Crackpot Theories of the Earth.

As we inch steadily towards December 2012, all the doomsday scenarios and crackpot theories of the earth ending seem to be just that--theories without substance. The human mind has an amazing tendency to conjure up imaginative scenarios at will--and this doomsday ending 2012 scenario--is apparently just one of these figments of the imagination.

But that is not to deny the fact that the earth has had many close encounters of this doomsday kind.The many asteroid scares are just one instance.Even more disturbing are the super volcanoes apparently simmering just below the earth's surface--seemingly waiting for the trigger to explode.

But in the midst of all these, perhaps a saner view is to shrug and move on with life.

Super Volcanoes.

The world may not be ending anytime soon as per the scientific view but even though the Mayan Calendar has been shown to be continuing even beyond December 2012, yet we still may bring doomsday nearer by other actions. These other actions are that we continue unheeding on the present path of self-destruction by making the planet unfit for human or other life through unsustainable lifestyles.
The other danger that can lead to the same end result is that of Super Volcanoes.These are volcanoes which are dormant at present but can explode anytime with forces that dwarf nuclear explosions. Since these super volcanoes are either underground, or beneath the ocean floors,or dormant,the danger is that we may belulled into some form of complacency.
But the danger posed by unsustainable lifestyles is more insidious and worrying. If we continue to emit greenhouse gasses at the present rate, we are setting ourselves on the road that will culminate in doom,only it will not be the doomsday scenario envisioned by the Mayans but one that we have ourselves scripted.

World ending.

Well, the world ending day is becoming menacingly nearer day by day. But rather than brood over a doomday scenario, this blog refuses to bury it's head into the sand. Rather, let us look at the brighter side of the picture--after all, even the doomsday followers have started to have second thoughts.
The recent discovery by archaeologists that the Mayan calendar was after all ,not ending in December 2012 but continued for another cycle,and such cycles of the Mayan civilisation spanned large swathes of time, lends a new dimension to the debate.
So even the Mayans' were not so pessimistic as assumed earlier. The earth and ourselves,may still not have outlived our welcome,as it were. There is still time to do a course correction and set our goal to a more sustainable lifestyle.

Prophets of Doom.

There is no shortage of prophets of doom and gloom but where they run short is the science behind their predictions. They have been wrong so many times that we tend to take their doom-sayings with a pinch of salt.
But we must not forget that the doom-sayers may be off the mark umpteen number of times but it will take only one accurate prediction to hit the nail-or planet earth-on the head.
So, we need to stop,analyse and ponder the science or the lack of it--behind their gloomy prophesies.
So, this blog is hopefully fulfilling that need to step back and take a long,hard,look,and then balance the perspective.

Coronal Mass Ejections.

Coronal Mass Ejections are solar flare eruptions that periodically erupt from the sun and travel at high speeds in all directions.These waves of charged solar particles are usually intercepted by the earth's magnetic fields and the protective ionosphere and outer layers of the atmosphere.But when these charged particle waves do reach the earth and penetrate the protective layers,disruptive effects can follow. These charged particles typically take 3-5 days to reach the earth.The disruptive effects can vary depending upon the intensity and composition of the charged particle waves but typically telecommunication systems and satellite circuits are affected.The coronal mass ejections can knock out radio communication systems and do damage to electronic circuitry.Power grids and the complex software that controls them can be affected,even knocked out.This can result in inter-continental outages,as automatic tripping of power grids at one point,leads to a chain effect. So far,we on earth have been able to repair quickly whatever damage the worst of such solar charged particles have inflicted.But the next big one could be different.We need a strategy to deal with such periodic Coronal Mass Ejections.

Oprah Winfrey in India.

Oprah Winfrey in India is like watching one of her wildly popular TV series.There is the same buzz in the air,the same feeling of being part of an on-going drama.Oprah at the Jaipur Literary Festival came across as genuinely trying to "do as the Indians do".From wearing a saree,to paying compliments to the modern Indian woman,balancing life and career,steering a difficult course between arranged and love marriages, Oprah did not strike many false notes. She later declared the India visit to be the high-point.Oprah Winfrey came with full TV crew and paraphrenalia to record a show with the Indian spiritual guru,Deepak Chopra.But the only hiccup was in the mishandling by the bodyguards of Indian media persons. In an interview with Barkha Dutt,Oprah Winfrey gave her frank opinion on the Taj monument as worth one visit,and India as worth many visits.The best question posed to Oprah,undoubtedly,was about why she said she was not the "marrying kind",and even Oprah for once,was at a loss for words,when asked to define what that "marrying kind" meant.

Last Day of World Ending.

The last day of the world ending(?) in 2012 surely calls for special efforts-if not celebrations-of our existence on Planet Earth.After all,you only live once,so let us go out in style. Or like in The Titanic,with the band playing and merrymaking.But each to his/her own,so let your imagination set the limits to what you will do-or not do,on that last day of all days and nights. I will read the book I have put off till now,eat my last supper in style,listen to all the music,and raise a toast to friends and family. And yes,I will try to forgive those who have done harm to me and my family--though that may not be so easy.And there will be no lack of special effects--so Mission Impossible or Ra.One will pale in comparison.But it will surely be more colourful than any other red letter day upto now.