The good ol' 2012 prediction. - Page 2

Ben Lahnger · 02-15-2010, 03:38 PM

POS, I'd like to buy you a drink.

Renatus · 02-15-2010, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ben Lahnger

Ditto for using Wikipedia. LOL!

Actually I've seen that one last lecture By Randy Pausch (professor of computer science and human-computer interaction and design at Carnegie Mellon University), and he mentioned how he once worked on an encyclopedia, and based on his experience with making an encyclopedia he mentioned that wikipedia and encyclopedias get their information in the same way, the difference being that wikipedia has far more sources, a larger variety of sources, that are verified by more people. Thats why he as a professor who helped with the ALICE software project(a program designed to help teach programming), accepted wikipedia as a valid source of information. For the information of those who dont know, I say all of this in a past tense due to his now deceased condition.

Here is his extremely interesting final lecture. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo

Beneath the Shadows · 02-15-2010, 04:55 PM

I'll just quote my response from a different topic...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beneath the Shadows

Quote:

Originally Posted by CptSternn

The only thing worse than someone claiming to know the future is someone claiming that another persons predictions are definitely wrong. By claiming you know for a fact another prediction is wrong means you too are doing the same thing, claiming you can predict the future and thereby making yourself look as stupid as anyone who claims they can predict the future.

There's a difference between claiming to know the future and knowing that a prediction is wrong due to the "facts" used in making said prediction are false, or even made up.

Look at the different predictions:

"The world will end because the Mayan calender ends." Well, that one has no basis in rational fact at all. The Mayan calender ends... so what? It won't be the first time. Not to mention that the calender we use ends every single year. By that logic, should we have an annual armageddon?

"The planets will align on Dec. 21st, 2012, causing a huge gravitational shift that will be devastating to the Earth." First of all, there are numerous programs out there that allow you to see where the planets will be/have been on any given date. Set one of them to Dec. 21st, 2012, and you will see that they will not be aligned at all. Additionally, even if they were to be aligned, the gravitational pull that the planets exert will not change. Why would it?

"The world will end because the solar system will align with the galactic core." By far the dumbest "prediction." Since it only gives two points of reference (our solar system and the galactic core), then we're already aligned, and have been since the formation of the solar system.

Anyone with any brains can look at every single "prediction" and easily debunk them with even a minimal of research.

Oh, and as for those people who say that Nostradamus also prediction the end of the world being in 2012, tell me why, if he thought the world would end in 2012, why did Nostradamus make predictions of those that are to occur long after 2012 is just another page in history?

Ben Lahnger · 02-15-2010, 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Renatus

Actually I've seen that one last lecture By Randy Pausch (professor of computer science and human-computer interaction and design at Carnegie Mellon University), and he mentioned how he once worked on an encyclopedia, and based on his experience with making an encyclopedia he mentioned that wikipedia and encyclopedias get their information in the same way, the difference being that wikipedia has far more sources, a larger variety of sources, that are verified by more people. Thats why he as a professor who helped with the ALICE software project(a program designed to help teach programming), accepted wikipedia as a valid source of information.

Yes, Randy was quite liberated in many of his views (and a great many people, myself included, admired him.) However, his view on Wikipedia is not shared by most college professors or by me for one simple reason. The encyclopedias choose and recruit specific credible experts to write its articles. Wikipedia lets anyone write an article and counts on post publication criticism by the general public to make corrections. That is nowhere near as reliable a source of information.

Pausch became an expert in Virtual Reality, then was recruited to write an article for the encyclopdia on Virtual Reality. That was the extent of his involvement, and that is the credibility difference.

vindicatedxjin · 02-15-2010, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PortraitOfSanity

Fixed this 4 u.

I'm amazing the end.

JethroAranas · 02-15-2010, 06:52 PM

It's already like the hundredth times they've told us that it's the world's end! Hopefully it's still the same old stupid lie this time. I still want to graduate!

Underwater Ophelia · 02-15-2010, 07:20 PM

If you believe the world is going to end in 2012, you are a mentally retarded person.

JethroAranas · 02-15-2010, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Underwater Ophelia

If you believe the world is going to end in 2012, you are a mentally retarded person.

Amen. Amen

Still Jack · 02-16-2010, 01:16 AM

Several friends and myself have decided that we're going to throw a massive party on the 20th December 2012 so that we'll all be so hungover and alcohol poisoned by the 21st that we won't remember what day it is and thus miss all the bullshit.

Beneath the Shadows · 02-16-2010, 01:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Still Jack

Several friends and myself have decided that we're going to throw a massive party on the 20th December 2012 so that we'll all be so hungover and alcohol poisoned by the 21st that we won't remember what day it is and thus miss all the bullshit.

So you're not doing anything special? Well, have fun with that.