The Rational Side of "2012"

epix

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From time to time, the Universe tests the natural evolution of the mind of human species. The 2012 hoopla is an example. The subject spread around like Spanish flu and became familiar to the point of Hollywood capitalizing on the notoriety.

The principle of the test calls for completing a statement with characters that seem to fit the circumstances. Before anything, when the collection of those four digits 2012 is interpreted as a year, there are two ways to verbalize it:

1) 2012 = "year twenty twelve"

2) 2012 = "year two thousand twelve"

Lets start with (1) where 2012 is separated. The functional separation has three parts (a), (b), and (c) where (a) looks like this

a) 20_______?________12

and asks for completing the space between 20 and 12 given the overall "flavor" of that time period bestowed upon it by all the jolly catastrophic predictions. So the general guide for the completion of (a) is described by one word: negative.

The (b) and (c) questions are based on the fact that the Mayan Great Cycle ENDS in 2012(Gregorian). That means 20 and 12 are positioned at the end of the statements to be completed. This also affects the order: the number that ends statement (a) starts the (b) and (c) parts of the test.

b) ______?______12

c)_______?______20

The last statement (d) to be completed is formulated by the (2) option where 20 and 12 are kept together and the formulation is also based on the concept of END and additionally on the fact that Mayans were an ancient civilization, so they lived in the past. That means the number 2012 appears as a closing statement that is reversed

d) 2012_______?_______

and you are solving from right to left. (When we check what we've written (past) we go to the left, whereas the words to be written (future) will appear to the right.)

Note that 2012 is a collection of four digits. Hence the four question (a), (b), (c), and (d).

Here is a very important note to the solution which doesn't pretend to be analytically unique and just calls for the best option: all four answers must be very closely related.

The strategy to the solution: The answer to (a) seems to be the pilot. Once you realize the trick, the rest is a matter of a rational association based on a clue.

I personally flunked the test big time and had to be told. But I believe that if someone comes up with the preferable solution, then the United Nations should provide all the necessary means for that person, if male, to be set apart for breeding purposes providing that there are at least a couple of thousand young females around who do care about the future of mankind.
 
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There is nothing at all rational about this. Starting right off with the pathetic fallacy:

From time to time, the Universe [sic] tests the natural evolution of the mind of human species.

The universe doesn't have the ability to have intentions or care in any way about the mind of the human species. Rather the mind of the human species is an adaptation that has proven successful (at least for the short span of time humans have been around).

The shark mind has been around a lot longer and has resulted in a lot more biodiversity, so if you insist on using the pathetic fallacy, the universe is a lot more interested in the shark mind than in the human mind.
 
LolWut.jpg
 
And don't even get me started on the irrationality of talking about the significance of the way years are numbered from the erroneous but traditional calculation of the date of Jesus' birth in a base ten numbering system to a calendar that made reference to neither.

And the significance of our custom of saying year names based on the cardinal number for the number of centuries (20 hundred and twelve) as opposed to the custom of saying the year as a number of individual years only (two thousand and twelve--which by the way is how it is done in most Latinamerican countries nowadays).
 
Remember that kid in your neighborhood who used to eat boogers to get attention? Ever wonder what he would be like when he got older?
 
I flunk it too. Im terrible at these type of puzzles. The really sad thing is, Im probably still not going to get it when the solution is explained either. Someone here will be clever enough to solve it, Im certain.
 
I flunk it too. Im terrible at these type of puzzles. The really sad thing is, Im probably still not going to get it when the solution is explained either. Someone here will be clever enough to solve it, Im certain.

He already explained it. Somehow the year that is the end of the Mayan Calendar's great cycle that corresponds to the year 2012 in the Gregorian Calendar means "the end" and since the Mayans invented their calendar when they were already an "ancient civilization" (????) the significance of our calling the year "twenty-twelve" is somehow "the end".

Yep. . . .that's some seriously rational thinking all right! :rolleyes:
 
Already explained it?! what the... there goes I, then. Im still looking foward to the full solution, though.
This is certainly the last thing I expected when clicking here. I dont think the OP is promoting or implying any truth in the 2012 thing, but just sharing a cool puzzle that requires a bit knowledge around the 2012 nuttiness, which I'd imagine many skeptics have, but without the belief. No doubt it will have a pareidolia component, with concidences that seem significant, but which are just a result of the puzzle design, but nothing beyond the puzzle solving power of a normal clever person.
Thats my take, anyway.
 
Already explained it?! what the... there goes I, then. Im still looking foward to the full solution, though.
This is certainly the last thing I expected when clicking here. I dont think the OP is promoting or implying any truth in the 2012 thing, but just sharing a cool puzzle that requires a bit knowledge around the 2012 nuttiness, which I'd imagine many skeptics have, but without the belief. No doubt it will have a pareidolia component, with concidences that seem significant, but which are just a result of the puzzle design, but nothing beyond the puzzle solving power of a normal clever person.
Thats my take, anyway.


Looks like you're not too familiar with the epix brand of posts.
 
No, Im not, not at all. Like that then, is it...? I usually give the benefit of the doubt, and wait for evidence, which never takes too long.
 
Abbreviating the "question"...

a) 20_______?________12

b) ______?______12

c)_______?______20

d) 2012_______?_______

and you are solving from right to left. (When we check what we've written (past) we go to the left, whereas the words to be written (future) will appear to the right.)

Note that 2012 is a collection of four digits. Hence the four question (a), (b), (c), and (d).

Here is a very important note to the solution which doesn't pretend to be analytically unique and just calls for the best option: all four answers must be very closely related.

The strategy to the solution: The answer to (a) seems to be the pilot. Once you realize the trick, the rest is a matter of a rational association based on a clue.


I don't actually see a question here, just splitting a number up and leaving blanks. Is it supposed to be a number sequence test?

If so, the answer to (a) could be: 20, 17+(2/3), 15+(1/3), 12.

But that would mean that the answers to (b), (c) and (d) would be "Insufficient Information", and doesn't really fit in with your incoherent ramblings.

You seem to be implying some kind of cosmic significance to these numbers. Personally, I suspect you're just applying numerological nonsense.

Let's try something different. If there really is some kind significance behind whatever answer you've come up with, it wouldn't matter what numerical base you're using.

Binary (base 2) is the most fundamental positional numerical base to work in, but it can be cumbersome, so let's use a hexadecimal numbering system (which is functionally equivalent to binary) instead.

Converting from decimal (base 10) to hexadecimal (base 16)...

a) 14_______?________C

b) ______?______C

c)_______?______14

d) 7DC_______?_______

and you are solving from right to left. (When we check what we've written (past) we go to the left, whereas the words to be written (future) will appear to the right.)

Note that 7DC is a collection of four digits. Hence the four question (a), (b), (c), and (d).

Does your answer work in this version? If not, why not? After all, the numbers still have the same values, so it shouldn't matter what numbering system we use.

And can you post your "answers" (and reasoning) so maybe we can get some idea of what the hell you're talking about.
 
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