May 21 Debunking Doomsday Predictions
Our customer was referring to Harold Camping, a civil engineer-cum-biblical scholar (self proclaimed) that, ostensibly, has created a mathematical system for interpreting biblical prophecy. The world will end on May 21, 2011.
I don't suppose it matters that this very same biblical scholar has already failed on a previous end-of-world prediction, that is, September 6, 1994. Oops.
Camping's reply: It must have been a mathematical error. How encouraging.
Nostradamus seems to be making a strong come back, and Lawrence E. Joseph, among others, is predicting some exciting end-of-world scenarios for 2012. If you haven't heard of the Webbot, don't worry, you have not missed much, at least not in terms of accurate predictions; but that doesn't mean people don't believe in it, sometimes fervently. Essentially, the Webbot is a computer algorithm (or bot program) that searches the Internet for key words and then makes future predictions based on what it discovers.
Actually, the concept of the Webbot is really quite cool with the one exception that it doesn't work. Why is it dangerous? Because narratives of doomsday create a spirit of helplessness and hopelessness, which in turn can manifest in deviant behaviors such as violence, selfishness, futility and nihilism. If the world really is going to end soon, quite frankly, who gives a damn about anything? Stay safe. Stay informed. Kevin Baum is co-founder of SurvivalOutpost.com, an Austin-based on-line business specializing in Emergency Preparedness Supplies, Freeze Dried Food and Survival Kits for individuals, families and businesses.
The Survival Outpost philosophy is to balance reason with readiness, and to encourage knowledge, independence and self-sufficiency as tools to survive in an increasingly uncertain & unpredictable world.
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| May 21 Debunking Doomsday Predictions |
Our customer was referring to Harold Camping, a civil engineer-cum-biblical scholar (self proclaimed) that, ostensibly, has created a mathematical system for interpreting biblical prophecy. The world will end on May 21, 2011.
I don't suppose it matters that this very same biblical scholar has already failed on a previous end-of-world prediction, that is, September 6, 1994. Oops.
Camping's reply: It must have been a mathematical error. How encouraging.
Nostradamus seems to be making a strong come back, and Lawrence E. Joseph, among others, is predicting some exciting end-of-world scenarios for 2012. If you haven't heard of the Webbot, don't worry, you have not missed much, at least not in terms of accurate predictions; but that doesn't mean people don't believe in it, sometimes fervently. Essentially, the Webbot is a computer algorithm (or bot program) that searches the Internet for key words and then makes future predictions based on what it discovers.
Actually, the concept of the Webbot is really quite cool with the one exception that it doesn't work. Why is it dangerous? Because narratives of doomsday create a spirit of helplessness and hopelessness, which in turn can manifest in deviant behaviors such as violence, selfishness, futility and nihilism. If the world really is going to end soon, quite frankly, who gives a damn about anything? Stay safe. Stay informed. Kevin Baum is co-founder of SurvivalOutpost.com, an Austin-based on-line business specializing in Emergency Preparedness Supplies, Freeze Dried Food and Survival Kits for individuals, families and businesses.
The Survival Outpost philosophy is to balance reason with readiness, and to encourage knowledge, independence and self-sufficiency as tools to survive in an increasingly uncertain & unpredictable world.
