Bruce the Doomsayer on History Channel

Bruce Bueno de Mesquita (Bruce the Good Mosquito), gets credited on Brad Meltzer's Decoded: 2012 for predicting that the world will end in 2012. Once again, the History Channel does not seem to be able to actually talk to the man. We believe he is in a CIA bunker.

We were finally able to hear Bruce's voice, but at TED. Here is the video:Bruce Bueno de Mesquita predicts Iran's future | Video on TED.com. Not exactly doomsaying, but interesting. There is another video on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart that is at least funny.

We just ordered Bruce's last book: The Predictioneer's Game: Using the Logic of Brazen Self-Interest to See and Shape the Future. There is a lot of info in this book that would let you do what Bruce does, predict doom. We have our own end of the world prediction software half written!

Oddly, the key part of Bruce's technique is game theory. We would have preferred pseudoscience or religion. We would have been happy with throwing the finger bones of a hanged man too. This math stuff gets in the way of fear, uncertainty, and doubt you need for proper doomsaying. How do you get people to run naked and screaming in the streets when the result is 2.3.

Spilt Llama Milk

In the blog, Science Not Fiction, the author talks about the Mayan end of the world scenario being upset by the new evidence that the end of the Mayan calendar is wrong. In fact they stated: “Sorry if that hurts book or video sales.” Well, I thought they were talking about me, so this is what I wrote to them:

Apology accepted! But don’t cry over spilt llama milk or overcooked Guinea pigs, the Mayan calendar extending 50 years or so will be a boon. That’s 50 years more of second guessing!

If the Mayan calendar is already over, that just means the Christians and other cults can own the end of the world.

I’d prefer vengeful aliens myself. Seeing really cool aliens in my final moments would be a great way to end the world. Much more fun and like the movies, a hero will likely save us. With Mayans and Bibles, your odds are not nearly as good.

So far my book sales have been great. I have not sold any copies, still in the throws of final edits, but that’s pretty good sales considering. Nearly as good as the odds of a massive solar flare or the explosive release of methane from the arctic permafrost or a cat vectored Pneumonia – I expect the media (Fox) to call it Pnurrmonia.

I hope the end of the world be interesting! Something to tell your grandkids.

It is always great to post comments to blogs. It gives us a warm fuzzy to imagine that anyone reads the comments.

Ending the World, May 21st, 2011 Again!

There are so many doomsayers. Today we bring back an old date with a new baby-boomer (add that to your urban dictionary). Allison Warden, does her doomsaying from a Subaru. My guess is that you need the all-wheel-drive to get to Heaven. 

Allison is not the originator of doom, just a follow of the master doomsayer, Harold Camping. Remember Harold? We have written about him before. Harold was one-upping the Mayans with his date to end the world a bit earlier.

I read about Allison at The Washington Post. Josh Shaffer wrote about her in a great piece that I am sure will get a pulitzer. Of course, only if the world really does end. You have to get a posthumous Pulitzer if you interviewed a doomsayer that was correctly predicting the end of the world, right?

Anyway, we decided to head to the website that Allison was pushing by having it in huge letters of her white Subaru. Head to http://www.wecanknow.com and let us know what you think.

We saw all the books and general doomsaying and decided that they seem to have their act together. So much so, we thought they would be a great source of information and decided to ask a few questions. Here is the letter we sent:

Greetings. 

I am writing a book on the end of the world and Armageddon. It is called, "The Boy's Book of Armageddon".  I really believe that there is a great need for the young to understand that they will never grow older and the reasons why. 

I was wondering if you would comment on your own experience writing about the end of the world. 

In particular, how do you deal with the comments from children? What if they are afraid they will not be chosen? 

What's your message when people see the end of the world as an excuse for shedding their mortal coil early?

In a similar way, do you find that there is a tendency to procrastinate and just wait for May, 2011 and not fulfill their earthly obligations?

In terms of your prediction that the world will end in fire, do you base this on God's covenant to Noah that flooding will no longer be used as a device to eliminate the Godless heathens? Or, is your concept based on the various violent scenarios in the New Testament? 

Your opinions are important to me. Thank you for your time. 

We will update you when they reply.