impact was 65 million years ago, and that led to the extinction of the dinosaurs...
Okay, time out. Yes, the answer goes on to explain that "you can see for yourself that nothing is predicted to hit in 2012". The problem here is, no, they won't go and see for themselves. In fact, they won't read to the end to even see that. They will see "Earth has always been subject to impacts", and "led to the extinction of the dinosaurs", and fucking freak out.
Granted, my response would probably be something like "No, that's a stupid question, you're a fucking idiot, and you should kill yourself anyway", but if the goal is to save retards from themselves, perhaps NASA ought to write a FAQ for idiots and post it on www.thereisnoimpendingapocalypse.com.
More stupid. Not "stupider".
The above poster "If we remove the irrational fears" that would include any form of God.
Religion is sold to people in much the same way as any state-driven fear; it just looks slightly different and so it gets categorized in a different box. But that box is in the same basement.
This is why television is best avoided. It's not the adverts which get you; it's the implied reality behind the statements, and the endless flicker, flicker, flicker just on the edge of our awareness, lulling us into mass hypnosis. Most people I know who champion so-called "science" over religion are victims of that hypnosis. They wouldn't recognize real critical thinking if they tripped over it, but they truly believe they are critical thinkers. And THAT is how the dream of the matrix works to control people.
-FL
NASA/Governments would never tell the truth anyways,i mean the mass hysteria that will happen if they did say the earth will be hit by a planet the same size as earth and will be 0 survivors
Jack of all trades,master of none
Everyone that believes in 2012 please get out of the gene pool.
If people are seriously contemplating suicide because of a movie, just let them die. How could letting anyone that stupid off themselves be a bad thing?
As for the kids, maybe they have a chance, but their breeding doesn't exactly inspire confidence. I guess we'll have to see how they turn out when 2036 hits theaters. (This time with 99942 Apophis in a starring role.)
I say we run more apocalyptic fiction. How about covering oil shocks next time? I'm sure The Road will have a similar impact, too. Ooh, I know! Let's air 'The Day After' on all the major networks again.
Jesus Christ, dude, it was a joke. Of course there have been retarded people through all of civilization. I mean, we still have Christianity, right?
To the haters: You can't win. If you mod me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine
The Freedonia Air and Space Administration covered this topic about 20 years ago... The cycle is not the end of the World, just a change from the 5th world to the 6th world... And a return of Magic and Elves and Dragons! So line up your fixers now, brother and sister deckers! ----
http://visualizecommonsense.com/
It seems obvious to me that these fears have nothing to do with the magical date of 2012. They are manifestations of peoples' subconscious realization that they live in a diabolical empire on its last legs on the world stage. America is losing its wars in the Middle East, having a mockery made of it by Israel's colonization of Palestinian land and destruction of their homes, and is collapsing economically like the Soviet Union. People may not consciously realize that their empire is at an end and their way of life finished, but their conscience revolts and such fears as these bubble up to the surface.
You are well and truly finished, finished like the Mayans. You shit the bed and now you have to sleep in it. You have waged wars of conquest, you have allowed your politicians and bankers and military contractors to loot you with barely a whimper, you have ruined your environment, you have abandoned your fellow human beings and you have abandoned God. It should be no surprise that some people feel guilt more acutely, but misunderstand why they feel guilty and how they will reap what they have sown.
When a true genius appears, you can know him by this sign: that all the dunces are in a confederacy against him.
Later, a full-force Bear Patrol is on watch. Homer watches proudly.
Homer: Not a bear in sight. The Bear Patrol must be working like a charm.
Lisa: That's spacious reasoning, Dad.
Homer: Thank you, dear.
Lisa: By your logic I could claim that this rock keeps tigers away.
Homer: Oh, how does it work?
Lisa: It doesn't work.
Homer: Uh-huh.
Lisa: It's just a stupid rock.
Homer: Uh-huh.
Lisa: But I don't see any tigers around, do you?
[Homer thinks of this, then pulls out some money]
Homer: Lisa, I want to buy your rock.
NASA has to prove a point to Washington:
Listen, without that budget being approved, we have to do things like, answer moviegoer science questions, and experiments like making mice float using magnetism will be par for the course. In fact, we could find Bin Laden with Pathfinder IV in his cave.
So you're saying that Microsoft is in charge of the release date of the Apocalypse, then? Makes perfect sense to me.
Maybe they'll take out some of the nastier features. Then we only have to fear Apocalypse SP1.
"This post contains words, known to the State of California to cause thought. Wash brain thoroughly after reading."
Damn Palin supporters.
I saw the movie this weekend. It was better than I expected. Thanks to the trailer, I went in with very low expectations ("SciFi Channel Original with better special effects, right?"). It actually told a pretty good story, and the special effects eyecandy was AWESOME!
I was chuckling when I guessed what the story was early on, though, and the rest of the movie confirmed it. They scrubbed off the serial numbers, changed the name, changed the exact cause of the disaster, changed a few details about the escape ships, but the plot is pretty much a re-telling of the classic scifi disaster novel, "When Worlds Collide". As the guy who compared "Dungeons and Dragons" with "Lord of the Rings" noted, it helps to start with a script that doesn't suck. "When Worlds Collide" doesn't suck; it's a classic story.
The science, on the other hand, belonged to a SciFi Channel Original Movie, but hey, I expected that. The story was good.
---dragoness
Just because you happen not to have fallen for this particular piece of idiocy doesn't mean that half of you don't believe in the Swine Flu, or the Evil Terrorists, or the Free Market, or whatever your chosen flavor of gullible happens to be.
Culled between so-called, "Science" (as opposed to the real thing), and religion, there remain precious few rational thinkers in the world.
SO don't be so quick to judge. If everybody who believes in a stupid lie were to be struck dead right now, there would be tumbleweeds blowing through this forum. I remember when virtually everybody here once believed in WMD's with a salivating kind of vigor.
In any case. . , the 2012 thing IS a myth, but just the date. Our world is right now on the cusp of a mass extinction and everybody knows it. The lie is in the fixed date. That's a distraction to confuse people with idiotic debate while the elites scurry to pack their tunnels with food and supplies.
-FL
you could probably get people to believe it in this day and age
The same concept worked on TV.
If I have been able to see further than others, it is because I bought a pair of binoculars.
You don't.... just let evolution run its course. NASA shouldn't be the lifeguard on duty at the gene pool.
While there's plenty around here that put no faith in whatever calendar predicted 2012, but what if it was The Bible/Koran/Torah that predicted 2012? There's quite a bit more people that claim those books are the truth. I bet there's quite a few people on /. that are deeply religious and belief those books.
While we might think a few folks are believing this movie's prediction; try convincing a devout Christian/Jew there was no 'burning bush' or Moses and his 10 Commandments.
7 pages of comments and Slashdot readers haven't mentioned " Science: "2012" a Miscalculation; Actual Calendar Ends 2220". Yeah, there will be panic.
all over again!
I guess you could reply to them that killing yourself and/or your family because you think the world is going to end (and kill everyone) because of a movie is pretty stupid.
Those kinds of questions make me wonder, based on that kind of logic, why we dont just drop idiots like that off into a lava shute.
Loh
And it was foretold: an entire class of people shall earn the Darwin Award in 2012.
Let's be rid of these people...
The German Government has apologized for Roland Emmerich on several occasions!
Perhaps they'll issue a mass Darwin Award.
Now imagine the irony if "Intelligent Design" supporters (as good examples of "take everything literally" ignorant) are among its winners !
"Sufficiently advanced satire is indistinguishable from reality." - [Tips: 1DrYakQDKCQ6y52z6QbnkxHXAocMZJE61o ]
This kind of thing is actually a documented mental illness (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1151359 among others). It began with The Exorcist leading to a bunch of people suddenly, literally, living in fear of their lives of being possessed by the devil. Later people watching Jaws, including some people living in Kansas far from any body of water that could reasonably contain a shark, became so afraid of shark attacks that they couldn't leave their homes. It doesn't happen often, but for those afflicted it can apparently be almost completely debilitating.
Jealously hoarding mod points since 2007.
Actually I see it exactly like that. I just wanted to mention the global warming thing to see if anyone else sees the similarities.
Maybe they could combine the two lists, to make the NASA pop culture FAQ:
Will the world end in 2012?
No, the majority of scientists believe climate change will destroy the world. We are waiting for the sequel to "An Inconvenient Truth" to provide an exact date, and it is not scheduled to be released until 2013.
That is normally something good to put before you start throwing in spoilers to the movie.
The world is how you make it
Thursday? So actually the world will be destroyed by the Vogons ...
Just checked: December 21, 2012 is a Friday. So it clearly won't be the day of doom.
BTW, I've found the true interpretation of the Mayan calendar: 2012-12-21 will the release date of DNF.
The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
The problem isn't people watching the movie 2012, it is the viral advertising surrounding it. They ran ads that made the movie sound a dramatization of a real idea rather than complete fiction, ala the Day After Tomorrow, and encourage them to search the web for the "real truth". The studio created a fake website purposing to be a scientific institute predicting a collision with earth in 2012. On top of this loonies have been talking about a 2012 apocalypse of some sort since we first understood the Mayan calendar, and latter some of them latched onto the Nimbiru idea after the books came out, so the internet is full of websites giving "evidence" of this catastrophe, many of whom claim to be scientific websites themselves.
Yeah, people with a decent bullshit detector should be able to figure out that this is all crap, but it's not like they just watched a normal movie and thought it was read - the studio is trying to present it as though it were real, by making it a conspiracy that the mainstream is covering up.
...Apparently ... use ... phrases about “alignments” and the “dark rift” and “photon belt” precisely because they are ... bad
ahhhrg, this is horrible
As far as the safety of the Earth is concerned ... the loss of biological diversity, and ... collision with an asteroid or comet...
This is how he answers !?!
Just because it's pseudoscientific doesn't mean it isn't scientific.
There isn't a day when I don't think the end of the world.
Exception Duck - may or may not contain chicken.
If only there was a more efficent way to harvest abundant, clean-burning stupid.
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that
- George Carlin
The stupider people prove themselves to be the easier it will be to control them. Makes finding a job easier too.
A potential explanation for all this confusion can perhaps be found in the musings of Frank Zappa:
"Some scientists claim that hydrogen, because it is
so plentiful, is the basic building block of the universe. I dispute
that. I say there is more stupidity than hydrogen, and that is the
basic building block of the universe."
The only reason the end of the world in 2012 is not being properly covered by news outlets is because of their well-known liberal bias. They know that 2012 will be an election year and that the GOP has a better end-of-the-world plan.
Nullius in verba
I've always wondered about the possibility that doomsday predictions would be self-fulfilling. For instance, some insane person with an inexplicable amount of power (I'm looking at you, Kim Jong-Il) believes wholeheartedly in some end-of-the-world prophecy, and moreover, believes that they're going to have to be the one to set the events in motion. Then their predictions of terrible things happening on a certain date come true by virtue of the simple fact that they themselves were the initiator. In the case of this movie (and the 2012 prediction in general), I doubt we'd see anything dire, but who knows? We've seen tragedies like Heaven's gate and the Jonestown massacre already, and this one has all the force of a Hollywood endorsement behind it. I know plenty of posters here are ready to pounce all over this and write it off as mass hysteria or stupidity or whatever, but it kind of leaves me with a sick feeling in my stomach.
>How do you tell the difference between the voice of God in your head and just "voices"?
Because the Baby Jesus told me so himself!
And the LORD spaketh upon me that all people going to Anonymous Coward mode must confer unto me MONEY that will be spent in HIS great mission! Can I get a hallelujah!
Oh, wait, I went AC. I'm victim of an infinite loop. Send even more money before God divides by zero and we all end up in a black hole! Space goats! Superwhelks! Just SEND MONEEEEEYYYYyyyyyy....
And I don't know how to answer those questions.
"The 2012 End of the Earth? It's a government conspiracy designed to throw us in a panic and take away our freedoms and undermine our religious beliefs. The TRUE DATE is 2102 -- THE SAME NUMBERS REVERSED! No need to worry ... YET!"
The dumbass people will be dead by then. Problem solved
Don't Panic.
;-(
"Kill yourself now, before its too late!"
alternative ending:
"Why bother, we are all gonna die in 2012!"
alternate alternate ending:
"Well its 2009, and the world ends in 2012, so if we take one number, 2009 and subtract it from 2012 you get the number 3. Its called math. So you should kill yourself in about 3 years. If you want to get really accurate, you could look at a calender and see what month it is, and what day, and really work out exactly when to do it! Either way, it isn't for awhile and your probably likely to die drowning looking up during a rain storm before that, so leave me alone..."
alternate alternate alternate ending:
"Don't worry about it we will be hit by a meteor or a comet long before then!"
As an aside I have also heard that this Mayan 2012 prediction is all buffoonery. They Mayans thought their the world would end just like we think the world ends after December. It was their calender for keeping track of time. I think it was implied that you just restart the calender once the cycle is over. Perhaps it is so implisit that they didn't feel the need to explain this just the same we don't put a sticker on every calender we ever make that says "Not to worry, world not ending, new calender next year!"
All I can say STUUUPID, both the movie and anyone taking it even remotely seriously. It was barely entertaining, more like a ready victim for MST3K than anything else. It just goes to show you how naive and gullible the average Joe and/or Jane is. The idea that you have to suspend belief for certain parts of movies is well established but you have to suspend all pretense of sentience and coherent thought to believe this one. I really hope Avatar is better than this...
errr....umm...*whooosh* *whoosh* Is this thing on ?
I don't understand this quote:
'I've had three from young people saying they were contemplating committing suicide. I've had two from women contemplating killing their children and themselves. I had one last week from a person who said, "I'm so scared, my only friend is my little dog. When should I put it to sleep so it won't suffer?" And I don't know how to answer those questions.'"
What's wrong with letting Darwin deal with stupid peoples?
I don't know what is more scary, that people think a Hollywood movie is real or that these same people can also vote.
A friend of mine is taking an Arky (Archaeology for those less hip) Class, as she is an ancient & medieval history major, and she is taking a class this semester SPECIFICALLY on the Mayans. Her Prof is one of the archaelogists who work on sites like Tucan. The prof held an open public lecture in the University of Calgary in the first week of November here. My friend and I both attended, and while I never did believe in the whole Mayan Myth it's interesting to see where its origins begin.
So this prof is basically a Mayan pro, she can translate most inscriptions just by looking at them (no reference needed) and she intimately understands their number and Calendar system. The first thing to know about Mayan numbers is that they don't use Base 10, they use base 20. The other thing to know is that there is not ONE Mayan Language. They were similar to all of Europe, where the europeans had french, English, spanish, german, etc, the Mayans had about 6 to 8 different Variants. And with that in mind, they were never a single nation, each city had it's own king/queen type leader, and they peacably would trade with the other cities of the area. No one city was truly the capital, but those major trade hubs and those with rarer goods tended to prosper more than the little towns.
Anyways, so the Mayans used 2 different Calendars, and I can't remember how big, but there was a sizable gap in between the usage of each (I think like 800 years?). But basically what it breaks down into is the Short count and the Long count.
The Short count is very much like our Calendar today, 18 months of 20 days each with 5 days at the end of the year for some religious purpose (Similar to the egyptians). They also had Names for days of their week, like Monday Tuesday Wednesday (Except Mayan Gods instead of Norse Gods). So if I were to say, Friday, December 25th, you'd know I mean this Christmas and not last Christmas or the next Christmas because they don't land on a Friday. This works well for 8 years until Christmas lands on a Friday again. You could be more precise about the date if you gave me the year, which is where the Long Count comes in.
We attribute a year to 365 days. So I would say that Dec 31 2009 would be day 733285. The Mayans didn't use years, they merely counted days. Which is neat in some ways because there were 20 days in a month (And they're number system is base 20, remember?) But also a bit of a hassle in others, because there are 18 months.
So the way Archaeologists expressed their long count is in a series of numbers seperated by decimals (It looks like a long IP Address to me). Day 1 would be like 0.0.0.0.0.1 and Day 23 would be like 0.0.0.2.3 - - Except here's the kicker - Mayans didn't set day 0 as anything in particular. In fact, their creation story takes place well after 0. This leads many people to believe that the Mayans set a date in the future as some signifigance and worked their way backwards. What day that could be or what they believed it would be has yet to be discovered. There are some speculations. No, its not 2012.
Essentially the numbers further to the left represent longer periods of time, so each 1.0.0.0.0 in the long count is really like 8767 years give or take, which is a really long friggen time, right? We celebrate every year pretty much, but every odd once in a while we hold huge celebrations, like when we ushered in the new millenia in the year 2000. That sort of thing was also important to the Mayans. If I recall correctly, we're roughly around the 13.0.19.0.0 era on the Mayan Calendar. So when it rolls around to be 13.1.0.0.0 - wouldn't that be a rollover worth celebrating? To the Mayans it would be. Guess what day that happens to fall on? You're right, December 21 2012.
So now that you've got a crash course on the Calendar and how it works, where exactly does the Prophecy come in? I'll tell you. Amongst the ruins of cities, Mayans had what we call Stelas. They are basically big stones which have stories and such carved into them, very much like a monu
We need stupid people to work in fast food, park cars, join the enlisted military (although some need the structure to gain maturity and/or get out of terrible circumstances), and to become mediocre high school teachers.
wow... i wish I had mod points.
You get points from me just for having the balls to say it on this bastion of socialism called Slashdot!
I've been noticing a lot of these "NASA Calms 2012 Fears" articles in the last few days, enough that it makes it sound like there's more of a story here than I think there really is. The real question is, how many people are actually worried about this? I'm guessing that it's a tiny number, and probably what happened is, a statistical blip caused a few of the crazier ones to contact NASA. So then he posts on the blog about it, and for some reason a lot of places pick up the story.
"Destroy science and religion. Science would re-emerge exactly the same; but not religion." - Penn Jillette, paraphrased
The central claim of Christianity is that a follower of Christ (a christian) will know God in this world, and live with Him through eternity in the next. A christian would not, therefore, believe that they are going to be cast into a lake of burning sulfur and be eternally tormented by the devil. We believe that will happen to you (assuming you are not a follower of Christ).
As with regard to whether or not the "literal" versions of God, the devil, and souls exist, I am curious how you make the distinction between the "literal" meanings of these words and other (figurative?) meanings. When I speak of spirituality and religion I am describing how unseen (or supernatural) realms can and do affect human beings. In that context I can not easily differentiate between "literal" and "figurative" meanings as nothing I attempt to describe manifests itself in the "physical" world as it is commonly known. I emphasize that spiritual entities are literally real, because I don't want people to get the idea that I am talking about these things in a hypothetical or theoretical way.
If you feel better thinking of these concepts as hypothetical or figurative, I would suggest that you do so. Do so often and with zeal. The more you consider such matters, the more you may come to know the Truth. Ultimately, there is nothing else worth knowing, and that is the central claim of Christianity.
2012 maybe the year of the cubs to win it all and that will be a VERY BIG THING.
anyways this looks the year for the blackhawks. The bears maybe next year.
That show has some REALLY bad science in it at times. For instance, one episode discussed the "myth" (rather old wives saying) that with breakfast cereal (the american kind) the cardboard box it comes in contains more NUTRITION then the cereal itself.
The amazing mythbusters then went on to determine the CALORIE/ENERGY and FAT contents of both products. Do Americans REALLY need more CALORIES or FAT in their diets? Not once did they test EITHER of the products for NUTRITIONAL values, as in minerals/vitamins etc. They proved that sugar coated grain gives you energy. No shit sherlock. Your MOTHER is talking about nutrition as you find it in fresh vegetables, and fruit. Not a sugar cube or lump of butter.
And yet many here at slashdot consider mythbusters as valid science and often quote their results to prove how silly a myth is.
I seen another show where helicopters were discussed and the claim was made that helicopters do not have ejection seats. Correct. US helicopters do not, SOVIET helicopters did. How many believe a lie because they thought a documentary was a documentary?
The truth, the real absolute, total and complete truth is not good entertainment and does not fit in a soundbite or between commercial blocks.
And the truth is hard to understand because you need to understand an lot of complex subjects that you actually need to spend some time thinking about.
What IS the mayan calendar and why is 2012 significant and as mentioned in the article is that different then 31st december 2009? If you don't understand WHAT a date really is, how time is tracked, then you COULD think 31st december 9999 would be an ending (which is rougly what 2012 is to the mayans). Silly if you TRULY understand calendars, numbers and such but many don't.
For many people, magical thinking fills in the gaps between their understanding of the world and a LOT of us do it. Come one, be honest how much of your understanding of gravity is a rubber sheet with a weight on it? There is no rubber sheet, that is magical thinking to help your limited intelligence deal with the concepts thought up by truly brilliant people.
So, don't be to condescending, you are no Einstein.
Our world is filled with half lies to explain things away because explaining everything to everyone would explode the education system and not help getting the bloody toilets cleaned and garbage collected and even peoples wounds dressed.
A simple story: In africa there used to be a believe that if you used a cooking stick twice, evil demons would posses it. White missionaries said this was silly superstition and forbid this practice. people soon dropped dead. Why? The evil spirit called food poisoning. This is LESS of an issue in colder climates like europe, but in the hot african sun food spoils far more rapidly.Oh, the story might not be true, but the gist of it is that sometimes "magical thinking" fills a gap between knowing that something is true and knowing the reason behind it.
But we humans ain't perfect and we all can't spent all our time reading books. These people heard something, didn't understand it and nobody is willing to clearly explain it and then there are stations like Fox that even add to the fear mongering for their own gains. Hell even Discovery and National Geographic are happy to host a "lets scare people" show to get ratings. How are people to know the full truth when the lies are sold so much better?
I think what NASA is doing is the right thing, but they should do it more clearly and get someone like Carl Sagan, someone who can talk plain english to explain it on tv on popular chat shows. SHOW people. Don't hide in the ivory tower sneering down, come out with the science. People LOVE science, but you need to open up to them, not by talking down to them, but by starting easy and then pulling them up. Why do you Einstein is such a celebrity? Because HE could do that. Few can. Certainly not most people here.
MMO Quests are like orgasms:
You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.
Uh guys, Nibiru isn't even in the movie. Neither is the orbital space colonies or the underground cities in Antarctica. I went and saw 2012 the other day at the cinema. frankly I was let down by the lack of crazy stuff the website had that was actually in the movie. The entire plot is galactic allignment heats the earth causing devastation. There is NO ROGUE PLANET. Idiots wishing to kill themselves over Nibiru need to wake the hell up.
The Mayan/Aztec/Inca/etc "2012" date is just their calendar's version of "Y2K". Their symbols for time are repeated circles, so they have to repeat somewhere. Nobody takes any other ancient Western Hemisphere religious prophecy seriously at all, even those that actually prophecy something other than the inevitable form the symbols will take on some day.
People are so afraid of a world they don't understand, that they refuse to understand, that plenty of us can be scared into overreacting to anything, no matter how paranoid and unreal.
--
make install -not war
The black sport is cover for stargate pro.........to.......amke.ship./.........notvafssafdkjldsafjdslaadsljfsjdaklajdsajfdskl,
If they truly believe in this predictions, then I say, let them kill themselves. People can choose to believe these predictions, or they can choose not to. If they choose to and want to end their lives to avoid it, then let them. There is no need to babysit these individuals who refuse to look at all the facts and not read into propaganda.
Life takes interesting turns, but the most interest is when you're off the beaten path.
From the site "Letters of Note" which seems to be down at the moment:
Aberdeen, S. Dak.
November 1, 1938
Federal Communications Commission
Washington, D. C.
Gentlemen:
I have read considerable concerning the program of Orson Welles presented over the Columbia Broadcasting System Sunday evening. I suppose that by this time you have received many letters from numerous cranks and crack-pots who quickly became jitterbugs during the program. I was one of the thousands who heard this program and did not jump out of the window, did not attempt suicide, did not break my arm while beating a hasty retreat from my apartment, did not anticipate a horrible death, did not hear the Martians "rapping on my chamber door," did not see the monsters landing in war-like regalia in the park across the street, but sat serenely entertained no end by the fine portrayal of a fine play.
The "Mercury Theatre" has been one of the radio high-lights of the week for me this fall. The program Sunday, I felt, was one of their better programs.
Should your commission contemplate serious measures toward the Columbia Broadcasting System my suggestion would be that the "Mercury Theatre" be directed to re-broadcast this program and the reaction of all the listening audience be solicited.
In the interest of a continuation of the fine things in radio today, I am,
Very respectfully yours,
(Signed)
J. V. Yaukey
"I've had three from young people saying they were contemplating committing suicide" - seriously, if you believe 2012 (or any movie really) enough to even say something like that, the world is probably better off without you. Thats really just plain stupidity. "A movie said the world might end in a little over 2 years, i better kill myself now" honest to god, your just wasting valuable air useful people could be breathing. But to read this, "I've had two from women contemplating killing their children" is really sad and somewhat supprising that people this dumb actually figured out how to breed (perhaps im assuming too much?).
Is the world really getting as stupid as it appears to be?
Stupid ?
Does this remind of some other induced hysteria that is leading millions of people to get inoculated with a barely tested vaccine?
Nothing to see here, move along.
OK, if you really believe 2012 is the end, I have a wonderful deal for you:
I will give you 50% of the cash value for all your belongings AND you can keep them through 2012. IF the world doesn't end, I get to have your things in 2013.
Any takers?
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Comment removed based on user account deletion
In this case it is exactly the same.
These reports did not come from some long overlooked rainforest tribe, but rather from people intelligent enough to call NASA with worries and fears. These are people able to read or at least watch TV news, or surf the net.
Yet they can't distinguish between a movie trailer and real life.
You're making a gross over-simplification of what's going on here. I've come to learn that people aren't THAT stupid, nor THAT smart in all matters in life. The crucial difference is the ability and knowledge base required to sort out BS from reality.
To be more specific: People aren't just watching a movie and deciding to kill themselves. They are hearing A LOT about this 2012 date in ALL media. Then the worried can and do "research" on the net and that's where they find shit-loads of "supporting evidence" and believers. There's also that ridiculous built-in presevation mechanism most of us have and have to fight: "what if?" and "better safe than sorry" logic. Some people can get very anxious over what they don't know or don't understand, so they'll go for the "faith" option that puts them in the "I'm protected" category. It's not that surprising really, given what we know about human psychology and some of the irrational things even smart people do.
The media doesn't help either. It's way more ratings-catching to promote the doomsday theories than it is to promote "it's just a calendar" reality.
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FTFA: 'I've had three from young people saying they were contemplating committing suicide. I've had two from women contemplating killing their children and themselves. I had one last week from a person who said, "I'm so scared, my only friend is my little dog. When should I put it to sleep so it won't suffer?" And I don't know how to answer those questions.'
This is so easy to answer. The answer is now! Go ahead and off yourself and your little dog. You're just helping the rest of us by reducing the amount of 'stupid' in the world.
I haven't seen the movie yet, but I will. I've been working for many years on a novel which uses a rogue planet (a la Leiber's Pail of Air) to bring about all of the signs of the Apocalypse. The scariest part is that it could. You don't need faith to understand Revelation, you need a degree in Astrophysics.
Keep it - just in case. It could end up being a great meal when the apocalypse hits...
in the Christian church calendar. hey folks, not to prosletyze here or anything, but when the universe comes apart, I'm going to be otherwise engaged, thanks.
if this is supposed to be a new economy, how come they still want my old fashioned money?
2012 debunked: http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4093 Any reasonably intellegent person knows that 2012 is just another date with no particular significance. It may be a very entertaining movie but the date is just, well... another date.
These folks contemplating suicide. Wonder if this is the same group that believes Obama's birth certificate is a fake or that Glenn Beck is the second coming?
Wait, if we do have a sudden spike it suicides, that's going to put a dent in Glenn's demographics for sure.
Take care and use plastic ware....
"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy - Benjamin Franklin"
. . . because Nibiru is the name of Jupiter in the Babylonian compendium of astrology, Mul.Apin.
Jupiter isn't going anywhere, of course.
There's no excuse at all for 2012.
maybe they forgot to stay and read the credits...
That's what they would say even if there were a planet ...what the hell was it called... ...Nibiru... about to collide with Earth.
Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
You know plenty of people laugh at the superstitions of people in the Dark Ages, but science as we know it, didn't exist then. I mean Aristotle had some great ideas, but there was little or nothing to take the place of raw superstition until about the 13th or 14th century (at least in the West).
But what is peoples' excuse today? How is it that people who presumably graduated from the American educational system are no better off than some dirt-farming peasant from barbarian times? Things weren't always this bad. If I had the choice of hiring someone with a high school education from 1909 or someone with a high school education from 2009, I'd choose the 1909 person, and 90% of the time I'd be better off.
But of course or education system is fine, it just needs more money thrown at it.
You are in a maze of twisty little passages, all alike.
...and I haven't got any, snif.
On the bright side, this doesn't seem to be happening over here in my country.
No sig today...
I just got done reading "After Worlds Collide" and before that "When Worlds Collide" both written in the early 1930's. Wake up people, it's just fiction. We really have a lot more to worry about than a movie that's a remake of a movie from the 1950's that was based on a book from the 1930's. Judging from current reactions, over 80 years, I actually think we've gone backwards some.
No, it's not really close, because Rev 8:10-11 has nothing to do with stars, river pollution and the end of the world. Those verses actually refer to the conflict in heaven before the world was created, where a fallen "star" - in other words, a fallen angel, who is Lucifer - influenced 1/3 of the spirits in heaven to follow him and reject God. When they did so, they had to depart from God's presence because of their rebellion and bitterness, which separation is called spiritual "death". Now that you know this info, re-read it again, and it should make sense now.
Most people, including many Christians, fail to realize the entire Bible is a collection of letters and stories using metaphors to explain religious principles - not to be taken literally, well except for a few things, like the straight forward language of the 10 commandments... Another metaphor: The 6 "days" of the creation are actually representative of 6 "creative periods" the duration of which has not been revealed, but is suspected to be between 1-2 billion earth years each.
I almost thought your typo was intentional. :)
GameRanger - multiplayer gaming service for PC and Mac games
Even here this tag is unwarranted. In fact, these events have the opposite effect to those described in idiocracy.
You know, there is a difference between trolling and pointing out the flaws in your reasoning. Just saying.
Let's announce that a spaceship has been built to save the really important people, and anyone who signs on now gets the trip for free...
I had one last week from a person who said, "I'm so scared, my only friend is my little dog. When should I put it to sleep so it won't suffer?" And I don't know how to answer those questions.'" Tell them to go ahead as planned. A few less nutcases to worry about for the rest of us ;)
Religion is sold to people in much the same way as any state-driven fear; it just looks slightly different and so it gets categorized in a different box. But that box is in the same basement.
This is why television is best avoided. It's not the adverts which get you; it's the implied reality behind the statements, and the endless flicker, flicker, flicker just on the edge of our awareness, lulling us into mass hypnosis. Most people I know who champion so-called "science" over religion are victims of that hypnosis. They wouldn't recognize real critical thinking if they tripped over it, but they truly believe they are critical thinkers. And THAT is how the dream of the matrix works to control people.
Ok, let's see what you're saying here:
- Religion is sold through fear. Similarly, fear is used to "sell" other things.
- Because of the above, television should be avoided.
- People who champion so-called "science" over religion have been hypnotized by the television(into a state of fear?)
What kind of "science" are you referring to? Is your argument that people who think themselves critical thinkers are gobbling up the same kind of fear as the religious, and simple reverting to a different kind of religion you term "science"?
Please elaborate so we can do a better job tearing your argument to pieces.
People replying to my sig annoy me. That's why I change it all the time.
Please elaborate so we can do a better job tearing your argument to pieces.
Are you suggesting that everybody who claims to be an unbiased critical thinker is actually an unbiased critical thinker?
Here's a fairly basic question for you:
Would an unbiased critical thinker who already KNOWS he doesn't have enough information, automatically ASSUME that this unknown quantity (the information you are requesting), will allow the performance of the rather emotionally-driven action of, "tearing [an] argument to pieces"?
What kind of "science" are you referring to?
Had your Swine Flu shot yet?
Is your argument that people who think themselves critical thinkers are gobbling up the same kind of fear as the religious, and simple reverting to a different kind of religion you term "science"?
More or less, Yes. Do you allow the fear of ridicule from the authority figures you respect to dictate what you think about and explore?
-FL
Look, dude, there are other countries on Earth than the US and Afghanistan, even if they aren't mentioned on Fox News.
I predict that the average IQ will go up somewhere in 2012...
... at 75% of its market value.
That's the offer I made people during the Millennium panic back in 1999. I reasoned that if the world were really on the brink of chaos, the wisest policy would be to move somewhere more sustainable than a residential subdivision. When the utilities collapsed, you'd need renewable sources of electricity, clean water, etc., as well as the ability to defend your home and family against looters and thieves. Better to spend all your money before the banks and government collapse and currency loses all value.
Every time I hear about some cult predicting the end of the world, I want to make the same offer. "Hey, you think the world is going to end next year. Shouldn't you spend all your resources bringing sinners to God? What's the matter; don't you have faith?" I couldn't go through with it if anyone said yes, but the temptation is there.
The best way to stave off panic is to throw cold, hard money at it.
See you next Apocalypse.
With any luck these people will off themselves prior to 2012 because they are flat out nuts. The ones that totally buying into hysteria but not nuts enough to kill themselves for fear of an event will hopefully fall into a deep depression and kill themselves when they realize they are dip-shits when the Gregorian new year rolls around.
Pluralitas non est ponenda sine neccesitate
Here's a fairly basic question for you:
Would an unbiased critical thinker who already KNOWS he doesn't have enough information, automatically ASSUME that this unknown quantity (the information you are requesting), will allow the performance of the rather emotionally-driven action of, "tearing [an] argument to pieces"?
Was a tongue in cheek comment, I appreciate it may come across differently however.
What kind of "science" are you referring to?
Had your Swine Flu shot yet?
Ehmm, no? Over here they're mostly vaccinating kids atm. Things being as they are right now I feel the Swine Flu does not pose enough of a risk factor for me to decide to go and get the shot.
Is your argument that people who think themselves critical thinkers are gobbling up the same kind of fear as the religious, and simple reverting to a different kind of religion you term "science"?
More or less, Yes. Do you allow the fear of ridicule from the authority figures you respect to dictate what you think about and explore?
No, not really. Which authority figures would these be?
People replying to my sig annoy me. That's why I change it all the time.
What if .. GNU became conscious:
http://lgo900.wordpress.com/2009/05/09/2012-the-gnu-collective-consciousness/
This is my take on the 2012 hysteria looked through the glasses of a geek (I don't actually wear glasses, though). Shameless plug, but so is this article too for the movie.
A scenario like this could happen. But seriously, I think 2012 is just a marker in our fate that starts a new era of thinking and conscious working towards unity between humans. This is what I'm working towards, and I know a lot of other people are doing the same thing.
Creating fear in the masses has long been the way of Hollywood and those pulling the strings between the scenes. Don't believe the hype, think for yourselves. Don't let negative opinions of others affect you, don't believe the movie industry who just want your money.
We, and you, create the future. Let's make it a bright one, ruled by compassion and love, not fear and self loathing. Thank you.
GeoKone.NET
While watching a recent documentary on the World Trade Center, I finally saw the collapse of WTC 7.
With that footage and the other images of the Towers collapsing, I want to yell at Hollywood, once and for all:
"SKYSCRAPERS ARE NOT DOMINOS!!!"
Mod Karma -1: I sed bad wurds. If I cep my mouf shut, I wud be at riyses.
Ha ha!
You locked that all down pretty quick when you figured out some of the rules of this particular engagement. Evidence of Ego = losing. Game theory. The problem is that I set the rules, which means you've already submitted to me by altering your behavior so that it fits with the acceptable "Win" pattern. --Which, of course, means I've already got the home advantage. More game theory.
And yes, this is ugly.
These scurrying bit of counter-productive idiocy, (which we ALL have inside us), don't go away. They hide and play games in the back-ends of our minds. I don't like it, and I'm betting you don't either. But where are we? What can be done? --The only effective countermeasure to automatic, predatory thinking is to stay vigilant and learn about the nature of the predator. When we accumulate enough knowledge and energy, we can begin to work towards true ownership of our minds. And then we can choose whether to be monsters or not.
The fact of the matter is this: --Pretty much everything you or I or anybody does is a pre-programmed response designed to increase effective feeding and power accumulation. It's a master stroke! It's self-imprisoning behavior. When the slaves are already trying to prevent the other slaves from growing strong, this becomes the primary mechanism in maintaining the state of universal bondage. The trick is recognizing our own internal predator. Most people have no idea. They hide behind the belief that they are giving, happy, smart people when really their primary actions, when examined, are not chosen from the top ends of our minds but rather are self-serving reactions to ego-based directives. Everybody is engaged in some form of game theory in virtually every interaction they have with the world. But this is an uncomfortable thing to consider, and so they pretend. Or they simply do not see. And so they are blind slaves.
Now science is a wonderful thing because, when practiced correctly, it bypasses many of the tools of the predator. But the predator is very clever; it is responsible for the knee-jerk, ego-wounded reactions we have to certain statements, (Such as, "Most people I know who champion so-called "science" over religion are victims of that hypnosis. They wouldn't recognize real critical thinking if they tripped over it, but they truly believe they are critical thinkers. And THAT is how the dream of the matrix works to control people."), which in turn blossom into entire behavior sets which we believe are based on our personal choices, but which are instead based on these auto-reactions.
Faux science uses the authority of real science to manipulate people by creating convincing lies; it can create society-wide fear. In the case of this Swine Flu thing, it creates fear of plague. And then it can then be used to make us feel safe and secure when we alter our behavior in the manner in which it tells us = "Win". (In the Swine Flu example, winning = getting a shot.) By contrast, real science asks, "What are ALL the factors involved and who ultimately benefits from the resulting patterns?"
It's all game theory, and a frightened populace is not able to think clearly in order to come out on top of that game. Knowing practitioners of Game theory know that inspiring fear in one's prey = advantage.
People attack that which they feel assaults their self-importance. "Most people I know who champion [false] science over religion are victims of that hypnosis". Your ego took offense to the thought that it is hypnotized and so it sent a strong reaction up through your nervous system and you acted upon that by responding to me as you did. And you behaved as though this idiotic reaction was coming from the real you. It wasn't. That's the predator at work. Our predators are the enemy.
>Do you allow the fear of ridicule from the authority figures you respect to dictate what you think about and explore?
No, not really. Which authority figures would these be?
Yes, yes you do, o
send those disturbed people instructions to cut along the veins with their straight razor, not across, for faster bleed out. great opportunity to put long overdue shot of bleach in the gene pool.
Q to the /. crowd: "Could 'doomsday' occur due to as yet unproven [Nibiru, galactic alignment, pole shift/crustal displacement, etc. etc.]?"
A: NAH, you stupid idiots... (ha-ha-ha)...
Q: "What about 'utopia' due to as yet unproven [man-machine convergence, nanotech-driven abundance, genetic manipulation, etc. etc.]?"
A: WOOT, SIGN ME UP!
I wonder why people (even crazy ones) would want to kill themselves. I for one would be thrilled to witness the End Of The World.
I disagree. Some religion is based on fear, and some is based on hope. Just like politics.
Some people get into religion because they want to control and dominate people, and some get into religion because they want to help people and to understand the world. Just like politics.
Since I've already got 2 of the 3 dinner-table-conversation killers, I should point out that some people have sex to control and dominate others, and some have sex to celebrate and please others. Just like politics.
I hate it when I make a joke and I get modded "+5 insightful". Mod the stupid comments "funny", not "insightful", pleas
Just Think Of It As Evolution In Action. .... nope, I don't see any, as long as they're hygienic about it. They take their children with them on a one-way trip to decomposition ... even better. Genes gone, schooling costs down, dumb-fuck ideas gone.
They die, they take their retarded genes with them as well as the consequences of their no-doubt atrocious schooling and probably their religion. And the downsides are
We should be building suicide booths with easily-emptied meat lockers to encourage them.
Birds are not dinosaur descendants;birds are dinosaurs, for all useful meanings of "birds", "are" and "dinosaurs"
Is it my fault that all the greats are either dead or off the air (same thing)?
Sign of growing old, everyone you grew up with as idols is dead or senile.
MMO Quests are like orgasms:
You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.
One of the problems with te D&D movie is most of the plot was in the outtakes because they ran out of money to do the special effects for those scenes. You can see the roughcut footage in on the DVD extras. It makes a lot more sense with those scenes even if they are not rendered.
Sara
Designer, Gamer, Macgrrl in an XP World