People sometimes seem to enjoy adding a little excitement to their otherwise ordinary lives by injecting an end of the world scenario into their worldview. We have seen this many times throughout history, most notably in the return of the messiah story that repeats with a new date in the future invented every time the current prediction is not fulfilled.
Usually, these memes don't affect us much but now they may be constituting a threat to us all. In a stressed world economy some people may use these ideas as an excuse to throw in the towel and merely continue on with their lives without changing their behaviors to help avoid catastrophe.
I love this new invention, the internet, that gives me instant access to the answer of any question. I learn how to turn off lights in my house, buy a more efficient refrigerator, drive less, use cloth shopping bags again and again, so that my impact is less on a collective scale and affordable on a personal scale.
I become concerned when it appears some people seem to believe it is not necessary for them to do so likewise because they have been told their deity will give them a new world to play with and will probably also send everyone else to hell.
I have always tried to play it a little safe and ask myself, " What if that isn't the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth."? What if this is the only game in town and we will sink or swim together.
Let us Fold at Home
[insert a bunch of internal dialogue here] and then I remembers the meme from the Mayans that 12/21/2012 is assumed to be the end of Mankind (Person Kind is my favorite redefinition lately) My oldest sister got a little concerned about this a while ago so I felt I had to find a way to chill this. What follows is my current conclusion:
The best way to recast the argument is to start with a few basic assumptions.
The Laws of Physics that we have been able to verify show us a Universe of stars, that are a bunch of Hydrogen, make the heavier elements. [Cool, I now have a deeper, more beautiful appreciation] These bits now self assemble [Right on!] At some arbitrary point these bits become aware of itself.
I Became aware of the concept of Bicameral Mind
http://en.wikipedia.org/...
a few years ago and it lead to me thinking about "The Reintegration of the Bicameral Mind" as a possible solution.
"Perhaps," I thought to itself, " when the Carbon and the Silicon(next up on the Periodic Table of the Elements http://en.wikipedia.org/...) start to communicate effectively it might begin to understand it isn't the end of the world ...
I will add more to this story momentarily, but I warn you now, it is neverending