rpjday@watrose.UUCP (rpjday) (05/07/86)
From: dhenson@islenet.UUCP (Donald D. Henson) > Come on, folks. Surely, you don't believe in that astrology garbage. If > you do, you might want to take a look at a report on astrology in the > December 5, 1985 issue of "Nature". A Univ of California researcher, > Shawn Carlson performed a double-blind (and scientifically valid) test > of astrology. His conclusions? "Astrologers who claim they can analyze > a person's character and predict a person's life course just by reading the > 'stars' are fooling the public and themselves." > > Let's throw a little science on some of the bs. Carlson is half right -- they're certainly fooling the public. The main problem with the above article is that it is difficult to follow for someone who has no experience with statistics, since it discusses standard deviations and confidence intervals, and so on. But that's the price you pay when you want to make sure that there ain`t no loopholes to squirm through after the shooting is over. The most important point made by the article is that the tests were designed and approved by both scientists AND astrologers, the astrologers having been recommended by an organization who call themselves the National Center for Geocosmic Research, whose name alone should be worth millions in research grants. The final result -- it just doesn't work. For interested parties, there is a fairly detailed book on the history of astrology by L. E. Jerome, entitled "Astrology Disproved", from Prometheus Books, the book company that proves, once and for all, if you try to sell reason to the public, you'll never get rich. The Jerome book is somewhat dry, and deals a lot with the POLITICAL origins of astrology, thereby showing that it has very little scientific basis. Well, it's been fun, now it's vacation time, see you folks in a couple of months, unless I get in a last-minute posting before setting out "back on the roooooad, agin". rpjday CAPRICORN: You are egotistical and self-centered, and your friends talk about you behind your back. You can generally be found in the back row of X-rated movie theaters. Most child molesters are Capricorns.