Watch: NASA debunks myths of Mayan apocalypse

Fears of an impending apocalypse continue to swell as Earth marches toward its supposed end date: December 21, 2012. But the U.S. government, and NASA in particular, are doing their best to dispel notions that the world is coming to an end.

Many of the fears of a coming catastrophe center around the Mayan calender, which inexplicably ends on Dec. 21. As NASA scientists and experts explain in the above video, the Mayans were not predicting catastrophe. Their calendar works just like the ones on your refrigerator: it eventually runs out of days, and a new one starts.

In "Why the World Didn't End Yesterday," experts explain the mechanisms behind the Mayan calender. A key point -- and one of the sources of confusion for some -- is that the calender functions much like the odometer in a car. With only so many digits available to display, the numbers will eventually "roll over" and repeat themselves. For example, driving one more mile when your odometer reads "99,999" will turn the numbers back to zero. Of course, this doesn't mean your car suddenly became brand new again. And it doesn't mean the Mayan calender ends. It means a new long-count period is beginning.

NASA bases much of the video on the work of Dr. John Carlson, a scientist who has studied the 2012 phenomenon for the past 35 years. Carlson and NASA point out that there is no evidence that the ancient Mayans predicted calamity for 2012. The idea that Dec. 21, 2012 signifies the end of the world would have been news to the Mayans. To them, it is simply the end of a calender period.

Furthermore, NASA experts and astronomers from around the world insist that there are no rogue comets or planets in space heading towards a collision course with Earth. As NASA astronomer David Morrison points out, if there really were a world-ending object flying towards our planet, it would already be one of the brightest objects in the sky.

Morrison also runs NASA's popular "Ask an Astrobiologist" blog where he fields questions on a wide array of topics. He has had to devote a special section of his website to debunking fears of the apocalypse.

For Carlson, Dec. 21, 2012 is not a day of dread. "I have been waiting to experience this day for more than thirty years," he says. Carlson plans on spending the day touring the ruins of Mayan cities in Mexico's Yucatan peninsula.

[redsoxfan1001]

I don't personally believe in the whole Mayan apocalypse theories, but it's almost worrisome how much the government has tried to say that there is going to be nothing happening, almost make it seem like it does.

[alexbehl52]

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[hlbeer]

flaw 1: the mayans never knew about leap year, so the world would have already ended

[BCLUN]

People already accounted leap years into the calendar DERP.

[Uberrod]

The Mayan calendar is more precise than our own. I'm sure they accounted for leap year. In fact since they calendar is so precise, I'm sure they didn't need a leap year.

[SEGregg]

The world will not come to an end on December 21,2012.But the Christian Olympics could end at any time.
http://www.amazon.com/Christian-Olympics-Going-Gold-Crowns-ebook/dp/B007VVTSTU

[hypnotoad72]

Possibilities:
1. The Mayan rock chisler ran out of rock to chisel on
2. Winter begins on 12/21

Much melodrama over nothing.

[ingwaem]

A few months back this topic arose again in conversation and whilst perusing the interwebs. While I hadn't given it much thought up to that point, I started pondering about what this actually meant for us as a race. I am a father of three so naturally I have a paternalistic instinct to ensure the wellbeing of my family. I started to read each story I came across in mainstream news (oh ok, I admit, google news) and one thing that struck out at me loudly was that the Mayans were a race that embraced life, and thrilled in the idea of cycles. I then added two and two together and came up with a very simple explanation to follow this delightfully enlightening and learned video/article.

Think of the following scenario, you're a Mayan some three thousand one hundred years ago, carving out this calendar of your people. The stone is hard, your hands are calloused and you've just finished carving 13 bhaktoons (sic) and you look at your work that you and your colleagues have completed. Think you want to start carving another 13 bhaktoons? I Don't Think So! "If they really need to extend the calendar beyond this cyclic calendar we've spent years breaking nails, fingers (oh and heaven forbid we even mention the number of rocks that cracked and had to be recarved!), then they can carve it themselves!".

I think it would make for an excellent video sketch, but that's an opinionated statement. Ultimately at the end of the day I had an idea, and thought since it's crazy enough it might just be possible...and if not might help someone else have an ah hah moment, if not a giggle on the way.