1 Out of Every 7 Believes the End of the World is Nigh
Capital of Nasty, an Electronic Magazine - ISSN 1482-0471
Thursday, May 10, 2012 at 10:00 (6763/7)
Categories:
Culture
It sounds pretty insane that people believe this in our modern age, but according to poll conducted by Reuters, 15% of people worldwide are convinced that the world will end in their lifetime -- and most likely in 2012 thanks to those pesky Mayans.
The end of the Mayan calendar, which spans about 5,125 years, on December 21, 2012 has sparked interpretations and suggestions that it marks the end of the world.
"Whether they think it will come to an end through the hands of God, or a natural disaster or a political event, whatever the reason, one in seven thinks the end of the world is coming," said Keren Gottfried, research manager at Ipsos Global Public Affairs which conducted the poll for Reuters.
"Perhaps it is because of the media attention coming from one interpretation of the Mayan prophecy that states the world 'ends' in our calendar year 2012," Gottfried said, adding that some Mayan scholars have disputed the interpretation.
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