On December 21st, 2012, after the Mayan thing fizzles, followers of von Däniken will find a sharpened stick lying near a campfire with what appears to be marshmallow bits on it that, when looked at under a microscope, say very clearly in an ancient text that the world will end on February 31st, 2018. They will start passing out petitions asking people to help them change the calendar so that this event will be possible. And they will get enough signatures in two weeks.
And scientists will prove that people like being afraid of something more than just having their favorite TV program cancelled. As per the above paragraph.