Map Detailing Ancient Olmec and Maya States that Rimmed the Gulf of Mexico It seems that the human race has an abiding tendency to know what surrounds our often routine, mundane lives. There is an even greater tendency to involve ourselves in perceived mystery, particularly when it involves prophecy and doomsday scenarios. The astronomical Alignment on December 21, 2012 is just such an event that encompasses all the elements of a great mystery, including doomsday prophecy and more. The book chronicles what a group of noted scientists say we can expect to happen, as the sun and earth align with the center of our own galaxy. The reader is cautioned to hold on tight, and be mentally prepared for mind-bending surprises, as a cabal of our best scientific minds slug it out over the portent of the Alignment during a symposium at the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, NJ.