Scientific Proof for Astrology?
The GuardIan reports:
The argument Seymour puts forward is that the movement of the Sun, moon and sundry planets from Jupiter to Mars, interfere with the Earth's magnetic field. In doing so, the unborn offspring of expectant mothers around the world are exposed to different magnetic fields that toy with the development of their budding brains.
That actually sounds a bit plausible at first glance... but then again, so did the claims that gravity was the means by which the planets influenced people's behavior.
Seymour's suggestion that the stars and planets rule over us has largely been received with the shortest of shrifts. "All I can say is that I have yet to meet another scientist that agrees with his views," says Jacqueline Mitton of the Royal Astronomical Society. "It's right up there with stuff like crop circles being made by extra-terrestrials," says Robert Massey, astronomer at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, where Seymour worked as a planetarium lecturer in the early 70s.
Most scientists dismiss Seymour's arguments simply because the changes in the Earth's magnetic field that he believes are so significant for our behaviour are so minute. The magnetic field, which is generated by the Earth's spinning molten iron core, is pathetically weak compared with the magnetic fields our gadgets and infrastructure produce. Earlier this year, the government's radiation watchdog, the National Radiological Protection Board, recommended that Britain cut magnetic field exposure from power lines to 100 microteslas, which is still twice the Earth's natural field strength.
"If the Earth's magnetic field collapsed to zero, we'd get a higher dose of radiation from space and that would have an effect on our behaviour, but I don't think it would make it any easier to predict if you're going to come into money one week or the next," says Massey. "Your mobile phone, your television, your washing machine - any electrical equipment you have generates far stronger magnetic fields than the Earth's field."
This is, basically, the same rebuttal given to the aforementioned claim about gravity: sure, the planets have an effect on the gravity and the magnetic fields around us, but that effect is minute — especially in comparison to the effects on gravity and magnetic fields produced by everyday objects around us. The doctor has a greater gravitational pull on a newborn baby that does Mars. The doctor's cell phone has a greater impact on the magnetic field around a same baby than does Jupiter. This is, to put it simply, an example of obviously and desperately grasping at straws.
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I’m sorry but Astrology has already been established as a Science through computer correlations of signs with general career choices.
Don’t just claim that the proof exists, provide sources and citations of the proof. Anyone can write something like that; it doesn’t make it true.
Planets and astral bodies have stable, predictable and coherent effects (in spatio-temporal domain) on the human beings, while the gravitational fields of the doctors, nurses etc and the electromagnetic fields produced by the T.V. and other gadgets are non-coherent and random canceling their respective effects in the time and space domain. So, the arguments put forth by Austin Cline, are not acceptable, and the arguments by Seymour may be valid. So, if there is no proof for Astrology there none against too.
Please provide support for this claim.
Dear Austin,
Like me, I believe, you are also hard-shelled. I am always questioning, too!. I did expect exactly the response you tendered to me viz.
“Please provide support for this claim!”.
Yes!!, I have not done any personal research in this matter. But, I only find contradictory papers/ reports in this regard. For instance:
(i). FOR
*Moon phases , Suicide, and Homicide: In studies of the possible influence of weather in suicide and homicide (1, 2), it was noted that there was still some reference to the role of the moon.
–Pokorny,A. D.,eta!.:Am. J.Psychiat., 120: 377, 1963.
–Pokorny, A. D., and Davis, F.: Ibid., 120: 806, 1964.
**However, Tholuck and Spann have suggested that there may be a positive relationship between suicide and the day before the perigee of the moon.
–Spann, W.: Deutsch. Z. Ges. Gerichtl. Med., 43: 528, 1955.
–Tholuck,H.: Beitr.Gerichtl. Med., 16: 121,1942.
(ii). AGAINST (Most of the more recent reports have discounted the influence of the moon):
Madness and the Moon: The Lunar Cycle and Psychopathology (”http://www.gjpsy.uni-goettingen.de/gjp-article-owens.pdf”).
Historically, there has been a perceived association between the moon and human biology and behavior that can be traced back to at least Roman times. The idea that the moon can in some way influence human biology or behavior is a phenomenon that has now come to known as the “Transylvanian effect” in the academic literature. Many mental health professionals continue to hold the belief that lunar cycles can alter human behavior despite contradictory evidence, but may also be due to personal, ethical, aesthetic, and intuitive ways of knowing. However, studies that have reported positive findings have been shown to be methodologically flawed, inconclusive, or confounded with other variables. Contrary to this belief in a Transylvanian effect are more recent studies refuting any association, relationship, or correlation between lunar cycles and human biology or behavior. The vast majority of research relating to this phenomenon has been carried out retrospectively utilizing secondary data (German J Psychiatry 2006,9:123-127).
**The study cited at “http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/reprint/121/1/66.pdf” also negates the claims of Astrology.
Now the question arises what to believe? I am trained as Medical Professional (M.D.) and a Biophysicist (D.R.M.). Should I believe that subtle gravitational and electromagnetic fields from astral bodies affects the biosystems to the extent that it supports the claims of Astrology. Or, should I accept the statistical analysis favouring notions of Astrology. Rationally I have problems with both these because:
(a). Earth’s gravitational field is stronger than “anything around (!)’. And, the rather substantial, electromagnetic field attendant to body’s own bioelectric phenomena can easily deter the perturbations from the subtle electromagnetic field from the astral-bodies.
(b). And, Statistics! (uff oh!!): The fact that “99% of the people dying in a road accident in a metropolis city were found to wear a wrist-watch” shouldn’t make us believe that the wrist-watch is the cause of death.
So, I am back to square one. I would like to wait from any body including “Johnson — who Commented on November 3, 2006 @ 3:52 pm” who can give me objective evidence that favors the tenets of Astrology. Till that time I am your pal; personally it looks to me that we shall keep as pals forever. Let me share a secret with you – shhhhh; last year I passed a ‘Graduate Diploma in Vedic Astrology’ with honors (but I am skeptic to use it, and believe me I have never looked in to my own horoscope). I am sure you have read (whatsoever, for or against) about the Western Astrology only, and probably not Vedic Astrology. So, let me feel one-sidedly (hic!) that ‘Vedic Astrology’ doest work (hic,hic); (! Please don’t ask me evidence this time! [ ):>( ]; I have passed a Diploma (after all !!) [ (:>() ]; at least till the time you have evidences against (!) [ |:>|| ].
Dear Austin, this is the lighter side of me in a late afternoon after a busy schedules of my patients. I enjoyed writing to you. I hope I have not beaten around the bushes. But, let me tell you I believe in Astrology only as much exactly as you believe in. That’s right?
Sincerely (and of course always skeptically),
Yours,
Dhan