10 Most Chilling Doomsday Scenarios That Could Actually Happen
9. Isaac Newton’s Doomsday
Many people are familiar with Isaac Newton’s extensive contributions to mathematics and science but not his doomsday prediction. It’s probably because it’s hard to tie an event like doomsday, a tale of imminent failure, to a man with several recorded successes.
But, even with his interest in science, Isaac Newton also studied theology and religion. He studied biblical scholarship extensively and thought that the Bible’s prophecies were symbolic and required interpretation by a skilled scholar like himself.
Newton’s doomsday predictions came to light in 2003 when media outlets claimed to possess one of Newton’s early writings predicting the world would end in 2060. While others believe that Newton’s writing on the apocalypse was pure speculation and not an actual prediction, the rumor persists.
People against Newton’s doomsday prediction insist that he was an atheist despite his interest and study of theology. He did not believe in Christ or the worship of a divine being. For this reason, he couldn’t have predicted an apocalypse based on his theological writings.
Much like other apocalyptical predictions, it’s hard to believe that the world will end in 2060. We’ll just have to wait and see.
10. The Mayan Apocalypse
The first known Mayan civilization dates back to 2000 BC and covers what is now Guatemala, Mexico, parts of Honduras, Belize, and El Salvador. They built sophisticated mathematical systems, pyramids, temples, astronomical maps, and calendars during their civilization’s peak. One of the notable pieces of history regarding the Mayans is their “long-count” calendar that uses a 394-year cycle.
New age historians and authors marked December 21, 2012, as the date of cosmic peace and understanding according to the Mayan calendar. The Mayans also foresaw the wiping out of humanity by reversing the earth’s magnetic field. Many people misinterpreted this to mean the world’s end, marking the day as Armageddon. The Armageddon idea led to the publishing of hundreds of books and the creation of thousands of websites, preaching the end of the world in December 2012.
Some people supporting the Mayan apocalyptic prediction painted the picture of the world ending with earth’s collision with another planet called Nibiru. Others said solar flares would shift the earth’s axis and cause a flood to wipe out humanity—pretty creepy scenarios. There was mass confusion and hysteria, with many people rushing to prepare for the world’s end by building arks and refuge centers and buying and selling survival kits.
