Not since 2000 has an impending year so intrigued and concerned the general public like 2012. Many people have a vague idea that the world is heading towards some kind of doom due to a calendar created by an ancient and mysterious race. They see every new natural and artificial disaster as one more bit of proof that everything will come to a crashing end, on Dec. 21, 2012 to be exact.

But what are the facts behind all the stories, hype and concern about 2012? Ithaca’s Science Cabaret devoted its last program of the spring to this topic in a talk titled “2012: Truths and Fictions” held on May 4 at the WildFire Lounge. The subject was tackled from two key angles by two professionals in their respective fields. Sharing the lecture duties were Ann Martin, a doctoral candidate in astronomy at Cornell, and Wendy Bacon, an anthropologist at the University of Pennsylvania. After DJ Laika played what was termed a “Conspira-tainment” set of media images and video about 2012 set to electronica music, Martin and Bacon took turns discussing this infamous near-future year from the viewpoints of archaeology and astronomy to a packed audience in the lounge.

Bacon began with a brief background on the Maya, the Mesoamerican culture that supposedly started all this fuss. Settled primarily in what is now southern Mexico and the bordering nations of Belize and Honduras, the Maya society existed from roughly 1500 BCE (Before the Common Era) to 1500 CE when the Spanish conquistadors began settling their region.

Today between 4 and 9 million descendants of this once great society still live in the area, speaking about 12 diverse languages while living in the rainforests and amid the magnificent remaining temples built by their ancestors. Martin then explained how she became involved with publicly debunking 2012 myths. A Cornell Web site titled “Ask an Astronomer” (http://curious.astro. cornell.edu/), which has been available since 1997 and currently has over 800 answers to commonly asked questions about the heavens, began showing a noticeable increase in questions pertaining to 2012, she said.

Martin examined some of the recent 2012 documentaries from The History Channel and the recent film with the year as its title. She noted that for the cable programs, sensationalism was prevalent. “Our days are numbered! Prepare for doomsday!” were among the themes from the programs on The History Channel. Martin also noted that a Web site for the Institute for Human Continuity was really a viral marketing ploy to sell tickets for the film.

As for what is supposed to happen in December of 2012, Martin explained that we have been given three choices: a New Age-style time of renewal; the end of the world; or a major astronomical event.

Bacon then described the Long Count calendar of the Maya, which started the focus on 2012. The Long Count began on Aug. 11, 3114 BCE, a date chosen more out of numerical symmetry than anything else. The calendar’s choice of 2012 as its time to recycle is mainly due to matching the number of days from its ancient origin. When Maya society began to collapse from the top down in our 10th Century CE, the Long Count of measuring days went with it.

“2012 is based on something that hasn’t been used in a very long time,” stated Bacon. As for why modern society has focused on a calendar that has not been used by the people who originated it in centuries, a logical guess is that 2012 will come about much sooner than, say, the calendar of the Maya’s neighbors, the Aztecs, which will not see the end of its current cycle until 2027.

Martin then addressed the various celestial fictions that have arisen regarding 2012. As one example, some claim that the Earth will align with the center of the Milky Way galaxy on Dec. 21, 2012, and this will somehow bring about a terrible disaster. Using a simple diagram, Martin showed that our world aligns with the center of our galaxy twice a year as Earth orbits the Sun, which it has done for roughly the last five billion years.

Martin also easily dismissed claims that our globe will be destroyed when it plunges into the galactic core, which is some 26,000 light years away. She also explained that Earth and humanity will not be affected by passing through the plane of the Milky Way, or if the planets in our Solar System line up, which they will not do on any day in 2012, or be struck by the mythical planet Nibiru, or be fried by the Sun if Earth’s magnetic field should suddenly reverse itself.

“The public should be excited about the Maya and astronomy,” said Martin. “But instead, people are freaking out about 2012 for false reasons. This is a real shame.”

Martin and Bacon both expressed concern about how frightened many people (in North America at least) are about the year 2012 because of these unsubstantiated rumors. The scientists foresee a backlash against science from these events, which Martin calls a “loss of cosmophiles,” or people who might otherwise love learning about the Cosmos.

Science Cabaret can be heard on radio station 91.7 WICB every Sunday a 7 p.m. with host Jenny Nelson.

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Tuesday, May 4, 7:oo pm

Rumors are flying about a Maya doomsday prophecy for December 21st, 2012. What does the Maya calendar have to say about this? Are there truly dangers in the Universe around us that could bring about a global catastrophe?

Join Cornell PhD astronomy candidate Ann Martin and archaeologist Wendy Bacon, PhD for a look at the truths and fictions behind the popularized prophesies.

WildFire Lounge | 106 S Cayuga St | FREE

Mention Science Cabaret at both WildFire Restaurant and the Lounge to receive 20% off all food. Good from 5-10 PM on 5/4/10.

Arrive early for the Science Cabaret!

WildFire mixologists will be serving  “Total Annihilation”, our theme drink of the night

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Truths and Fictions

Tuesday, May 4, 7:oo pm

Rumors are flying about a Maya doomsday prophecy for December 21st, 2012. What does the Maya calendar have to say about this? Are there truly dangers in the Universe around us that could bring about a global catastrophe?

Join Cornell PhD astronomy candidate Ann Martin and archaeologist Wendy Bacon, PhD for a look at the truths and fictions behind the popularized prophesies.

WildFire Lounge | 106 S Cayuga St | FREE

Mention Science Cabaret at both WildFire Restaurant and the Lounge to receive 20% off all food. Good from 5-10 PM on 5/4/10.

Arrive early for the Science Cabaret!

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Tuesday, April 20, 7:00 pm

Marine biologist Drew Harvell and glass artist Elizabeth Brill explore life in the oceans through scientific research and with exquisite 19th-century glass models of marine invertebrates. Join us for an evening of ecology and art as we meetthe Blaschka collection, and learn how it can providea record of the past for future scientists.

WildFire Lounge | 106 S Cayuga St | FREE

Enjoy fabulous food & drink served by the WildFire before, during, and after Science Cabaret. Mention Science Cabaret at both WildFire Restaurant and the Lounge to receive 20% off all food. Good from 5pm – 10pm on 4/20/10.

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Tuesday, April 20, 7:00 pm

Marine biologist Drew Harvell and glass artist 
Elizabeth Brill explore life in the oceans through
scientific research and with exquisite 19th-century
glass models of marine invertebrates. Join us for an
evening of ecology and art as we meetthe Blaschka
collection, and learn how it can providea record
of the past for future scientists.

WildFire Lounge | 106 S Cayuga St | FREE

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Stinky, Smelly, Crusty, Slimy? Do you get easily
grossed out? Join us for an eye-opening discussion
on disgust and how it influences judgement.

Dr. David Pizarro, Cornell assistant professor of
psychology, researches moral judgment, the effects
of emotion on judgment, and on the overlap
between these two.

WildFire Lounge | 106 S Cayuga St | FREE

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Stinky, Smelly, Crusty, Slimy? Do you get easily
grossed out? Join us for an eye-opening discussion
on disgust and how it influences judgement.

Dr. David Pizarro, Cornell assistant professor of
psychology, researches moral judgment, the effects
of emotion on judgment, and on the overlap
between these two.

WildFire Lounge | 106 S Cayuga St | FREE

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With Dr. Andrea Parrot, Professor of Human Sexuality, Medical Ethics & Women’s Health at Cornell University

Join us for a provocative exploration of the social and ethical implications of Assisted Reproductive Technologies.

In commemoration of the birthday and ideas of Dr. Charles Darwin, born February 12, 1809.

WildFire Lounge | 106 S Cayuga St | FREE

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With Dr. Andrea Parrot, Professor of Human Sexuality, Medical Ethics & Women’s Health at Cornell University

Join us for a provocative exploration of the social and ethical implications of Assisted Reproductive Technologies.

In commemoration of the birthday and ideas of Dr. Charles Darwin, born February 12, 1809.

WildFire Lounge | 106 S Cayuga St | FREE

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Host Holly Menninger talks with Jonathan Comstock of the Cornell Department of Horticulture and winemaker Paul King about what a warmer climate means for the Finger Lakes wine region.

Part 1:

Part 2:

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