The upcoming movie “2012,” due to be released this fall, is yet another instigator of massive overreaction, superstition and fear. The subject of the movie has created some panic among people all over the world. Just search “December 21, 2012” on Google, and you’ll get the idea.

I recently saw the preview for “2012.” It included images of fiery meteors plowing toward Earth’s surface, massive tidal waves engulfing cities, and chaotic panic on the streets.

December 21, 2012 is the day on which events like these are predicted to occur. That day seems pretty soon right? Perhaps much too soon for a select number of believers. This is the day that the Mayan calendar ends.

Now whether or not that means the Mayans predicted that day to be the end of the world remains a question. But many people have gone overboard with assumptions about this idea.

Many people have been persuaded by a number of scientific opinions that point to the possibility of the end of the world, or at least a major change in the world, occurring in 2012. First, the Mayan calendar, the calendar of one of the most mathematically sound civilizations in history, ends on this same date. Second, the earth’s axis is expected to turn on this day. Should this happen, the earth’s magnetic field would become weak and objects like meteors could reach the surface easily.

Before you start panicking, look at the reality of the situation. The Mayans were incredibly smart, but smarter than the technology used today, which is over 1,000 years newer than their technology? Not likely. The end of a calendar does not predict the end of the world. Maybe they just got bored with filling out calendar days over and over again. Who knows. One thing is certain though-the only scientific evidence pointing to anything abnormal occurring on the 21 is some scientists’ predictions that the earth’s axis will flip, but this prediction has been blown out of proportion. The earth’s axis has flipped multiple times in the past, and not one of these occurrences has endangered humanity.

The weeks leading up to December 21, 2012 will probably be fairly similar to the weeks leading up to Y2K. There will be yet another instance of unnecessary fear and worry among people. The Y2K anticipations went way overboard. Sure, it was reasonable to have a slight suspicion of what might happen, but to expect the world to end because of the change of a century is absurd. As a matter of fact, there were no problems whatsoever with the introduction of the new century. Nothing happened then, so why expect something to happen this time around?

People simply need to calm down about these superstitions and realize how ridiculous it is to worry about something like Y2K or 2012. There will probably be a fair amount of panic around the world. Heck, people may even hide out in caves on the 21 in an to attempt to avoid meteors and other disasters that they think will enter the atmosphere. But when it’s all said and done, these predictions will turn out to be inaccurate, and the world will wake up safely December 22, 2012.