Debunking 2012 myths
Nov/12/09 23:59 Filed in: Pseudoscience | Science
There's a new movie coming to a theatre near you tomorrow, which purports to show us how the world is going to come to an end. The movie, 2012, looks like a typical blockbuster, heavy on special effects. Now, many of us understand that movies are, well, fantasies, even when based on real events. This movie is a fantasy based on myths.
NASA, an organization filled with really smart scientists, has published a FAQ that debunks a couple of the myths that 2012 will mark the end of the world. NASA will do a much better job about demolishing the pseudoscience than I will, but the two key issues are:
Anything that shows the world ending in 2012 is pseudoscience. It has no basis in any type of reality, so rest assured that you will have to pay your credit cards in 2013.
More critically, why is that there is any credence given to this myth? We can thank the internet, which has a curious effect to the untrained eye. Orac, a prolific blogger on all things medical, puts it succinctly and clearly:
I am not suggesting you see or don't see the movie. It might be a good one, or it might be just filled with great special effects. Just remember it's a movie and not science.
By Michael W Simpson
NASA, an organization filled with really smart scientists, has published a FAQ that debunks a couple of the myths that 2012 will mark the end of the world. NASA will do a much better job about demolishing the pseudoscience than I will, but the two key issues are:
- A rogue planet or some other object, called Nibiru, will collide with the earth and destroy us. There are no objects during the next few years that will destroy the earth. Of course, it has happened in the past, destroying the non-avian dinosaurs, and will probably happen in the future.
- The Mayan Calendar long period calendar ends in 2012. Of course, all calendars end, then restart with a new year.
Anything that shows the world ending in 2012 is pseudoscience. It has no basis in any type of reality, so rest assured that you will have to pay your credit cards in 2013.
More critically, why is that there is any credence given to this myth? We can thank the internet, which has a curious effect to the untrained eye. Orac, a prolific blogger on all things medical, puts it succinctly and clearly:
The other driving force behind the proliferation of pseudo-expertise is a very human trait that we all share, namely the tendency to confuse correlation with causation. Once again, this is one of the first lessons in science, not to confuse correlation with causation, but those of us in science forget just how against human nature this is. We are creatures that value personal experience over statistics and science. One good anecdote trumps reams of evidence. This produces, for example, anthropogenic global warming denialists who justify their rejection of climate science by their observation that this summer was unusually mild in their area or the alternative medicine maven who swears by homeopathy because the symptoms of their self-limited condition got better after they tried it.
I am not suggesting you see or don't see the movie. It might be a good one, or it might be just filled with great special effects. Just remember it's a movie and not science.
By Michael W Simpson