Astrology Thread

[Bachchu Yadav]

It was an attempt made by BJP government in 2002-03. Murali Manohar Joshi has introduced Astrology as a science subject in universities. It met with criticism as 'faghwaisation' of indian education system.

Do you believe in Astrology? Or do you think it is a science?

Let me let you an interesting but true incidence:

In an UPSC interview, a student has written as astrology as hobby.

Interviewer: Do you believe in astrology ?
Student: Yes, I do.
Interviewer: Do you think one can predict future by gauging star locations.
Student: Yes with some degree.
Interviewer: Ok, now tell, what your star says, will you get selected?
Student: (after thinking ..) Yes.

But at last :thumb: interviewer failed him.

 

[devgupt]

All theories of science are open to falsification, which is not in the case of astrology. Also astrology relies on untestable supernatural causes which it doesn't makes an effort to explain.
Its a pseudoscience

 

[The Messiah]

Movement of stars deciding your destiny ? Id call that hogwash!

 

[Son of Govinda]

Astrology is not based on any kind of natural reasoning or inference. It's pure outdated rubbish that has no place in modern academics.

 

[Bachchu Yadav]

OK, Then why on almost every Indian TV channel , There is show on astrology. Some baba with lot of mala and Bhagwa dress give dictations based on star sign.

Absurdity is being sold still none objects. One may say that because people watches them,that's why TV air such thing.So it mean our Indian main stream society is full of absurdities and non-sense traditions and beliefs. How can India be a superpower with such glaring pseudo-sciences ? Don't say they will vanish by that time. Even our media supports such non-sense and false beliefs.

 

[Bachchu Yadav]

Look yourself

 

[Son of Govinda]

OK, Then why on almost every Indian TV channel , There is show on astrology. Some baba with lot of mala and Bhagwa dress give dictations based on star sign.

Absurdity is being sold still none objects. One may say that because people watches them,that's why TV air such thing.So it mean our Indian main stream society is full of absurdities and non-sense traditions and beliefs. How can India be a superpower with such glaring pseudo-sciences ? Don't say they will vanish by that time. Even our media supports such non-sense and false beliefs.

The west is still really into astrology to, it's just not as mainstream. People have the right to believe in it if they want to, but science isn't about rights it's about logic. Therefore 90% of India could believe in it and I wouldn't care unless they tried claiming it a scientific fact.

There are a lot of Christian fundamentalists in America who deny evolution, it doesn't make American any less scientific because they protect the ideal of science and reason.

 

[Bachchu Yadav]

The west is still really into astrology to, it's just not as mainstream. People have the right to believe in it if they want to, but science isn't about rights it's about logic. Therefore 90% of India could believe in it and I wouldn't care unless they tried claiming it a scientific fact.

There are a lot of Christian fundamentalists in America who deny evolution, it doesn't make American any less scientific because they protect the ideal of science and reason.

The point is , It is accepted by mainstream society and, rather than awaking people , Media is cashing on this ill-logic science.Do you know why Indian never build an huge navy or great explorers in past, Because there was belief that one would loose his Dharma .

Some thousands of soldiers could conquer India ,not because Indian swords were blunt, but due to these ill-logical beliefs , superstitions and unscientific traditions.

 

[LurkerBaba]

Slightly offtopic, but the biggest pseudoscience that Indians belive in is Homeopathy (most are not even aware that it's complete crap).

We even have government sponsored clinics !

http://homoeopathy.up.nic.in/english/homeopathy.html

 

[Son of Govinda]

Slightly offtopic, but the biggest pseudoscience that Indians belive in is Homeopathy (most are not even aware that it's complete crap).

We even have government sponsored clinics !

Homeopathy, Govt of Uttar Pradesh

For Real? Dear god.... there is a lot of work to be done

 

[pmaitra]

Astrology is not a science, but a para-science, because although there is correlation in some of the interpretations, there is no explanation. Since correlation is not necessarily causation, astrology cannot be called a science.

However, it is absolutely correct to have astrology as a subject of study. There are religious schools and people also earn degrees in theology and other religious studies. It should also be constitutional, because, astrology relies on faith, and in the Indian context, it is often conflate with religion. Moreover, there is a practice where a witness stands in the court of law and swears by a religious book, where religion, again, is not a science. Therefore, if religion can be legally and constitutionally cognizable, so should astrology be.

 

[pmaitra]

Slightly offtopic, but the biggest pseudoscience that Indians belive in is Homeopathy (most are not even aware that it's complete crap).

We even have government sponsored clinics !

Homeopathy, Govt of Uttar Pradesh

I would beg to differ. Homoeopathy works, and I can vouch for that. Allopathy also works, but it can also be dismissed as crap because almost all allopathic medicines have side effects, i.e., they cure one disease and create another disease. Homoeopathy does not cure serious illness, but the injection of minute amounts of toxins and pathogens in the body triggers the generation of responsive cells, like Natural Killer T-cells, as well a lymph. Many of the homoeopathic medicines are sourced from poisonous plants, such as, Atropa belladonna, which, if taken in large amounts can be fatal, but in small amounts, they are known to cure illness.

The statistical data supporting homoeopathy are disputed, however, to make anything disputed, all one needs to do is start a dispute. Disputes also exist whether medicines like betamethasone-sodium-phosphate should be administered, because of the high amounts of harmful side effects it creates. Now, betamethasone-sodium-phosphate, for example, is a chemical compound, so is Natrum-Mur, a homoeopathic medicine (guess what that is? NaCl or common salt).

Then, there is a psychological effect of medicines. Even if there is no medicine, just giving a dose of some plain glucose tablets to someone and saying it will cure actually instills confidence that boosts the immunity of the body. Psychotherapy is very widespread and also acknowledged.

One should keep in mind that the rich pharma companies definitely do not want to lose their lucrative markets, and it is in their interest to fund only that research that upholds their industry and challenges homoeopathy. This is just like the super-bug that was named after New Delhi. Just look who funded that research (I know this, thanks to Arnab Goswami and associates, who unmasked those who were funding that research).

At the end of the day, it is all business.

 

[W.G.Ewald]

Scientific investigation requires a hypothesis to be postulated and tested. Such does not seem to be the case with astrology.

( I have not seen published research testing homeopathic hypotheses, but rather much anecdotal evidence.)

 

[plugwater]

Movement of stars deciding your destiny ? Id call that hogwash!

You know they are predicting future with the movements of stars which happened thousands of years ago!!

To be clear the stars we are seeing every night are not really there since the light emitted by them take thousands of years to reach us!!

 

[Mad Indian]

Ya, astrology is science just like Palm reading, fortune telling, Numerology, Thisology, Thatology and Thereitisology

 

[Bhadra]

It was an attempt made by BJP government in 2002-03. Murali Manohar Joshi has introduced Astrology as a science subject in universities. It met with criticism as 'faghwaisation' of indian education system.

Do you believe in Astrology? Or do you think it is a science?

Let me let you an interesting but true incidence:

In an UPSC interview, a student has written as astrology as hobby.

Interviewer: Do you believe in astrology ?
Student: Yes, I do.
Interviewer: Do you think one can predict future by gauging star locations.
Student: Yes with some degree.
Interviewer: Ok, now tell, what your star says, will you get selected?
Student: (after thinking ..) Yes.

But at last :thumb: interviewer failed him.

@Bachchu

Anti venom is science? asked the man a doctors.
Of course it is scientific, said the doctor.
Do you have anti venom with you?
Yes of course, said the doctor.
The man pulled out a deadly snake out of his bag and let the snake bite the doctor twice on his hand.
Then he asked the doctor to apply anti venom injections which the doctor did>
The doctor died in an hour ! While dyeing, the man asked him if his anti venom was based on science ??

@
@
@
your arguments are like that ? It is improper understanding of what science is and a tendency to take as the universal truth which it is not.

 

[Bhadra]

You know they are predicting future with the movements of stars which happened thousands of years ago!!

To be clear the stars we are seeing every night are not really there since the light emitted by them take thousands of years to reach us!!

You mean to say the relative position and angular distances between stars remain the same since thousands of years? Then it is something else which is moving or every thing is moving in synchronisation. Say the angular displacement between Lemda Scopio and Libra star remains same from the days of Aryabhatta to day. So what you say is in air. What is moving and with what speed is a matter of astronomy. No student of astronomy would make such lame statement.

you said "You know they are predicting future with the movements of stars" and that " which happened thousands of years ago!! " bothe the stsement shows deep ignorance of the subject. Still you are bashing a subject merely on prejudice.

 

[plugwater]

You mean to say the relative position and angular distances between stars remain the same since thousands of years? Then it is something else which is moving or every thing is moving in synchronisation. Say the angular displacement between Lemda Scopio and Libra star remains same from the days of Aryabhatta to day. So what you say is in air. What is moving and with what speed is a matter of astronomy. No student of astronomy would make such lame statement.

I am no student of astronomy nor i believe in it.

Predicting the future with the stars 1000+ years old positions is lame, that is all i meant.

 

[StarShip Enterprise]

Slightly offtopic, but the biggest pseudoscience that Indians belive in is Homeopathy (most are not even aware that it's complete crap).

We even have government sponsored clinics !

Homeopathy, Govt of Uttar Pradesh

i take homeopathy drug for high blood pressure, and i know it works.

its just not some psychological effect or some placebo effect.

homeo has got very good Blood Pressure drug, i can vouch for that. better yet, no side effect.

homeopathy is medical science . dont fall for some turf war of allopathy and their R&D

 

[Mad Indian]

better yet, no side effect.

That has been found or documented so far there, your sentence is complete

I know how allopathy works. It involves the study of the action of molecules in the body and the use of another set of molecules to counter its effect.

the problem is one molecule may have more than one function and hence the counter molecule can actually counter various other works of the same molecule it is supposed to counter,instead of just countering the specific action which needs to be countered- and hence the side effects.