Why Astrology Does Not Work : A Scientific View Point

Vijay Sardanavsard@yahoo.com

Astrology

• What’s the need of knowing future

- Politicians fighting elections- Investors risking capitals - Generals leading Army

Birth

Genetic endowment inherited from both parents environmental factor

Personality traits Physical Characteristics

Death

Pseudoscience

“ Body of knowledge, methodology , belief or practice that claim to be scientific / made to appear scientific but doesn’t adhere to basic requirements of scientific method. ”

Pseudo – False / Pretending

Science ( Latin Scientia) – Knowledge

Pseudoscience

• Astrology • Quackery • Occult• Superstition • Vaastu

Pseudoscience : Characteristics

• Vague scientific clauses, not precise

• Failure to make use of operational definition

• Lack of boundary condition

• Lack of effective control

Pseudoscience : Characteristics

• Assertion of scientific claims that can not be falsified if incorrect (Falcifiability)

• Over reliance on testimonials & anecdotes

• Selective use of supportive experimental evidence• • Assertion that claims which have not been proven false

must be true (Argument from ignorance)

• Reversed burden of proof

• Mantra of ‘holism’ to explain negative finding

Pseudoscience : Characteristics

• Evasion of peer review before publishing (science by press conference )

• Assertion of claims of secrecy or proprietary knowledge if requested to reveal data/ methodology

• Failure to progress towards additional evidence of its claims.

• Lack of self correction • Use of misleading scientific sounding language

Pseudoscience : Characteristics

• Tight social groups, authoritarian personality, group think can enhance adoption of belief with no rational basis, critics identified ‘enemies’

• Assertion of Claims of a conspiracy of scientific community to suppress the result

Why Pseudosciences staying

• Human proclivity for seeking confirmation rather refutation (confirmation bias )

• Tendency to have comforting beliefs• Human prone to association based on

resemblance only• Human often prone to misattribution in cause

effect thinking• Public lacks the ability to judge claims on

scientific basis• Support from political/ beurocratic/ prominent

personalities

“Pseudoscience has no scientific meaning & mostly describe our

emotions”

Larry Laudan

Astrology- History

• Ancient Babylonia – 3000 yrs back Priests used to contribute a calendar on

astronomical basis- when to harvest plant (Name of planets - name of Gods)

• 1000 BC – literature on ‘planetary omens’ Mars – god of war – summer

Venus – goddess of sexual love – spring night

• 600 BC – Babylonia 12 sign zodiac

• 14th april 410 BC- oldest horoscope

• Greek & Roman & Babylonia Astrologers (Chaldeanss)

Astrology- History

• Christianity

• 19th century end – Vanishing Cult

• 1930- British Astrologers – R.H. Nay- daily newspaper horoscopic coloums

• India – 325 BC with invasion by Alexander the great

Astrology – Principles

• Vedanta philosophy – life governed by past action (karma)

• Position of planets at birth – determine present & future

Unanswered questions What is scientific correlation between planets &

life – birth, education, marriage, children, job, health.

Sign Date of Entry Raashi Date of entry

Aries March 21 Mesha April 14

Taurus April 21 Vrishabha May 14

Gemini May 22 Mithuna June 14

Cancer June 22 Karkataka July 16

Leo July 23 Simha August 14

Virgo August 23 Kanya September 17

Libra September 23 Tula October 17

Scorpio October 23 Vrischika November 16

Sun’s entry into signs Sun’s entry into Raashis

Sign Date of Entry Raashi Date of entry

Sagittarius November 22 Dhanus December 16

Capricorn December 22 Makara January 14

Aquarius January 22 Kumbha February 13

Pisces February 21 Meena March 14

Sun’s entry into signs Sun’s entry into Raashis

Astrology

• ? Gravitational force of nursing home, Gynecologist, pediatrician, Anesthetist.

• ? Electromagnetic radiation from TV, other appliances

Astrologers – Astrologers view point

• Just as gravitational force , planets influence life through infrared , ultra violet & cosmic rays

• Individuals emit electrons at different roles. Planet passes electromagnetic field around them Interaction results in various experiences in life

• Astrology / Jyotisha - “Darshana” – dealing with great transcendental knowledge (extra sensory or supra-natural)

• above ordinary & worldly science

• Many predictions by great Astrologers true.

Astrologers – Astrologers view point

• Horoscope based on scientifically established Astronomy. Hence predictions perfectly scientific

• Western ‘scientists’ have endorsed / vouchsafed scientific

nature of astrology

• Wrong predictions -Date & time of birth wrong -Mistake in panchanga chosen – position of planets in

different panchanga different -Quacks in the field to be blamed – not science of

astrology

Astrology

• Biggest strength – Vagueness defies experimental verification

Eg-

- Nation will face a national calamity in Ist week of January

- (Lilawati) – would undergo lot of sufferings

• “How happy are the astrologers if they tell one truth to a hundred lies, while other people lose all credibility if they tell one lie to hundred truths.”

Francesco Guicciardini (1483-1540)

• Astrologers consider the short-lived public memory as the corner-stone for their dubious trade.

Astrology

Why Astrology

• Comfort of having guidance of making decisions

• Comfort of believing in destiny predetermined by astral forces beyond control.

Astrology- Reasoning Missing Planet

• Astrology invented – 5 planets – Mercury , Venus, Mars , Jupiter & Saturn

• Uranus (1781) Neptune (1846) Pluto (1930)

• Thousands of Asteroids, hundreds of comet , dozen of satellites

• Billions of stars, Billions of other Galaxies & other strange objects.

Linda Goodman – A planet doesn’t have any influence until it is discovered

Astrology- Reasoning

• Rahu & Ketu – Imaginary planets

• Time of birth – light time relativity Sun- 8 minute Venus – 6 minute

• Need for precession – Axis of earth rotates on itself - 25000 year to complete rotatio

Zodiac sign – 2000 yr Earth’s rotation – 30 degree

All Zodiac sign should be changed

• Zodiac signs – Babylonia -12 ( range 6-18) Chinese & Hindus – 28

Toltec culture ( middle America ) -20

Astrology

• Dropped from syllabus of Oxford & Cambridge in 17th century. Astronomy – continues to be taught.

• Astrology illegal in Britain for > 1 century King George IV – “every person pretending or

professing to tell fourtunes or using any suitable craft, means or device by palmistry or otherwise, to deceive and impose upon any of his majesty’s subject …. Shall be decevied a rogue & vagabond, within the true intent & meaning of the act”

• punishment – 3 months hard labour

Astrology – Scientists objection

1975- 186 leading scientist including 19 noble prize winners statement in “ the Humanist”

• Cautioned public against unquestioning acceptance of prediction & advice by astrologers

• Distance & Gravitational force of planets can be measured – can not shaped future, make particular day more favorable for anything, determine competability with people

• Concern over media’s role

Astronauts : Position of planets

Astronaut Birth date

Sun Moon Mercury Venus Mars Jupiter Saturn

Neil Armstrong

August 5, 1930

Cancer Sagittarius Leo Leo Taurus Gemini Sagittarius

Buzz Aldrin January 20, 1930

Capricorn Virgo Capricorn Capricorn Sagittarius Taurus Sagittarius

Pete Conrad June 2, 1930

Taurus Leo Taurus Gemini Pisces Taurus Sagittarius

Alan Bean March 15, 1932

Aquarius Aries Pisces Aries Aquarius cancer Capricorn

Ed Mitchell Sep 17, 1930

Leo Gemini Leo Libra Gemini Gemini Sagittarius

Astronaut Birth date

Sun Moon Mercury Venus Mars Jupiter Saturn

Dave Scott June 6, 1932

Taurus Gemini Taurus Gemini Aries Cancer Capricorn

Jim Irwin March 17, 1930

Pisces Virgo Aquarius Pisces Aquarius Taurus Sagittarius

John Young Sep 17, 1930

Virgo Virgo Virgo Libra Gemini Gemini Sagittarius

Charlie Duke

October 3, 1935

Virgo Scorpio Virgo Leo Scorpio Libra Aquarius

Alan Shepard

November 18, 1923

Libra Pisces Libra Scorpio Virgo Libra Virgo

Gene Carnan

March 14, 1934

Pisces Aquarius Aquarius Capricorn Pisces Virgo Capricorn

Harrison Schmi

July 3, 1935

Gemini Cancer Taurus Leo Virgo Libra Aquarius

Nobel Laurel : Positioning Planets

Nobel Laureate

Birth date

Sun Moon Mercury Venus Mars Jupiter Saturn

Mother Teresa

August 27,1910

Leo Taurus Leo Cancer Leo Virgo Pisces

Lech Walesa September 29,1943

Virgo Virgo Leo Leo Taurus Leo Taurus

Andrei Sakharov

May 21,1921

Taurus Libra Taurus Pisces Taurus Leo Leo

Norman Borlaug

March 25,1914

Pisces Aquarius Aquarius Pisces Gemini Capricorn Taurus

Martin Luthe King Jr.

January 15,1929

Sagittarius Aquarius Capricorn Aquarius Taurus Pisces Sagittarius

Nobel Laureate

Birth date

Sun Moon Mercury Venus Mars Jupiter Saturn

Linus Pauling

February 28, 1901

Aquarius Gemini Pisces Aquarius Leo Sagittarius

Sagittarius

Dag Hammarskjold

July 29,1905

Cancer Gemini Leo Taurus Libra Taurus Aquarius

Albert Schweitzer

January 14,1875

Capricorn Pisces Capricorn Scorpio Libra Virgo Capricorn

Theodore Roosevelt

October 27,1858

Virgo Gemini Virgo Scorpio Sagittarius Taurus Cancer

Henry Fontaine

April 22,1854

Pisces Aquarius Pisces Aquarius Leo Capricorn Taurus

Thomas Woodrow Wilson

December 28,1856

Sagittarius Sagittarius Sagittarius Capricorn Capricorn Pisces Gemini

Fritjof Nansen

October 10,1861

Virgo Sagittarius Libra Libra Virgo Leo Leo

Nobel Laureate

Birth date

Sun Moon Mercury Venus Mars Jupiter Saturn

Arthur Henderson

September 13,1863

Leo Leo Virgo Virgo Leo Virgo Virgo

Carlos Saavedra Lamas

November 1,1878

Libra Capricorn Libra Virgo Virgo Capricorn Pisces

Carl Ossietzky

October 3,1889

Virgo Capricorn Virgo Leo Leo Sagittarius

Leo

Cordell Hull October 2,1871

Virgo Taurus Leo Virgo Scorpio Gemini Sagittarius

Emily Green Balch

January 8,1867

Sagittarius Capricorn Sagittarius Scorpio Gemini Capricorn Libra

Betty Williams

May 22,1943

Taurus Sagittarius Taurus Gemini Pisces Gemini Taurus

Henry Kissinger

May 27, 1923

Taurus Virgo Taurus Aries Gemini Libra Virgo

Astrology- Scientific scrutiny

• Bernard silverman ( 1967-68 Michigan) 2,978 married couple, 478 divorced couple-

no correlation

• John Mc Gervey – 16.634 scientist, 6475 entries in who’s who in American politics- no basis that occupation predominate under certain sunsign

Astrology Time twin study

• London 1958 – 2004

• 2000 babies born within minute of each other in march

• Compared for decades 100 parameters about health, occupation marital situation, anxiety level, Aggressiveness , sociability, IQ level, abilities in music, art, sport, mathematics, language etc.

No correlation

Journal of conscious studies - 2004

Astrology- Scientific scrutiny

• Roger Culiver & Philip Ionna – statistical study60 occupations

35 physical characteristics 47 medical disorders 26 personality traits Not influence by sun sign

Astrology- Failed prediction

• Roger culiver & Philip john –

3011 specific predictions of Astrologers & Astrological magazines over 5 yrs

338- true (11%)

Astrology

• The science & rationale association of India – Rs. 20,00,000- anyone who can predict death (year & date) of 4 famous personalities by astrology / other psychic power

• James Randi Educational foundation – 1 million dollar if actual effects attributed to Astrology proved under scientific scrutiny

Failed Prediction – Indian scenario

• 1971 elections• 1980 elections• 1989 elections – 12/13 astrologers failed to predict PM• 1980 – International meet of Astrologers in Delhi Dr. N D Shrimali – President – Indian Astrology Federation

-War between India & Pakistan 1982 end -World war 1984 -India 5th biggest power by end of decade

Astrology – This week for you

• “It is better to cancel your travel program as you may have to put up with hindrances & delays. You are lucky in having an ambitious partner who will have beneficial influence on you. You will show philosophical tendencies but you will be particular in your religious beliefs. do not rely too much on friends”

Prof P.V. KrishnaThe Week

Astrology – This week for you

• Patchwork of - Vague statements about readers character Meaning less warnings Commonsense warnings Exotic anticipation

• Man’s ego – assumes vaguely resembling events referring to him.same ego ignores prediction which don’t ‘apply’

Astrology

• UGC – decided to start deptt. Of Vedic Astrology ( Jyotish Vigyan ) in indian universities.

• Fundamental studies as per constitution – to develop scientific temper , humanism & spirit of reform.

Astrology

• It is necessary only for knowledgeable men to do nothing for nonsense to triumph

Edmund Burke

Astrology: Quotes

“ The planets do not make or mar our destiny. We the makers of our destiny.”

Pt Jawahar lal Nehru

“ Let stars come, what harm is there ? If a star disturbs my life, it would not be worth a cent”

Swami Vivekanad

“When you collect the 10 wisest men of the world and ask them to find the most stupid thing in existence, they

will not be able to find anything stupider than astrology.”

David Hilbert, one of the greatest mathematician of the 20th century

Astrology - Quotes

Astrology

• “You will find that all mystical things are generally sign of a weak mind, there for as soon as they are becoming prominent in our mind, we should see a physician, take good food & rest.”

Swami Vivekananda

• “Star gazing & astrology, forecasting lucky or unlucky events by sign , prognosticating good or evil, all these are forbidden.”

Gautam the Buddha

Astrology – Social & psychological dangers

• Marriage & Astrology ‘ Kuja/mangalika Dosha’

• Prediction of calamities in horoscope – psychological agony

• Adversely affect common sense & reasoning

• Precludes individuals attempt to improve. Prevent them from becoming ‘self dependent’ & ‘free persons’

Conclusion

• Astrology – Fascinating symbols , mysterious charts, abstruse calculation

• • Astrology oldest & currently most popular pseudoscience • Proved invalid & baseless

• Has the potential of making weak insecure even more weaker

• Show will go on – too many people like to be deceived & too many available to make money by deceiving

• We should face the world failure lies in ourselves not in stars.

• Change the things for good if you can • Accept the thing you can not change

• Know the difference between two- what you can change & what you cant

Thank You