Scientific studies related to astrology have stopped after trying and failing to establish the validity of astrological ideas. So far, there are no documented cases of astrology contributing to a new scientific discovery. Does the position of astronomical bodies affect a person's life (beyond the basic climate)? Not. The position and orientation of the sun relative to the earth causes seasons.
Anyone who has removed snow from his walk in January, when he would rather be on the beach, can tell him that astronomical bodies definitely affect our lives. Solar flares cause electromagnetic disturbances on Earth that can disrupt satellites and even cause blackouts. The position of the moon causes ocean tides. If you are a fisherman, the position of the moon can have a significant effect on your livelihood.
The solar wind causes beautiful auroras, and sunlight itself is the main source of energy for our planet. But all of these effects fall under the umbrella of basic climate; not astrology. Astrology claims that astronomical bodies have an influence on people's lives beyond basic weather patterns, depending on their date of birth. Numerous scientific studies have refuted that astronomical bodies affect people's lives according to their date of birth.
For example, Peter Hartmann and his collaborators studied more than 4000 people and found no correlation between date of birth and personality or intelligence. In one of the most famous experiments, Shawn Carlson had 28 astrologers make predictions and then tested the accuracy of their predictions. Before conducting the experiment, he refined the method so that several independent scientists agreed that the method was scientifically sound, and also so that all astrologers would agree that the test was fair. As published in Nature, he found that astrologers could not do better to predict the future than chance.
These results are consistent with fundamental science. Scientifically, astrology has never been proven, but it dates back to the BC era. Undoubtedly, many people read their horoscopes just for entertainment, courage or as a topic of conversation. But some people attribute scientific credit to astrological predictions and consider astrology as a valid way of understanding human behavior.
A surprisingly large amount of scientific research has been carried out to evaluate the claims of astrology over the past 40 years. There is no evidence to support such claims. Carlson was very careful in designing the study, ensuring that it conformed to both the requirements of the scientific and astrological community. The clear rejection of astrology in astronomy works began in 1679, with the annual publication La Connoissance des temps.
Studies and surveys have shown that belief in astrology is greater in Western countries than might otherwise be expected. In the same study, I was interested to see other explanations of why some Europeans think astrology is scientific and others don't. Adhering to scientifically proven treatments gives you the benefit of belief and the benefit of treatment action. Through a process known as self-attribution, it has been shown in numerous studies that people with knowledge of astrology tend to describe their personalities in terms of traits compatible with their sun signs.
Those who believe in God or some “spirit” of some kind are also more likely to find astrology a scientifically credible activity. Sagan said that he took this position not because he thought that astrology had any validity, but because he thought that the tone of the statement was authoritarian, and that discarding astrology because there was no mechanism (although it was certainly a relevant point) was not in itself convincing. Although astrology has no scientific support, consistency or reproducibility, astrology does not really have the negative impact of some of the other pseudosciences such as antivaxing or homeopathy. In the midst of this physical, political and emotional turmoil, astrology offers us a sense of purpose.
Pop astrology was born in the late 19th century during the rise of the exploration of the new age, and was later driven by the developments of psychology in the 20th century. What is particularly interesting, however, is the connection that is established between astrology and authoritarianism, fascism and modern capitalism (remember that this was after World War II and the Holocaust). Even people skeptical of astrology can start to warm up when it produces positive descriptions of themselves. .
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