About a third of Americans believe astrology is "highly scientific" or "somewhat scientific." Is it really? And does it matter in the eyes of science that you are a Pisces or a Virgo? The author of the column "Einstein Every Day" understands these issues.
Does astrology work? Reading horoscopes is a popular pastime, but what does science say about this?
Everyone is looking for what is closer to him:
70 million Americans read horoscopes every day. That's according to the American Federation of Astrologers. According to a study by the Pew Forum of Religion and Public Life 20 years ago, 25% of Americans believe that the positions of stars and planets affect our daily life. In 2012, a public opinion poll found that 34% of Americans consider astrology a "highly scientific" or "somewhat scientific" discipline. Along the way, it turned out that the proportion of those who consider astrology "not at all a science" dropped from two-thirds to about half.
Astrology is usually understood as the belief that astronomical phenomena, for example, the constellation at the time of your birth or the waning Mercury, somehow influence everyday events in our life and determine our personal qualities. This, of course, is very different from astronomy, which scientifically studies celestial bodies, outer space and the physics of the universe.
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A special, applied side of astrology is gaining popularity - forecasting the future and household advice on how to live, that is, horoscopes. Magazines like The Cut report that horoscope page traffic has increased 150% in 2017 compared to 2016.
Obviously, many people try to interpret the stars and turn to them for advice. Astrology is based on the position of the stars - which in itself seems to be quite a scientific pursuit. But is there any scientific evidence that confirms that astrology somehow affects our personality and destiny?
So, in short, no.