The end of the world… as we know it. Some believe fire will consume the Earth. Some fear earthquakes, volcano eruptions, tsunamis, a third world war or the Christian God himself opening the skies, kicking our asses, rapture style. This however is not my view.

I have different hopes for the end of the world and I’ve been cooking this idea for a while. If the world were to end in 2012, or at least in my lifetime, I think it will be not the end of this planet and the life in it in a literal way, but a shift in our perspective of the world, our believes of the universe and our roles as a species. I think life will be found somewhere else in the universe and this will be the end of our world as we know it. I think and hope with all my heart that it will happen soon. 

The universe is infinite, or at least we don’t know where it ends so mathematically speaking, life, whether it be intelligent life or at least wild life, life outside this planet is a mathematical possibility. The implications of a discovery of this magnitude I cannot number, but in my part, it would only give me hope. We would finally be able to say that we are not alone in the universe because if there are living beings elsewhere in the universe, then that could only mean there are living beings everywhere in the universe. 

When we discover life outside this planet, we would have to mark the end of our era and the beginning of a new one. (If it does happen this year, those Mayan dudes would have had it figured out pretty nicely!) Our Western civilization has had a Before Christ era and Anno Domini era. This new era would not have any association with Christianity (thank god!… get it :p), the focus would have to be on the discovery of extraterrestrial life.

What we would call this new era I do not know, but just imagine that for once we could actually drop all the bullshit we cling to so desperately to separate ourselves from other people, we are indeed the human species, home based on planet Earth, down the Milky Way Galaxy. I’m sure I’m not the only one who thinks this will happen, so in case you read this, whoever you are, you are not alone. ;) Can’t wait till the world *as we know it* ends!