I found the Jan. 31 article “Apocalypse Now?” about the 2012 end of the world scenario a little bit lacking because in my opinion you failed to interview anyone who might know what they’re talking about. The quote attributed to John Hall was particularly misleading because, although he remarks that the fact that “the calendar ends a particular cycle is significant,” he fails to explain why.
The long count Mayan calendar will flip from 12.17.19.19.19 — the last date possible — to 0.0.0.0.1. In other words, Dec. 21 2012 will be the new Day One. This isn’t just a mathematical phenomenon, however. This day is associated with prophecies inscribed into the walls of dozens or hundreds of separate Mayan and Aztec temples, which claim that this will be the day when the gods come back to Earth and bring about the next stage in humankind’s developmental history. The 2012 event is not just the start of a new calendar but the start of a new 5,400-year period of human history.
I just wanted to point these things out because I felt that the article lacked in this content. People should also know that UC Davis is home to one of the foremost experts in the world on the Maya language, culture and religion. I hope that if you do a follow up to this article you will consult Professor Martha Macri, who has been instrumental in the decipherment and cataloging of Maya inscriptions throughout her 40-plus years in the field. I hope you’ll also consult an astrophysicist on the very real dangers of solar storms and other phenomena, especially given that we are at this very moment being bombarded by radiation from the biggest solar storm in near history, which is expected to continue to get worse throughout the year.
I don’t know if I believe in this apocalypse, but I think an article on the event deserves at least a bit of actual research rather than just speculation.
True Hatch
UC Davis student, linguistics
