Astrology

1
Astrology
2/18/1996
lots and lots and lots of math.
2
Goals

• Is astrology a science?
• Why should we care?
• Is science just another belief?

3
Theories

• So a theory is a highly successful hypothesis.
• All hypotheses make predictions.
• All theories make predictions.
• All theories can be tested.
• Result Any scientific theory is subject to
  change as our ability to make tests, or make
  observations of a tests results, improves with
  time.

4
Non-scientific Theories

• Make no predictions
• Un-testable
• Cant be falsified

5
Non-scientific Theories

• Cholesterol too high? ? Aliens are clogging your
  arteries with invisible probes.
• Spaghetti is bland? ? You were meant to eat bland
  food.
• Cholesterol too high? ? Gods must be angry.
• Spaghetti is bland? ? At the instant of tasting,
  tongue is transported to alternate dimension
  where all flavors are rendered nullified. Happens
  instantaneously.

6
Non-scientific Theories
7
Falsification

• A real Scientific Theory tells you what
  observations are necessary to falsify it.
• Not so proponents of
• Face on Mars
• Moon Hoax
• Astrologers

8
Concept Test

• Consider the following theory. Why does it not
  satisfy the requirements of a scientific theory?
• The chain of events needed for life to arise is
  too complicated to have happened by chance a
  higher intelligence must therefore have caused
  life to arise (Intelligent Design).
• It contradicts the theory of evolution.
• It makes no prediction which can be tested.
• It assumes there is something we dont
  understand.
• It assumes there is a God.
• It doesnt rely upon any observations.

9
Recap

• Science is a way of making theories to explain
  the physical world.
• Scientific theories
• Explain what is already seen
• Predict what can be seen in the future.
• Predictions can be tested.
• Scientific theories can be falsified.

10
Astrology

• The date, time, (and place) of birth affect
• Your personality
• Your actions
• Events that will affect your life
• Horoscopes appear in most papers.
• Millions of people read them daily.

http//www.azcentral.com/ent/horoscopes/astrology1
01.html
http//astrology.about.com/od/basicsofastrology/
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Astrology

• Like other -ologies, is it a science?
• Explain what is seen?
• Make predictions?
• Does it work?
• What test would falsify astrology?

12
Astrology Tests

• Come up with a test of astrology.
• Using no more than
• People in this room.
• Available newspapers (past or present).
• Time available.

13
Does Astrology Work?

• Does it pass the test?
• Does it work better than chance?
• Does it matter?

One of the other prime uses of astrology is in
connection with the basic psychology of children
and recognizing in children, at an early age, a
basis for later psychological difficulties. The
horoscope is perhaps the best method to reveal
these tendencies while the child is still in
infancy. When parents know from the beginning
where the seeds of difficulties lie in the
child's life, early care and training might
mitigate much later unhappiness. - The Cosmic
Palette Astrology 101 by Haizen Paige
14
Science vs. Astrology

• Scientists are skeptical of astrology because
• It takes power out of the hands of scientists.
• It cant be tested.
• It has failed when tested.
• It proposes forces that are non-physical.
• It threatens our belief in a knowable universe.
• But no one believes astrology so who cares?

15
Astrology and the President

• (TIME, May 16, 1988) --
• The First Lady dabbled in astrology as far back
  as 1967. In 1981 Joan Quigley made Nancy
  Reagan a believer . And from then on, no
  presidential public appearance was slated without
  the Friend's say-so. To this day, Nancy's Friend
  continues to influence the President's schedule.
  For the Reagan-Gorbachev Washington summit, she
  cast the charts of both men and determined

Former White House Chief of Staff, Donald
Regan and others make a compelling case that in
1986 and 1987 astrological influence dramatically
reduced the presidency's effectiveness, at least
partly, by keeping Ronald Reagan under wraps for
much of the time. Nancy's intrusions in the
scheduling process, Regan said in an interview
with TIME last week, began to interfere with the
normal conduct of the presidency. (TIME, May
16, 1988)

• that 2 p.m. on Dec. 8, 1987, was the most
  propitious moment for them to sign the
  intermediate-range nuclear forces treaty. At
  Nancy's behest, the entire summit was built
  around that hour. For the upcoming Moscow summit,
  Gorbachev's chart (he is a Pisces) has been
  recast alongside Reagan's (Aquarius).

16
Homework 3

• Due Monday 16-Jan Read Sg2 The Harmony of Worlds
  from Cosmos and B5.3
• Some assert that Keplers discovery represents
  the true birth of science as it is now practiced.
  Describe why one would assert this (put your
  answer in the context of this weeks discussion)?
  
• Bennett, Chapter 5, Problem 23