Bombay High Court Rules Astrology Science, Palm Reading Applied Science.

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The Bombay High Court ruled in a case that Astrology is science, and that palm reading is an applied science. I wonder what they have to say on Alchemy, which always was my favourite subject. The lawsuit was brought by an NGO challenging ‘fake’ astrologers, tantriks, practitioners of Vastu shastra.:

Indeed!

In this light, Professor Brian Cox, a particle physicist at the University of Manchester and host of Wonders of the Solar System on the Science Channel, is nothing short of a heretic. He has brought the wrath of the Astrological Association of Great Britain upon himself by saying on BBC2′s “Stargazing Live” show, that “astrology is nonsense”.

The Association now wants the BBC to commit to "making a fair and balanced representation of astrology in the future". Ah yes, the old anti-astrology bias - undoubtedly, the Liberals at BBC are at it again.

 

I read the article, and I understand that the point that was being contested was that astrology often comes up with the wrong prediction. Because of this, they said it fell under the "The Drugs and Megical Remedies Act" and the "Objectionable Advertisements" of the same. What I don't understand is this: What exactly were they suing for? India has modernized dramitically in recent years. I imagine a major city like Bombay has hospitals and other health care locations available to the populace which would obviate the need of "Megical Remedies".

While I think that considering astrology as a science is a joke, is there actually a large segment of India's population that relies on such stuff in the place of drugs and actual medical remedies for ailments? We have astrologers in the US too - but we don't go to them when we get sick. I would think that the education system in India - just given the number of Indian doctors we have in the US - would indicate that the average Indian doesn't go to see an astrologer seeking cures - at least not in the place of traditional medicine.

So was the lawsuit simply to ban astrologers and the like from advertising that they could cure certain things?

 

Well, then no court ruling is going to change that either way. Stupid is as stupid does.

 

The deeper studies into astrology and its applications are actually quite fascinating, and I know I come from a highly minority viewpoint here.

It's comparative of macrocosm to microcosm, essentially a study of correlation not unlike the majority of statistics. Passing it as a science, perhaps a little overreaching

There is recorded evidence of different seasonal and cyclic changes that regularly occur in effecting a persons life, for example the higher rates of prison or asylum trouble along with statistics on crime rates have been noted to be higher during periods of the full moon (The derivative of Lunacy) there are also studies saying people born during the autumn have an average longer lifespan - theorhetically due to the mothers diet being more rich over the summer mothers. Different school years will have noteable traits that aren't necessarily present in adjacent years but may be noticeable in the same class five years ago. (Of course there are, as always, as many studies that will cite the complete opposite )

It's collating recorded social, medical and historical observations and aligning them with periodic cycles that correspond with them by means of the solar system that can easily be recorded, predicted and utilised to calculate a specific combination.

 

Are you sure of the full moon thing? I know that I saw some programme that discussed that and asked around and looked at statistics and could see no increase in crime, or people being committed to asylums or anything at all.

 

Astrology is crap. Obviously, truth can only be read reliably from the entrails of a chicken.

Point is, I had chicken hearts (in port sauce) on Saturday. I am truth now.

 

That's exactly my point. I have no problem with people praying, but I think anyone who eschews traditional medical treatment in favor of faith healing is remarkably foolish, and I feel the same way about astrology. I don't care if people enjoy participating in astrology, and I don't even have a problem if people believe in its predictive powers, but this court case specifically focused on falsely advertising "Megical Remedies" of astrologers. So yes, I do think the "stupid is as stupid does" principle can be applied equally to both astrological cures and faith healers.

 

The gullible and their money easily part.

 

I used to be a firm believer in astrology until the experts recently told us that everyting is off by about a month, so rather than being an Aries, I am instead a Pisces. I ain't no f***ing fish!

 

Unsurprisingly, my views align with those of Professor Brian Cox.

I don't know if there are many studies suggesting a lunar cycle/crime correlation. Indeed, a quick Google search lead me to 2 studies that found no link between the two, and a blog post summarising another eight which agreed. Conclusion was "It is concluded that lunar phase is not related to
human behavior and that the few positive findings are examples of a Type
I error." (Psych Bull. 85, 1123-1129)

So it's your entrails we need to start reading then? Good to know.

Heh. I was highly amused when I found that out because the news article I read it in was followed by a stream of comments protesting that the findings were wrong because they knew that their old star sign fit them better. Better to pretend the news didn't happen than accept I've been wrong all this time!

 

Oh god not that bloody astrology thing again...

What was 'reported' as saying the signs are off by about a month is actually a comparison of two different astrological systems. Tropical systems used by western and a majority of eastern astrologists focuses on a system where each sign is given 30 degrees and the correlations are focused around that. Vedic or sidereal astrology focuses on the actual constelations which alter in positions because the earth wobbles like a top slowing down. However there's also the fact that a few constellations have been changed due to overlaps in stars or simplifying the system - for example the claws of scorpio were integrated into libra to make the constellations separate.

Your star sign won't change unless you decide to change system.

I also did say that there would be studies for boths sides of the argument There are for most things medical, scientific, statistical and theorhetical.

The risk comes from the source of the much of of astrology is amateur attempts to get money from desperation rather than to practice a craft and refine it. There is also misrepresentation, if Astrology is indeed to be viewed as a science you still wouldn't go to a physicist for medical advice, same as you wouldn't go to a vet first and you wouldn't go to a GP to understand tidal effects on the geography of primarily soft rocked islands.

 

Over my dead body ... oh, wait ...

 

IMHO, astrology is a religious belief system. It well and truly looks to a "higher power" for guidance in daily life. You don't get much higher than the stars, do you? Like many religions, it has a complicated system of belief patterns. Like many Eastern religions, it doesn't have much of a belief in sapient deity(ies) but rather is more pantheist / animist in approach.

Given that I too am religious, I hesitate to be overly dismissive or patronizing toward the practice. Obviously as a Christian I don't believe in astrology, but being a Christian shouldn't mean insulting or deriding other faith systems.

 

That was exactly what I was saying in a previous post when I compared megical cures offered by astrologers to faith healers. I do think it is comparable to religion, but with more of a link to mysticism than actual worship as you pointed out.

However, I don't think pointing such out (that their effectiveness - or lack thereof - is comparable to faith healers) should be considered to be insulting or deriding them. You're a Christian - but you still go see a doctor, and not a priest when you are sick.

 

Oh, I completely agree with that. Belief is wonderful and powerful and can work miracles, but whatever higher power exists also gave us reason and expects us to use it. I lose respect for faith systems that do not include proper medical care in their approach to dealing with actual medical problems.

In that sense, I believe that the Indian court has made a drastic mistake. Religious groups should not be taking money for medical treatments that cannot be proved in the here and now.