I think there's 2 schools of thought, as in the End (the END) and the End (as we know it).
Everything has changed several times (AS WE KNOW IT).
The Terence McKenna theory of Time/Novelty converging at ZERO on 12/21/2012 is the latter.
Think of the years between horizon changing events over civilization. It used to be, 1000 years between entries warranting a journal entry in history.
Now we make a new supercomputer twice as good as the old one every WEEK.
I say by 12/21/2012 we will learn the truth _ WE ARE THE MACHINE ELVES. WE WILL BE THE ALIENS.



As for the end (The End)? It will be an apocolyptic asteroid. Odds favor this. When? Anytime now or a few thousand years from now...but it's way
overdue.