End of the world thread 12/21/12

Viktorr · Dec 13, 2012

Anemone_sl said:
I, for one, am really excited about the new Steve Carell movie.

I don't even............................seriously?

tad10 · Dec 13, 2012

Lambourne_sl said:
Smash spoiler to access emergency debunk kit

Solar flare info is wrong for skeptics. Solar flares can and have knocked out more than geostationary satellites. It's the one thing people, NASA and the DoD can, do and should worry about.

Severe Space Weather Events: Understanding Societal and Economic ImpactsNational Research Council (2008).
http://middleofthepacific.files.word...2/10/12507.pdf

Here's the page that matters, page 92.

tad10 · Dec 13, 2012

Viktorr_sl said:
I don't even............................seriously?

Ref to Seeking a Friend For the End of the World.

Viktorr · Dec 13, 2012

tad10_sl said:
Ref to Seeking a Friend For the End of the World.

Too tired now to look anything else up to reply. Will get back to this soon perhaps. All I did was a brief Google search for the name and came back with some things that didn't interest me in regards to the topic here. Give me about 12 hours or so to be interested again. May be shorter depending on if I remember to give a damn.

Rathgar_sl · Dec 13, 2012

That chart talks about a "geomagnetic reversal" of the poles (not any time soon that I understand), do you guys think this will effect GPS in anyway?

Aychamo BanBan · Dec 13, 2012

Rathgar_sl said:
That chart talks about a "geomagnetic reversal" of the poles (not any time soon that I understand), do you guys think this will effect GPS in anyway?

Ok. You just made me realize I don't know how GPS works. I understand our handheld units use signals from satellites, etc, to triangulate (or better) your location, and accuracy is improved with increased quantities of satellites. However, how do the satellites know where they are in space??

FeloniousMonk_sl · Dec 13, 2012

aychamo_aycono_sl said:
Ok. You just made me realize I don't know how GPS works. I understand our handheld units use signals from satellites, etc, to triangulate (or better) your location, and accuracy is improved with increased quantities of satellites. However, how do the satellites know where they are in space??

I'm not really sure either, however I do know that the satellites are in geosynchronous orbit. They don't move relative tothe earth. In otr words, they orbit the exact smame speed as the Earth's rotation.

Tuco · Dec 13, 2012

aychamo_aycono_sl said:
Ok. You just made me realize I don't know how GPS works. I understand our handheld units use signals from satellites, etc, to triangulate (or better) your location, and accuracy is improved with increased quantities of satellites. However, how do the satellites know where they are in space??

Their orbit is highly predictable and their known location is corrected via ground stations tracking them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_...ontrol_segment

FeloniousMonk_sl said:
I'm not really sure either, however I do know that the satellites are in geosynchronous orbit. They don't move relative tothe earth. In otr words, they orbit the exact smame speed as the Earth's rotation.

Nope. They orbit the earth every 12hr

http://www.astronomy.ohio-state.edu/...Unit5/gps.html
"the orbital period is roughly 12 hours - contrary to popular belief, GPS satellites are not in geosynchronous or geostationary orbits"

Mikhail Bakunin_sl · Dec 13, 2012

tad10_sl said:
Solar flare info is wrong for skeptics. Solar flares can and have knocked out more than geostationary satellites. It's the one thing people, NASA and the DoD can, do and should worry about.

This whole argument is silly anyway. Everyone knows the world ended on November 6th. After all, Obama was re-elected.

Troll_sl · Dec 13, 2012

tad10_sl said:
Solar flare info is wrong for skeptics. Solar flares can and have knocked out more than geostationary satellites. It's the one thing people, NASA and the DoD can, do and should worry about.

Severe Space Weather Events: Understanding Societal and Economic ImpactsNational Research Council (2008).
http://middleofthepacific.files.word...2/10/12507.pdf

Here's the page that matters, page 92.

We CAN protect ourselves, though, with plenty of warning. And we're getting pretty damned good at predicting major solar events. Between SOHO, SDO, STEREO, KORONAS and Picard, we're watching it pretty closely.

FeloniousMonk_sl · Dec 13, 2012

Tuco_sl said:
Nope. They orbit the earth every 12hr

http://www.astronomy.ohio-state.edu/...Unit5/gps.html
"the orbital period is roughly 12 hours - contrary to popular belief, GPS satellites are not in geosynchronous or geostationary orbits"

Interesting. Thanks.

ToeMissile · Dec 13, 2012

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesoame...Count_calendar

mkopec · Dec 13, 2012

LOL...

some Mayan experts_sl said:
"We have no record or knowledge that [the Maya] would think the world would come to an end" in 2012. "For the ancient Maya, it was a huge celebration to make it to the end of a whole cycle," says Sandra Noble, executive director of the Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies in Crystal River, Florida. To render December 21, 2012, as a doomsday event or moment of cosmic shifting, she says, is "a complete fabrication and a chance for a lot of people to cash in." "There will be another cycle," says E. Wyllys Andrews V, director of the Tulane University Middle American Research Institute (MARI). "We know the Maya thought there was one before this, and that implies they were comfortable with the idea of another one after this."

ThunderCougarFalconBird_sl · Dec 13, 2012

According to some New Age sources, apparently the Mayan 12/21/12 thing is simply the apex of a bell curve of a global shift in consciousness that began with the Harmonic Convergence of 1988. In other words; all the burnt out hippies who believe this shit are trying to hedge their beliefs in case we don't enter the Galactic Photon Belt next week.

tad10 · Dec 13, 2012

Troll_sl said:
We CAN protect ourselves, though, with plenty of warning. And we're getting pretty damned good at predicting major solar events. Between SOHO, SDO, STEREO, KORONAS and Picard, we're watching it pretty closely.

Eh. No. You can't make a zillion faraday cages in 3 days to protect the power grid. All you can do is protect a few DoD/CoG assets. OTOH, it's a once in 500 year event in the last big one was in 1859 so maybe we'll get moderately lucky for the next 200ish odd years.

Azrayne · Dec 14, 2012

I already put this in the political thread because I forgot we had a 21/12/12 thread, but pretty funny shit from a usually boring PM. Amazed she actually did it.

http://main.aol.com/2012/12/06/julia...n_2258155.html

In an amazing, 50 second clip released Thursday, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard delivers a perfectly deadpan doomsday address that is as hair-raising as it is hilarious.

The clip, which was filmed to promote a tongue-in-cheek local radio station's breakfast show, Sky News notes, warns that predictions of the end of the world this December are both correct and unavoidable.

Surrounded by Australian national flags, Gillard begins, "My dear remaining fellow Australians. The end of world is coming. It wasn't Y2K, it wasn't even the carbon price. It turns out that the Mayan calendar is true."

The so-called Mayan apocalypse is slated to strike on Dec. 21, despite the best efforts of scientists and government officials attempting to dispel the rumors. (The Russian government, for example, reassured the country's citizens last week.)

In the video, Gillard vows to fight for her citizens to the end -- whether that end comes in the form of "flesh-eating zombies, demonic hell-beasts or the total triumph of K-Pop."

Flexing her comedic chops, the politician ends by highlighting the silver lining.

"At least this means I won't have to do Q&A again," she says in a reference to an Australian TV show where politicians usually have to face tough questions from the audience, according to Reuters.

"What Australian doesn't mind a laugh from time to time? Anyway, the world's going to end tomorrow so shouldn't you be writing about that?" a representative for the prime minister's office told the Herald Sun.

The outspoken Gillard made global headlines earlier this year after she excoriated a fellow politician for hypocrisy and sexism on the Parliament floor.

Viktorr · Dec 14, 2012

Just a question. Does anyone really, truly believe anything is going to happen on the 21st that isn't a man-made bullshit catcher? It'll be just another day for me, the end of a long work week and looking forward to the extended days off due to the holidays.

I'm getting pretty tired of the hype. It has nothing to do with the way I go about my daily business.

I do admit though that I'm looking forward to the cries of the believers. Their tears will be delicious for some time to come. [/cartman]

tad10 · Dec 14, 2012

Viktorr_sl said:
Just a question. Does anyone really, truly believe anything is going to happen on the 21st that isn't a man-made bullshit catcher?

I think there probably are some people who do - whether that some = 10 or 10x10^6 only God and maybe Quetzalcoatl know.

AFAIK, the only thing that might happen on the 21st is that Congress might decide not to come back to fix the Fiscal Cliff before January. However every board needs a good Doomsday thread so maybe we can get the mods to change the date once we're past 12/21

fanaskin · Dec 14, 2012

the real "end of the world" scenario is the fact that the federal reserve is buying up all the mortage backed securities of the united states at an alarming rate and using our money might I add, they will become by far the biggest landholder in american history, who here thinks that will be a "good" thing.

Troll_sl · Dec 14, 2012

tad10_sl said:
Eh. No. You can't make a zillion faraday cages in 3 days to protect the power grid. All you can do is protect a few DoD/CoG assets. OTOH, it's a once in 500 year event in the last big one was in 1859 so maybe we'll get moderately lucky for the next 200ish odd years.

Yeah, because that's the only way to protect the power grid.

You can shut it down, if there's a massive storm coming. Not the most convenient solution, but it works.

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End of the world thread 12/21/12

Viktorr

tad10

Elisha Dushku

tad10

Elisha Dushku

Viktorr

Rathgar_sl

shitlord

Aychamo BanBan

FeloniousMonk_sl

shitlord

Tuco

I got Tuco'd!

Mikhail Bakunin_sl

shitlord

Troll_sl

shitlord

FeloniousMonk_sl

shitlord

ToeMissile

Pronouns: zie/zhem/zer

mkopec

ThunderCougarFalconBird_sl

shitlord

tad10

Elisha Dushku

Azrayne

Irenicus did nothing wrong

Viktorr

tad10

Elisha Dushku

fanaskin

Well known agitator

Troll_sl

shitlord