Is the End approaching?

[fester30]

Believing that mayans in loincloths hunting with spears 2000 years ago could actually predict anything when they failed to predict their own demise is a bunch of malarkey.

I read that some of them even predicted that England would win the European Nations Cup in 2012.How preposterous can you get?

I heard they predicted that the Chicago Cubs and New York mets would Both win the NL pennant and they would declare that the AL would be out of the World Series. The game would then be declared a tie on account of the Psychols coming to Earth and declaring that they would be enslaving the NY yankees who would then be used as gold miners.  Both the Cubs and Yankees would be declared winners of the Series before being audited by the resurreced L. Ron hubbard who would then declare John Travolta emperor of Jupiter.

As a Cubs fan, I have eagerly been awaiting the day this prophesy is realized my entire life.

[En_Route]

Believing that mayans in loincloths hunting with spears 2000 years ago could actually predict anything when they failed to predict their own demise is a bunch of malarkey.

I read that some of them even predicted that England would win the European Nations Cup in 2012.How preposterous can you get?

I heard they predicted that the Chicago Cubs and New York mets would Both win the NL pennant and they would declare that the AL would be out of the World Series. The game would then be declared a tie on account of the Psychols coming to Earth and declaring that they would be enslaving the NY yankees who would then be used as gold miners.  Both the Cubs and Yankees would be declared winners of the Series before being audited by the resurreced L. Ron hubbard who would then declare John Travolta emperor of Jupiter.

As a Cubs fan, I have eagerly been awaiting the day this prophesy is realized my entire life.

Just keep believing.

[Inertialmass]

Well, just suppose it really, truly, actually was the end.  Like, the astronomers suddenly spot a planet-size asteroid which is incontrovertibly headed for a smack dab head on collision with Earth, incontrovertibly bound to end all life as we know it but for a few bacteria?  What would we, or what could we, do different anyhow?

It's easy to imagine that the folks with an already morbid sense of gloom and doom might panic, or riot, or huddle in prayer, or comit group suicide.  Whatever. 

Personally, I'd take it as one helluva great excuse not to bother, once again, with that new roof my house needs and that's been bugging me for a couple years now.   

[Asmodean]

Well, just suppose it really, truly, actually was the end.

Ooh! Speculating! Do let's!  

Like, the astronomers suddenly spot a planet-size asteroid which is incontrovertibly headed for a smack dab head on collision with Earth, incontrovertibly bound to end all life as we know it but for a few bacteria?

Heheh... How about we keep the speculations to what's reasonable, perhaps? An asteroid of that size would give us centuries of warning.

What would we, or what could we, do different anyhow?

Quite a lot. We could dance naked in the streets, go on massive killing sprees, take up loans we couldn't possibly ever pay back... Or maybe be boring and work to preserve at least some human civilizations. Me, I'd go with the statistics and expect to die.

It's easy to imagine that the folks with an already morbid sense of gloom and doom might panic, or riot, or huddle in prayer, or comit group suicide.  Whatever.

If you are looking for the reaction of the hordes of idiots in the streets, I'd say probably all of the above and then some.

Personally, I'd take it as one helluva great excuse not to bother, once again, with that new roof my house needs and that's been bugging me for a couple years now.

A healthy approach. What does a dead guy need a roof for anyways? And if you were one of the unlucky few to make it, the roof would probably be the least of your worries... And be on fire besides.

[Ali]

I would EAT and EAT and EAT.  And take up smoking again.  And run up a LOT of credit card debt on impossibly pretty clothes.  ZOMA!  The end of the world would be a hoot!

[Tank]

I.... can't.... resist...

A planet sized asteroid would be a planet.

[Firebird]

I heard they predicted that the Chicago Cubs and New York mets would Both win the NL pennant and they would declare that the AL would be out of the World Series. The game would then be declared a tie on account of the Psychols coming to Earth and declaring that they would be enslaving the NY yankees who would then be used as gold miners.  Both the Cubs and Yankees would be declared winners of the Series before being audited by the resurreced L. Ron hubbard who would then declare John Travolta emperor of Jupiter.

As a Cubs fan, I have eagerly been awaiting the day this prophesy is realized my entire life.

As a Mets fan, I object to this, except the part where the Psychols enslave the Yankees. I thought you said the Mets also won the pennant? This is crap!!

Anyway, I'd probably just drink a lot. There's lots of beers I haven't had a chance to try yet.

[Anti-antidisestablishmentarianism]

Believing that mayans in loincloths hunting with spears 2000 years ago could actually predict anything when they failed to predict their own demise is a bunch of malarkey.

To be fair to the Mayans, it's not like that. Their stellar chart was a calender, not a prophecy. They were actually quite advanced in astronomy.

Yes that is quite right. Just like the ancient Egyptians.  The Egyptians also came up with the quadratic formula as a way to pay there workers.  But you are also quite right on the other point.  Their calendar just ends.  There really is no prophecy.  Just another thing that people have twisted and been completely wrong about.

[Inertialmass]

Heheh... How about we keep the speculations to what's reasonable, perhaps? An asteroid of that size would give us centuries of warning.

I.... can't.... resist...

A planet sized asteroid would be a planet.

Yeah, of course you're correct.  Trouble is, the more descriptive, "gravitationally unbound nomad planet" doesn't have quite the impact we come to expect from the usual "killer asteroid."     http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news/How-Many-Unbound-Planets-Roam-the-Milky-Way-140917963.html

[Inertialmass]

...And take up smoking again...

Ah, I forgot all about that.  Nine years and I still miss those stupid suckers.  So I'd lay upon my rotting roof, smoking, looking at the stars, looking for the predicted gravitationally unbound nomad killer planet, while reminiscing what a really really great run humanity made of it.

[Asmodean]

I'd be smoking cigarettes during my last days too, except for me, that would be the norm. 

[xSilverPhinx]

...And take up smoking again...

Ah, I forgot all about that.  Nine years and I still miss those stupid suckers.  So I'd lay upon my rotting roof, smoking, looking at the stars, looking for the predicted gravitationally unbound nomad killer planet, while reminiscing what a really really great run humanity made of it.

There's something just...really awesome about imagining a planet slowly but surely take up the entire horizon.

It's one of those things - if I have to go, I'd want to go like that, being totally obviated by an incoming planet.

[Sweetdeath]

I.... can't.... resist...

A planet sized asteroid would be a planet.

I snorted milk out my nose!! 

[Ali]

...And take up smoking again...

Ah, I forgot all about that.  Nine years and I still miss those stupid suckers.  So I'd lay upon my rotting roof, smoking, looking at the stars, looking for the predicted gravitationally unbound nomad killer planet, while reminiscing what a really really great run humanity made of it.

There's something just...really awesome about imagining a planet slowly but surely take up the entire horizon.

It's one of those things - if I have to go, I'd want to go like that, being totally obviated by an incoming planet.

It seems like everything would go nuts waaay before the actual impact, so I don't know that we would be around to see it.  Like, I'm picturing the gravitational force of the planet totally messing up the tides and whatnot, which would probably mess up the weather and kill all the food and whatnot.  Not to mention blocking out the sun and causing some kind of nuclear winter.

But what do I know, the picture of a planet filling up the whole sky is definitely a cool mental image.

[Siz]

...And take up smoking again...

Ah, I forgot all about that.  Nine years and I still miss those stupid suckers.  So I'd lay upon my rotting roof, smoking, looking at the stars, looking for the predicted gravitationally unbound nomad killer planet, while reminiscing what a really really great run humanity made of it.

There's something just...really awesome about imagining a planet slowly but surely take up the entire horizon.

It's one of those things - if I have to go, I'd want to go like that, being totally obviated by an incoming planet.

It seems like everything would go nuts waaay before the actual impact, so I don't know that we would be around to see it.  Like, I'm picturing the gravitational force of the planet totally messing up the tides and whatnot, which would probably mess up the weather and kill all the food and whatnot.  Not to mention blocking out the sun and causing some kind of nuclear winter.

But what do I know, the picture of a planet filling up the whole sky is definitely a cool mental image.

By my calculations it would take about 33 hours at 20km/s for a planet to reach us from as far away as venus (at its closest). I'm guessing that we'd not feel any undue gravitational forces before then. So we'd have less than two days to enjoy the spectacle while the world goes bonkers around us.
I'd grab for my tobacco pipe, a bottle of Chateauneuf De Pape, some french cheese and, of course, some liquorice, find a nice spot to sit and watch the sky and relax with a smile.

EDIT: OOPS! recalculation... make that 22 days.
So, I'll get very fat and very drunk, but will have more time to relax with a smile...