Doomsday: Not a Valentine's Day post

As background for Wacky in WhoVille, I am re-reading James Randi's Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural. It is informative and entertaining because he has a wry sense of humor that appears from time to time. Go to your local library and see if they can get you this book. Tons of fun.

I had forgotten that his book includes an Appendix that deals with "Forty-Nine End-of-the-World Prophecies -- That Failed." I discovered (or perhaps, having read the book before, I re-discovered) that my birthday, May 19, was once pinpointed to be the end of the world, although in 1719, a bit before May 19 became my birthday. Jacques Bernoulli (yes, the Jacques Bernoulli who discovered the mathematical series now called the Bernoulli numbers*) predicted the end of the world by comet on that day. Not so much, as it turned out.

Among the more amusing prophecies was for the destruction of the world by a great flood in 1524. There were a number of such predictions, although they did not agree as to the exact date. Randi notes that, according to the 1878 Encyclopedia Britannica, 1524 was "a year, as it turned out, distinguished for drought."

The end of the world is still a popular topic among some religious folks, and these days even more popular among many who are political, some of whom are religious and some of whom are not. We get variations such as:

"The world will end if we elect a divorced man President." Ronald Reagan came and went and the world is still here.
"The world will end if we elect a black man." Well, not yet.
"The world will end if black and white kids go to the same schools." Nope.
"The world will end if black and white people marry." Nope.
"The world will end if gays are allowed to marry." Nope.
"The world will end if the Democrats/Republicans control both houses of Congress." Nope.
"The world will end  if ..."

Okay, here's the deal: the world will end. If you are a Christian who believes it will end with the return of Jesus, okay, it will end. Scientists are convinced that the world will end, certainly the "world as we know it." Some believe the world/universe will end and then re-emerge, with or without the help of an Intelligent Designer.

Whatever.

I confidently predict the world will not end today. (If I'm wrong, feel free to sue me.) I confidently predict that within ten miles of where you are, someone will be hungry today. Someone will be lonely. Someone will be frightened. Why not do something to make that person's world begin to be better today? 

Do that today and if the world does end tomorrow, you can face it more calmly.

Just sayin'.

*Click here for more on Bernoulli numbers. No, I don't understand the article either.