Gargantuan waves rush toward massive metal arks as they struggle to free themselves from their docks, seal and pull away safely. The deadly floodwaters are part of a scene from “2012,” a movie illustrating a possible outcome of the apocalypse.

The

apocalypse is predicted to occur on Dec. 21, 2012. Historians consider the date as the end of a cycle of the 5,125 year-long Mayan Long Count calendar. Several ideas exist as to what may occur, though most scientists have disproved popular myths.

Sophomore Tyler Moon, who said he is interested in this topic, said, “I have always found the topic appealing. I read up on it just in case and just for fun.”

Over the last several years, popular culture has seized the opportunity to incorporate themes of apocalyptic or transformative events on Dec. 21. Movies, such as “2012” and “The Book of Eli,” games, such as “Plague Inc.” and music, such as Imagine Dragon’s “Radioactive” and R.E.M.’s “It’s the End of the World As We Know It,” have contributed to this trend.

“‘2012’ was all right. It seemed kind of unrealistic. Some of the (pop culture) is good, and some of the stuff is just abusing the genre,” Moon said. “You’ll see some zombie movies where the zombies have superhuman strength. There’s one I watched where the zombies basically did parkour. It was bad.”

It seems strange that people, especially the younger demographic, would be interested in the notion of their demise. However, not many people sincerely believe that Dec. 21 will be a noteworthy day.

Moon said, “I don’t think there’s going to be an apocalypse or anything like that. It’s more that we’re interested in it.”

AP Psychology teacher Robin Pletcher said, “(Young people) are searching for something new or something different that they haven’t heard of before or haven’t been through. Someone who’s younger hasn’t had those ups and downs of ‘Oh, let’s look at this date as the day that the world is going to end,’ and then it comes and goes. That’s new for them.”

Interest in the 2012 apocalypse has been waning since popular culture jumped on it a few years ago.

“You would think that there would be a spike right before the event. You would think that people would prepare for it,” Pletcher said. “Instead, you just want to get behind the excitement of the new current thing. Now that it’s getting close to (the date), you’re ready to move on to the next exciting thing.”

Moon said, “That’s just how people work. They get really interested in something for a while, and then they get bored of it and move on.”

The supposed Armageddon will be on the last day of this school semester during finals week.

Moon said, “It’s kind of funny that’s how it worked out. No one really does anything the last day of the semester, but there will be so many apocalypse jokes made that day.”