Is astrology accurate? Reading horoscopes is a popular pastime, but is there any scientific evidence that they are accurate?
When you’re enticed by a familiar interruption and your willpower weakens, problems can occur.
Every day, up to 70 million Americans consult their horoscopes. At least, that’s what the American Federation of Astrologers claims. According to a Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life poll conducted twenty years ago, 25% of Americans believe that the positions of the stars and planets have an impact on our daily life. In 2012, the General Social Survey indicated that 34% of Americans think astrology is “extremely” or “kind of scientific,” and that the percentage of individuals who think astrology is “not at all scientific” has decreased from two-thirds to about half.
Astrology is the concept that astronomical phenomena, such as the stars over your head when you were born or the fact that Mercury is retrograde, have the potential to influence our daily lives and personality traits. Of course, this is distinct from astronomy, which is the scientific study of celestial objects, space, and the physics of the cosmos.
A particular branch of astrologyforecasting a person’s future or providing advice on everyday activities through horoscopesis gaining in popularity. The Cut, for example, recorded a 150 percent rise in horoscope page views in 2017 compared to 2016.
Clearly, a lot of people are trying to figure out how to read the stars for guidance. Understanding the positions of the stars is the foundation of astrology, which appears to be a scientific discipline in and of itself. Is there any scientific evidence that astrology has an impact on our personalities and lives?
But, since I still have five minutes of this six-minute podcast to fill, let’s take a look at how astrology has been put to the test.
In This Article...
Do the signs of the zodiac have any significance?
It is the individuals, not the zodiac sign, who are responsible for developing connections, according to a Quora writer. All 12 zodiac signs have a positive sign linked with them, but you can’t forecast all of a person’s attributes or character just by glancing at their horoscopes. It is thought that couples with similar spiritual feelings are more likely to bond, whilst couples with incompatible zodiac signs are more likely to split up. This isn’t always the case, though.
Is it true that many believe in astrology?
“Astrology in the Age of Uncertainty,” a fascinating piece by Christine Smallwood:
Astrology is currently experiencing widespread cultural acceptance that has not been seen since the 1970s. The transition began with the introduction of the personal computer, was expedited by the Internet, and has now reached new levels of speed thanks to social media. According to a Pew Research Center poll from 2017, about a third of Americans believe in astrology.
Astrology, like psychoanalysis before it, has infiltrated our collective vernacular. At a party in the 1950s, you could have heard someone talk about the id, ego, or superego; now, it’s normal to hear someone explain herself using the sun, moon, and rising signs. It isn’t just that you are aware of it. It’s who’s saying it: folks who aren’t kooks or deniers of climate change, who don’t find a conflict between utilizing astrology and believing in science…
The religion breakdown was the only thing that surprised me about this table.
I had the impression that mainline Protestants were the rational ones, but they believe in astrology at the same rate as the overall population.
But, hey, I guess they’re ordinary Americans, so they have average American ideas.
Only 3% of atheists believe in astrology, which is also unexpected.
This makes sense, yet it seemed reasonable to me that someone may not believe in God but believe in other supernatural things: in fact, I could see astrology as a type of replacement for a traditional religious system.
But it appears that is not the case.
Brian Wansink has been compared to an astrologer who can make astute observations about the world based on a combination of persuasiveness and qualitative understanding, and then attributes his success to tarot cards or tea leaves rather than a more practical ability to synthesize ideas and tell good stories.
Does Brian Wansink, on the other hand, believe in astrology?
What about Marc Hauser, Ed Wegman, Susan Fiske, and the rest of the mob who call their detractors “second-string, replication police, methodological terrorists, Stasi,” and so on?
I doubt they believe in astrology because it symbolizes a rival belief system: it’s a business that, in some ways, competes with rah-rah Ted-talk science.
I wouldn’t be shocked if famous ESP researchers believe in astrology, but I get the impression that mainstream junk-science supporters in academia and the news media feel uncomfortable discussing ESP since its research methods are so similar to their own.
They don’t want to be associated with ESP researchers because it would devalue their own study, but they also don’t want to put them under the bus because they are fellow Ivy League academics, so the safest plan is to remain quiet about it.
The greater point, however, is not astrology believing in and of itself, but the mental state that allows individuals to believe in something so contrary to our scientific understanding of the world.
(OK, I apologize to the 29% of you who don’t agree with me on this.)
When I return to writing on statistical graphics, model verification, Bayesian computation, Jamaican beef patties, and other topics, you can rejoin the fold.)
It’s not that astrology couldn’t be correct a priori:
We can come up with reasonable theories under which astrology is real and spectacular, just as we can with embodied cognition, beauty and sex ratio, ovulation and voting, air rage, ages ending in 9, and all the other Psychological Science / PNAS classicsjust it’s that after years of careful study, nothing much has come up.
And the existing theories aren’t particularly convincing: they’re speculative world models that may be good if the purpose was to describe a real and enduring occurrence, but they’re less so without actual data.
Anyway, if 30% of Americans are willing to believe such nonsense, it’s no surprise that a significant number of influential American psychology professors will have the kind of attitude toward scientific theory and evidence that leads them to have strong beliefs in weak theories with no supporting evidence.
Indeed, not only support for specific weak theories, but support for the fundamental principle that pseudoscientific views should be treated with respect (although, oddly enough, maybe not for astrology itself).
P.S.In defense of the survey respondents (but not of the psychology professors who support ideas like the “critical positivity ratio,” which makes astrology look positively sane in comparison), belief in astrology (or, for that matter, belief in heaven, gravity, or the square-cube law) is essentially free.
Why not believe these things, or not believe them?
Belief or denial in evolution, climate change, or unconscious bias, on the other hand, can have social or political consequences.
Some opinions are purely personal, while others have a direct impact on policy.
I have less patience for famous academic and media elites who aggressively support junk science by not just expressing their trust in speculative notions supported by no real data, but also attacking those who point out these emperors’ nudity. Furthermore, even a hypothetical tolerant, open-minded supporter of junk sciencethe type of person who might believe in critical positivity ratio but actively support the publication of criticisms of that workcan still cause some harm by contaminating scientific journals and the news media with bad science, and by promoting sloppy work that takes up space that could be used for more careful research.
You know how they say science corrects itself, but only because individuals are willing to correct themselves?
Gresham’s law is also true, but only when people are willing to distribute counterfeit notes or money they think is counterfeit while keeping their lips shut until they can get rid of their wads of worthless stock.
P.P.S.Just to be clear:I don’t think astrology is a waste of time, and it’s possible that Marc Hauser was onto something real, even while faking data (according to the US government, as mentioned on Wikipedia), and the critical positivity ratio, ovulation, voting, and all the rest…
Just because there isn’t enough evidence to support a theory doesn’t mean it’s untrue.
I’m not trying to disprove any of these assertions.
All of it should be published someplace, along with all of the criticism.
My issue with junk science proponents is not that they advocate science that I and others believe is rubbishwe can all be wrong!but that they consistently avoid, repress, and resist reasonable open critique.
P.P.P.S.Remember that #notallpsychologists.
Of course, the problem of junk research isn’t limited to psychology in any way.
Professors of political science, economics, sociology, and history, to the extent that they believe in astrology, spoon bending, or whatever (that is, belief in “scientific” paranormalism as describing some true thing about the natural world, not just a “anthropological” recognition that paranormal beliefs can affect the world because people believe in it), this could also sabotage their research.
I suppose it’s not such a big problem if a physicist or chemist believes in these things.
I’m not attempting to shut down study into astrology, embodied cognition, ESP, beauty-and-sex-ratio, endless soup bowls, spoon bending, the Bible Code, air anger, ovulation and voting, subliminal smiley faces, or anything else.
Allow for the blooming of a thousand blooms!
Given that a sizable portion of the populace is willing to believe in scientific-sounding notions that aren’t backed by any good scientific theory or evidence, it should come as no surprise that many professional scientists hold this viewpoint.
The repercussions are especially evident in psychology, which is a vital field of study where theories can be hazy and where there is a long legacy of belief and action based on flimsy data.
That isn’t to say that psychologists are awful people; they’re merely working on difficult challenges in a field with a long history of failures.
This isn’t a critique; it’s just the way things are. Of course, there is a lot of excellent work being done in the field of psychology. You’ll have to work with what you’ve got.
Why are horoscopes so inaccurate?
The main reason astrological signs don’t align with the zodiac is due to precession, a wobble in the Earth’s spinning axis. The Earth bulges somewhat at the equator as a result of its rotation, similar to how a skater’s skirt fanned out as she spins. The Moon’s and Sun’s gravitational pulls on the bulge, causing the Earth to wobble like a top. Over the period of 25,800 years, the wobble causes the Earth’s axis, which is the center line around which it revolves, to swing in a leisurely circle.
The view of the zodiac from Earth is altered as a result of this movement, with the constellations appearing to slide to the east by around a degree per human lifetime. Hipparchus of Nicaea discovered precession with his naked sight approximately 150 B.C., though it was gradual.
The vernal equinox or the first day of spring was in Aries in ancient times. It went into Pisces circa 100 B.C. due to precession, where it is today and will remain until 2700 A.D., when it will move into Aquarius, and so on. It will finally return to Aries after 25,800 years, and the cycle will begin again.
Astrology and its predictions about fate and personality can be entertaining as a game. The subject, on the other hand, has no scientific foundation. It’s the equivalent of the board game “Monopoly” in the real estate market.
Astrology draws attention away from the planets’ very real affects, namely their gravitational interactions with one another, which create true changes in the shapes, sizes, and tilts of their orbits. Past ice eras on Earth were most likely triggered by such shifts. Direct impacts between Earth and celestial bodies can result in dramatic changes, such as the 66 million-year-old impact of an asteroid off the Yucatan Peninsula, which resulted in the extinction of dinosaurs and the advent of mammals.
Astronomical studies will someday allow such events to be predicted, however astrological forecasts will lead to nowhere.
Should you believe in compatibility based on your zodiac sign?
“While zodiac compatibility might assist you in identifying common features in your mate, it is not the only factor that contributes to the success of a relationship. It necessitates both partners’ devotion, dedication, and love, which is not decided by your zodiac sign. Indeed, if you truly love your partner, you will always find a solution to resolve your relationship’s problems.”
People believe in astrology for a variety of reasons.
Self-Discovery It’s likely that people study astrology in order to gain a better understanding of themselves and increase their self-awareness. Astrology has been shown in studies to significantly impact and even validate a person’s self-concept, as well as improve their confidence in their unique characteristics.
Who designed the zodiac signs?
The 12 zodiac signs, one of the earliest notions of astrology, were devised by the Babylonians around 1894 BC. The Babylonians lived at Babylon, which is roughly where modern-day Iraq is located. Babylon was one of the most prominent ancient Mesopotamian towns.
What does the Bible have to say about the zodiac signs?
I believe that God created astrology as a tool for us to better understand ourselves and to use as a spiritual tool. Numerous bible texts, in my opinion, support astrology. As a Christian, I try to remember what Jesus said. “There shall be signs in the sun, moon, and stars,” Christ predicted in Luke 21:25, referring to the importance of astrology. He explains the value of astrology with his pupils, as well as how it might be used as a sign of his return. Why would Jesus provide us this critical knowledge if we are not intended to understand the energies of the planets and signs, and if he was actually against it? Just as the three wise men knew Jesus would be born under the star in the sky that led them to him lying in the manger, Jesus warned us that when he returns, there will be signals in the sky.
What are the symptoms that someone is more narcissistic?
Narcissists also believe they are superior to others, and this is what narcissism at its best looks like. When you speak to them or try to converse with them, they will try to persuade you that they are correct and that what they know is the best. We are here to assist you if you want to be prepared before speaking with a narcissist. The following are the four zodiac signs that are most likely to be narcissists.
Is astrology a science or a belief system?
Astrology isn’t the most scientific method of answering queries. Although astrologers endeavor to explain the natural world, they rarely attempt to critically examine whether those explanations are true despite the fact that critical evaluation is an important aspect of science.