What's 2012? The Hype, Predictions, and Prophecies, Explained

2012 Facts and Myths

By Bryan Mackintosh

The end is near. And it has a date.

That's what we've been told, at any rate. The cultural zeitgeist informs us that the ancient Mayans, when they were flipping through their calendars, jotted "doomsday" down on December 21, 2012, and circled it in red. Now, with 2012 coming into view, some folks are starting to panic – and profit. Turns out, the end of the world is big business.

A swarm of 2012-related books, television specials, and websites are competing for your attention, and things are just heating up. On November 13, a $200 million movie titled "2012" that's loaded with eye-melting special effects will roar into the box office – allowing its makers just enough time to reap and spend the film's DVD profits before the "real" end of the world hits.

But will we really see floodwaters sloshing over the Himalayas or Yellowstone National Park blow up? Will it be just another day? A time of spiritual enlightenment? And what did the Mayans really say? Turn the virtual page, dear reader, if you dare. We'll answer all your 2012 questions – and we won't spend $200 million to do it.