Chillin' at the Beach

End of the World

A story out today - well, "story" is a stretch. A poll was conducted, and apparently that's a "news" item. Anyhow, 1 in 7 people think the end of the world will occur during their lifetime, with 1 in 10 fearing the Mayan prophecy will come true.

Historically, everyone has thought that the end of the world would happen in their lifetimes. Generations of your ancestors have been hoping to be able to participate in the Zombie Apocalypse - or to have Jesus Rapture their asses off this rock of ours. But their thinking isn't entirely false, as the end of the world happens to all of us, when your brain pan refuses to fire off electricity to the nurons.

But as to the newest poll, I have only one response. A meme, if you will.

Ah, that's better. Any questions?

Soup De Jour

Yum!

Rise of a Tower

Is It Getting Cooler in Here?

The sun may be entering a period of reduced activity that could result in lower temperatures on Earth, according to Japanese researchers. Officials of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan and the Riken research foundation said on April 19 that the activity of sunspots appeared to resemble a 70-year period in the 17th century in which London’s Thames froze over and cherry blossoms bloomed later than usual in Kyoto. In that era, known as the Maunder Minimum, temperatures are estimated to have been about 2.5 degrees lower than in the second half of the 20th century.
[...]

If that trend continues, the north pole could complete its flip in May 2012 but create a four-pole magnetic structure in the sun, with two new poles created in the vicinity of the equator of our closest star.

But you'd be a complete denier to think that the Earth's temperature has ANYTHING to do with that nearby star that we keep circling.