Now let's talk about fiction, or the mix of science fiction and half-truths.

There is much information on the web about prophecies of the end of the world, apocalyptic times of natural catastrophes, volcanos, earthquakes, and even alien invasions which in the eyes of Hollywood studios all of these events are potentially real blockbusters.

Video: 4:44 Last Day on Earth (2011), movie trailer

Historically every decade there is always someone renewing the jingle "the end of the world", countless excuses like the pass of a comet (Halley), a bug in our computers (Y2K), or a Mayan calendar.

Many people in the 90s and early 2000s used to listen to "Art Bell", who is the American broadcaster and author known primarily as one of the founders and the original host of the paranormal-themed radio program Coast to Coast A.M.

Many of his guests became famous just for being invited to the program like witches, alien abductees, psychics, and remote viewer instructor major Ed Dames. The remote viewer predicted a catastrophic event that he named "The Killshot", and all over the internet you are able to find videos or links about his visions of the end of the world, in which he mentions that the world will suffer massive solar storms that will provoke a permanent blackout sending humanity to live in caves.

His website, the killshot.com is one of the most visited sites about this topic.

On the Coast to Coast show (April 2009), Ed Dames issued some dire warning of future events: "A solar "killshot" will occur with the sun emitting some very large solar flares". He said that people may need to be underground and have fresh sources of water to survive.

If you add to this to the buzz about the Mayan calendar prophecy of the end of the world, the Pope comments "nothing is going to happen", and the morbid love and hate relationship of our society with prophecies gives us always a story to write about.

If you want to see where the world is headed, take a look at the sun but not literally, since that also can leave you blind.

The world will not end on Friday, Dec. 21, 2012. How do I know? Because I heard the prophecy long time ago at a midnight am radio show, when I was half-sleep, and after all these years I'm still waiting for proof that someone knows really what is going to happen in advance, do you? Well, if I'm wrong I dare you to prove me wrong but only until Saturday, Dec. 22nd.

In the meantime let's enjoy family, friends and another sunny day.

eduardo.flores@sandiegored.com