You probably heard that the Mayans know a lot about math and astronomy, which makes some people believe they can predict the end of the world. Their base-20 system (see here) looks interesting. Their symbols is quite intuitive: dot = 1, bar = 5. But we are so used to the decimal system that this may seem a bit awkward. That bar = 5 notation we use too, as in, ||||, and in the abacus. But I guess the most important invention that they have is the zero. Not a whole lot of math can be done without the zero. And I wonder how the Mayans add numbers. Do they line them up and add them (and remember the carry) like what we teach elementary students today? Do they do fractions? Ok, a base-20 number system is better than some others like the Roman Numerals, but is that it? Do they know the Pythagorean Theorem or other things that modern elementary school students know nowadays? (When my children learn the Pythagorean Theorem I want them to be able to prove it and not just remember it)
The Mayan people has studied quite a bit about astronomy. So this more-advanced-than-most-other-civilization made that doomsday prediction seems believable.
Really, if a doomsday is to come, you won't know about it. (and I am not going to bother quoting the Bible since you may not be a believer anyway). NASA folks were so confident the world won't end by asteroids today because they didn't see any in their radar. What about somehow there is space-bridge like hyperwarp things that they don't know about transporting asteroids or other invaders? You just don't know, ok?
Ok, maybe a doomsday is not a 1-day event, it may come gradually as there are some evidence suggesting the Mayans eventually disappeared as there were not enough rain fall. Look, we pollute the world so much that eventually we are destroying ourselves.
Will this world last forever. If I understand correctly, no, it will NOT. The sun will eventually run out of fuel, but don't worry it won't be in a long while.
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