One in seven polled thinks end of the world is nigh
<p><span word="Nearly">Nearly</span> 15 <span word="percent">percent</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="worldwide">worldwide</span> <span word="believe">believe</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="world">world</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="end">end</span> <span word="during">during</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="lifetime">lifetime</span> <span word="and">and</span> 10 <span word="percent">percent</span> <span word="think">think</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Mayan">Mayan</span> <span word="calendar">calendar</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="signify">signify</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="happen">happen</span> <span word="in">in</span> 2012, <span word="according">according</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="poll">poll</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="end">end</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Mayan">Mayan</span> <span word="calendar">calendar</span> - <span word="spanning">spanning</span> <span word="about">about</span> 5,125 <span word="years">years</span> - <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Dec">Dec</span> 21, 2012, <span word="has">has</span> <span word="fuelled">fuelled</span> <span word="interpretations">interpretations</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="suggestions">suggestions</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="marks">marks</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="end">end</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="world">world</span>.</p><p>"<span word="Whether">Whether</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="think">think</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="come">come</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="end">end</span> <span word="through">through</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="hand">hand</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="God">God</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="natural">natural</span> <span word="disaster">disaster</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="political">political</span> <span word="event">event</span> - <span word="whatever">whatever</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="reason">reason</span> - <span word="one">one</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="seven">seven</span> <span word="thinks">thinks</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="end">end</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="world">world</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="coming">coming</span>," <span word="said">said</span> <span word="Keren">Keren</span> <span word="Gottfried">Gottfried</span>, <span word="research">research</span> <span word="manager">manager</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="Ipsos">Ipsos</span> <span word="Global">Global</span> <span word="Public">Public</span> <span word="Affairs">Affairs</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="conducted">conducted</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="poll">poll</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="Reuters">Reuters</span>.</p><p><span word="Responses">Responses</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="international">international</span> <span word="poll">poll</span> <span word="of">of</span> 16,262 <span word="people">people</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="than">than</span> 20 <span word="countries">countries</span> <span word="varied">varied</span> <span word="widely">widely</span>, <span word="with">with</span> <span word="only">only</span> 6 <span word="percent">percent</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="French">French</span> <span word="residents">residents</span> <span word="believing">believing</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="impending">impending</span> <span word="Armageddon">Armageddon</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="lifetime">lifetime</span>, <span word="compared">compared</span> <span word="to">to</span> 22 <span word="percent">percent</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Turkey">Turkey</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="United">United</span> <span word="States">States</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="slightly">slightly</span> <span word="less">less</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="South">South</span> <span word="Africa">Africa</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Argentina">Argentina</span>.</p><p><span word="But">But</span> <span word="only">only</span> 7 <span word="percent">percent</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Belgium">Belgium</span> <span word="and">and</span> 8 <span word="percent">percent</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Britain">Britain</span> <span word="feared">feared</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="end">end</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="world">world</span> <span word="during">during</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="lives">lives</span>. <span word="About">About</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="in">in</span> 10 <span word="people">people</span> <span word="globally">globally</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="experiencing">experiencing</span> <span word="fear">fear</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="anxiety">anxiety</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="impending">impending</span> <span word="end">end</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="world">world</span> <span word="in">in</span> 2012. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="greatest">greatest</span> <span word="numbers">numbers</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Russia">Russia</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Poland">Poland</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="fewest">fewest</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Britain">Britain</span>.</p><p><span word="Ipsos">Ipsos</span> <span word="questioned">questioned</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="China">China</span>, <span word="Turkey">Turkey</span>, <span word="Russia">Russia</span>, <span word="Mexico">Mexico</span>, <span word="South">South</span> <span word="Korea">Korea</span>, <span word="Japan">Japan</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="United">United</span> <span word="States">States</span>, <span word="Argentina">Argentina</span>, <span word="Hungary">Hungary</span>, <span word="Poland">Poland</span>, <span word="Sweden">Sweden</span>, <span word="France">France</span>, <span word="Spain">Spain</span>, <span word="Belgium">Belgium</span>, <span word="Canada">Canada</span>, <span word="Australia">Australia</span>, <span word="Italy">Italy</span>, <span word="South">South</span> <span word="Africa">Africa</span>, <span word="Britain">Britain</span>, <span word="Indonesia">Indonesia</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Germany">Germany</span>.</p>
页:
[1]