Man's annihilation is likely to be from fellow man moreso than some cryptic "interpretation" from some period of history. We don't have a historical template on which to accurately predict a Mass-Extinction Event. Theories and hypothesis' abound are only a "best-guess" science. Though an educated guess based upon interpretation of previous findings is still "interpretation".
Darwin argued many years about the probability of evolution before he was taken seriously as also was Einstein with his formulas. What was accepted as fact in a historical sense, many theories have been not only proven to be true, but also theories have proven to be false. It all depends on who/what the scientific community choose to accept.
When postulated that the mass extinction of the dinosaurs could have been caused by a meteor impact, this was shouted down and dismissed as fanciful dreaming, yet just in the last few weeks the science community has said " we believe the mass extinction was cause by meteor impact". So which version is the correct version or is neither correct?
Science, for all it's value and pompous self-servitude, changes opinion quite regularly.
Is 2012 gonna happen? Well, we will know on Dec.22 won't we?
In the meantime, I'll just have another cup of coffee.