There has been a lot of discussion recently about the end of the world, most of it around the date Dec. 21, 2012. 

However, experts are saying it's best to still do your Christmas shopping as an apocalypse is not going to happen.

There is no evidence that Earth will be destroyed by a solar flare that day and scientists have not detected any planets likely to break Earth's orbit and bump against us. Those in the know are also saying that the end of the Mayan calendar does not portend any disaster.

“The best thing about this 2012 nonsense is it creates interest in the Mayan people,” stated Van Stone, an end-of-world debunker and professor at Southwestern College, in an interview with City News Service. “People can go down there and see what the Maya are really like.”

Where did this debate come from?

According to a story on Yorkville Patch, there are several theories and predictions that call for Earth’s demise on Dec. 21, 2012. They include:

• The ending of the Mayan calendar — The Mayans, according to a Sarasota Patch article, kept three separate calendars. The “long calendar” ends on Dec. 21. Some say this constitutes a doomsday prediction; it might go without saying, but, most do not.

• Nostradamus – That famed French seer from the 1500s has been credited with predicting several end-of-the-world scenarios that some believe will take place in 2012. The website December212012.com points to the potential sparking of World War III on this date.

• The collision of Earth and the supposed planet Nibiru – This supposed space catastrophe was initially predicted to strike in 2003. The planet in question was supposedly discovered by the Sumerians, according to NASA. When the world didn’t end in 2003, the date was moved to December 2012 for the deadly collision with Earth.

The experts weigh in:

The growing concerns among some people over the end of the world predictions has prompted officials and experts to weigh in on the subject.

Even NASA put out a statement about all of the collective doomsday prophecies:

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.

Tampa Bay’s New College Professor Gabrielle Vail said of the belief in impending apocalypse, according to Sarasota Patch:

There are many misconceptions about the Mayans. If you look at their calendar alone, the Mayans kept three calendars. The one that has prompted the end of the world predictions was their "long count calendar" — a 5,125 year calendar. The calendar began August 11, 3114 B.C. and ends Dec. 21, 2012.

She said the Mayans wrote about dates beyond Dec. 21, 2012 "well, well into the future, trillions of years." They also wrote about dates before the 5,125 year calendar began.

What do you think? Is the world ending in a few days or are you making sure to get those presents wrapped on time? Share your thoughts in the comments below!