I read that the Earth will go through a Cataclysmic shift in February 2012, is this true??!?
350635
The Mayan Calendar is probably where this came from.  I've been attempting to determine how that particular date came up.  Using the Gregorian calendar (our common), it is believed that the Mayans started counting to that date from what is called the "Birth of Venus", which is believed to be Aug 13, 3114 BC.  From that day, after "13 Baktuns", There would be a "re-awaking of time and space".  One Baktun is 144,000 days, or about 400 years (shy 80 minutes).\n\n13 Baktuns is 1,872,000 days.  There was no zero year between B.c. and C.e.   August 13, 3114, was actually, 3113 years, plus the number of days between Aug 13, and the end of 3114, which I believe, was 139.  It's important to understand the Gregorian calendar, in order to interpet the Mayan calendar (because these calculations are determined using the Gregorian calendar).  \n\nThe calendar was corrected on Aug 4, 1582 by pope Gregory, so from that point forward, and backward, the dates can be calculated using the Gregorian calendar.  At that time, it was determined that each four years would add one day, called a leap year, but on century years that are not divisible by 400 that would have been a leap year, the day (feb 29) would not be added.  But, on century years that are divisible by 400, there would be a day added, a leap year, as 2000 was.\n\nAnyway, I could go further here, but that date is about a year off..  I figure that date to be 12.25.2011, using the information above.  And the Mayans only believed that a "re-awaking of time and space" would occure on that date.  I don't believe it will be any major shift, and I wouldn't worry too much about it, as there is nothing we can do about it..   Just like 2000 when everybody was worried, nothing happened, except the people that were born on Feb 29, got treated to an extra birthday...
1167812
How would we know? I am not gonna stay alove for a million years, neither will you. I don't mean to be arrogant, but honestly why should we care. I say live by the moment. Focus on what you are doing NOW. But if you really want an answer, I think now. You know what, it won't be the sun or a black hole that destroys us, it will be the human race, and maybe natural disasters. Look at the wars, we are killing eachother! In the past year earthquakes and tsunamis have outbroken wiping out even more of our civilizatiopn. We are only destroying ourselves.
463009
They realise they should have turned right at Warsaw.\n\nSeriously, it would result in enormous climate changes, tectonic plates could be affected resulting in earthquakes, harmful radiation from the sun could seep through - the Earths magnetic field behaves like a shield, hence the northern lights. \n\nPolarity changes have happened before on Earth and scientists believe we are overdue for another one.\n\nSo, something else to add to the list of 'Armageddons' we seem to have stacking up against us. No point worrying really, if one catastrophe doesn't get you, then another one will!
176207
I believe that it's already over.\nThe Mayan calendar points to the date of 12-21-2012 as being a significant date. It's the winter solstice. On that morning, the sun will come up through the dark area of the Milky way. The ancients believed that dark spot was the womb of the universe and in fact it's not far from the center of our universe.  When the sun comes up that morning, it's being reborn as a new world.  See John Major Jenkins' _Maya Cosmogenesis 2012_ for more.\nTherefore, our world is already dead or dying. I believe it's dead, and we're in the birth pangs of the new world.\nOr maybe I'm just a lunatic.
666273
Mayan calendar will finish on that date,coz a new age( age of Aquarius) will start,but the significance of that is planetary alignment,it has something to do with the our central sun in the centre of our galaxy,but the significance for us ,,,is photon belt,this is a highly energized photonic band which will radiate towards us,now how ready we are,determines its effect on our planet,the amount of energy which will be radiating towards us,will increase and increase,now if us human beings use this energy to uplift and elevate our consciousness,then the transition towards the fifth dimension will be smooth,on the other hand if we do not use this energy,it will manifest in forms of earth quakes,volcano's,hurricanes and etc.it has a positive purifying effect on those of us whom are in fourth dimension,but for those with the deep connection to present world,the effect will be devastating,that date is the end of the world as we know it,good for some,disaster for others,within next few years when first signs of natural cataclysm strikes,humanity has some serious decisions to make,\npeace.love
7692
Yes, earth is moving closer to sun every year, and eventually it will get destroyed one day. But still thousands of years are left for this to happen.
304687
The earth will completely dry up, because the atmoshpere that protects us and keeps air around the earth is being eroded.  Along with that will come increases in temperature that will cause methane stores in the bottom of the ocean to start dispursing, which will end up burning on the ocean, causing more evaporation, and without the atmosphere to keep the gases in, it the moisture in the air will drift out into space.\n\nI know, it sounds real "out there", but, seriously, I saw this on a NOVA special on PBS just last week!
1113923
i've already started packing.  i'm scheduling for 8am tomorrow.   \n\nHonestly I don't think anyone can really answer that.  If you are a person of faith then who knows other than when God decides.  If your not then you rely on all the brilliance of scientits, at their guesses I would guess another millenia before we completely wipe out all resources from the earth.  But until it comes to a complete end you have to be more specific, do you mean, end as in uninhabital and we have to leave it, or it completely is wiped out through some catastrophic event?  in the question of catastrophic event i would say 5 billion years (look to my resource link).\n\nIN RESPONSE TO...\nWOLF:  you claim that the sun will super nova in 9 thousand years due to universe facts.  well you have AMAZING universe facts considering that our sun will NEVER become a super nova.  even if it it where a star that would  super nova it wouldn't dry up our water.  come on, do you know what a super nova is?  if our sun exploded then there would be so much energy released that earth would more than likely be completely devasted to the point of utter inhabitation, oh and dry up our water.
391331
There was an article published in the New York Sun, about this  possibility.  \n\nDecember 29, 2004 Edition > Section:  New York\nTsunami Could Hit Here, Geologists Say\n\nBy JEREMY SMERD - Special to the Sun\nDecember 29, 2004\n\nUnfortunately, you have to subscribe in order to read the article.  I was unwilling to do this.  Sorry.
156061
Yes this is true. We know that this happens because of our recent observation but also because crystal formation in rocks shows us that in the past it has switched... Ya strange pockets of magnetic wierdness appear from time to time too(geologially speaking so like over 100,000 years) It all happens really slowly on human time scales but it can (in theory) happen pretty quick. Like over 100's of years. There are plenty of folks watching and taking note. Fortunately, those scientists in the know — paleomagnetists, to be exact — have a ready answer. There is even a really great computer model that they run to test all the variables and options... If it happend over night we'd be in trouble for sure... but it doesn't.
1166435
Yes.  The sun will blow up in about 4.5 billion years, taking the earth with it.  Odds are humans will have been gone long before that though.
616351
Short answer:  No one knows when it will end or what will cause it to end or whether we can prevent it.\n\nOf course should the sun turn into a red giant the Earth is gone (unless we take action to keep the Earth usable for a bit longer) and unless we take action the Earth isn't going to be supporting life in a billion years.\n\nA lot of people have tried to come up with exact dates but so far none of the past predictions have succeeded.  I would not expect any predictions from religious texts or psyhics to be accurate.\n\nShould you want some more information the first source below is to a list of ways the world could end (though some are merely for civilisation and there aren't any exact dates on any of them) while the second is a very large list of failed predictions to when the end of the world would occur (as well as a few in the future that are very unlikely to actually occur).
167554
It is highly unlikly that the earth will ever change the direction of rotation. A strong outside force must be present. But the rotation of the earth is slowing down over time due to the pull from the moon. dont worry if anything does change you will not be here to see it.
96388
No. But there will be one that comes pretty damn close. If you use a search engine like Yahoo! you can find out about the near miss that happend not too long ago (I think around November 1998). It was never on the news for good reason.  But we had a close call that could have wiped us all out. Check it out. Its very interesting. The site even give you a scale to show the asteroids proximity to earth, its course and what day it will pass by again. Hope that helps.
390729
Thank you viking I thought I was the only sane person on earth. The worlds climate has changed constantly since the earth was formed. Its simple geology. What about the volcanoes spewing gas into the atmosphere constantly. The earth is under constant change.
751394
This question ; when  will the Earth become tirerd of roaming around the  sun.  ?...perhaps she has already become tired but , she is not one to quit the assigmnet she was given....perhaps she will never tire becasue it is not in her nature. Surely ;  you know --- oh wise one  there is no human predictability factor to answer your question. And your high- ness I'm certain would not settle for a prediction from mere mortal man who rarely predict the weather correctly. This question is one for the Gods!
125278
I don't think Ice Age will ever happen. That is in the past. I agree what profwmandrews says. But if it ever happens, the whole Earth will have no life. The black hole is getting stronger, and one day it may even suck up the Sun, and Earth will be dark and cold. If this is so, then you can call it the Ice Age.