> Ancient peoples had their own apocalyptic predictions

meh their predictions were that there would be a flood (which would contaminate water wells and if you couldn't find clean water in three days, your tribe died), or a drought (kills off food growing, so your tribe will starve, or die of dehydration moving to a new area), or just 'we'll be attacked by a rival tribe that will kill us!'

These are easy to predict, and foolishly attributed to the gods or prophecy. Today, we know a lot more, and the predictions are actually based in science, and are much much more accurate as to the greater future of mankind.

Us saying, "oh well" and going with our day is going to end with our extinction, as a species, rather than a tribe.