2012, The End of the World! (And a few grade insurance points)
There have been rumblings for years about what is “scheduled” to happen to the Earth in the year 2012 because that is as far out as the Mayans extended their Long Count calendar (December 21, 2012 to be exact). So some think 2012 marks “the end of time.” Of course this is all nonsense. Nevertheless, it’s fun to speculate!
There have been books, blogs, talk on late-night radio, and articles in newspapers and magazines. Now there is a new ‘disaster film’ by the same name, 2012. If you plan to see the movie anyway, here’s a way to earn a little physics credit.
(1) Before going to view the film, read the article, “Your 2012 Defense Kit,” from Sky and Telescope magazine. A copy is included on Moodle. Write a good one-paragraph summary of the article.
(2) At the movie follow the general plot and pay special attention to any “phunny physics” you notice. You might even a take a note or two while watching. And keep your ticket stub. Write a nice one-paragraph plot summary including any “phaulty physics” observations.
(3) After reading the article and viewing the movie write a good one-paragraph reflection in which you integrate the article and the film.
(4) Hand in your three paragraphs (typed) and staple your ticket stub to the front page (shouldn’t be more than about two). Hand in by the 2nd quarter grade insurance deadline- December 11.