Are we doomed?

It's not often that you get the chance to photograph your grandfather clock at 12 minutes past 12 on the 12th day of the 12th month of the 12 year of the century. That's it - never again for me!

Today's date comes nine days before the Mayan calendar's end of its 5,000-year cycle, and many doomsdayers believe that 12/12/12 will be the end of the world. But, most of the end-of-the-world believers are convinced that the actual doomsday will be on 12/21/12, when the Mayan calendar is set to end. Well, that's a relief isn't it?

However the FAQ section of the NASA website is very reassuring on the matter:

Question (Q): Are there any threats to the Earth in 2012? Many Internet websites say the world will end in December 2012.

Answer (A):The world will not end in 2012. Our planet has been getting along just fine for more than 4 billion years, and credible scientists worldwide know of no threat associated with 2012.

The scientists say that we will be OK, so perhaps we will live to blip another day? Let's wait and see.