By Ian Johnston, NBC News
Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard has warned that predictions of the end of the world by ancient Mayans were correct and that the final days are coming -- in a deadpan ad for a lighthearted breakfast radio show.
"Whether the final blow comes from flesh-eating zombies, demonic hell-beasts or the total triumph of K-Pop, if you know one thing about me, it is this: I will always fight for you to the very end," Gillard said in a message to the "dear remaining fellow Australians."
She concluded her message by saying "Good luck to you all."
Australia's Herald Sun newspaper?contacted Gillard's office seeking further information.
"What Australian doesn't mind a laugh from time to time? Anyway, the world's going to end tomorrow so shouldn't you be writing about that?" a spokesperson for the prime minister said.
NASA: It's not true
Such has been the hype about the supposed Mayan prediction for the end of the world on Dec. 21, 2012, that NASA was moved to issue a denial in a statement on its website.
"The world will not end in 2012. Our planet has been getting along just fine for more than 4 billion years, and credible scientists worldwide know of no threat associated with 2012," NASA said.
TODAYshow.com's Dara Brown talks with author and professor Gerardo Aldana about his theory that the Mayan calendar, which many believe indicates that the world will end in 2012, is wrong.
2012 and Maya prophecies: What were they thinking?
The statement said the "story" started with claims by the ancient Sumerian civilization that a "supposed planet" called Nibiru was headed toward Earth.
"This catastrophe was initially predicted for May 2003, but when nothing happened the doomsday date was moved forward to December 2012 and linked to the end of one of the cycles in the ancient Mayan calendar at the winter solstice in 2012 -- hence the predicted doomsday date of December 21, 2012," NASA said.
Maya text cites 2012 as end of calendar cycle, not end of world
"Just as the calendar you have on your kitchen wall does not cease to exist after December 31, the Mayan calendar does not cease to exist on December 21, 2012," it added. "This date is the end of the Mayan long-count period but then -- just as your calendar begins again on January 1 -- another long-count period begins for the Mayan calendar."
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