Short answer: It doesn't.

Long answer: The Maya used multiple calendar systems for different purposes. The 2012 controversy is based on an interpretation of the Long Count calendar, which was mainly used for accurate dating of historical records and monuments rather than in the daily lives of the Maya. Its dates are essentially a count of days in a modified base-20 notation, with the current cycle starting at 0.0.0.0.0 in 3114 BC. On or about December 21, 2012 (depending on the method used to reconcile the Mayan and Gregorian calendars), the count goes from 12.19.19.17.19 to 13.0.0.0.0 (link includes a Gregorian-to-Mayan conversion applet):

http://www.michielb.nl/maya/calendar.html

Not only is it *not* the end of the Mayan calendar, it is not even the end of the current Long Count cycle. On October 12, 4772, the Long Count date will be 19.19.19.17.19. After that, the Mayan calendar still goes on; 20 baktuns equals 1 piktun, and the next day's date will be 1.0.0.0.0.0, the first day of the second piktun.

Regarding the doomsday predictions themselves, there is no scientific basis for any of them. See my previous answer to a similar question for more information.

http://www.mahalo.com/answers/social-science/does-anyone-here-believes-in-the-2012-end-event
Source(s):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_calendar
http://www.cis.udel.edu/~mills/maya.html

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