Good morning. Looks like a busy few days ahead. I am speaking in Edinburgh on Thursday, Dublin on Friday and Leicester on Tuesday. If you are around, please come and say hello.
So, I thought it might be fun to test astrology. I have just been to a very popular astrology site and looked up the horoscope of a particular star sign for yesterday (14th July). Here it is….
“Your heart may be fully engaged in something sweet and romantic, but you know you’ve got more going on than that. It’s a good day for you to check in with your people all over the map.”
So, think about yesterday and then…
1) Rate how accurate it was between 1 (not at all accurate) and 10 (very accurate)
and
2) State your star sign. To help out, here is the list
|
ARIES |
MARCH 21 – APRIL 20 |
|
TAURUS |
APRIL 21 – MAY 21 |
|
GEMINI |
MAY 22 – JUNE 21 |
|
CANCER |
JUNE 22 – JULY 23 |
|
LEO |
JULY 24 – AUG 23 |
|
VIRGO |
AUG 24 – SEPT 23 |
|
LIBRA |
SEPT 24 – OCT 23 |
|
SCORPIO |
OCT 24 – NOV 22 |
|
SAGITTARIUS |
NOV 23 – DEC 22 |
|
CAPRICORN |
DEC 23 – JAN 20 |
|
AQUARIUS |
JAN 21 – FEB 19 |
|
PISCES |
FEB 20 – MAR 20 |
If astrology is true, then those with the ‘right’ star sign should give higher ratings than others. But will that be the case?
6 – Capricorn
2 – Pisces
7 – Capricorn
4 – Cancer
5- Gemini
5 Gemini
6 – Virgo
0 – Libra
3 – Aquarius
2 Aquarius
1 – Taurus
2 – Capricorn
Rating = 1. I’m a Sagittarius.
4 – Gemini
2 – Scorpio
2 – Gemini
2 – Scorpio
1 – Scorpio
5 – Cancer
1 – Libra
2 – Taurus
1 – Virgo
1 Pisces
1- Libra
10 – Gemini (I did contact people all over the US I have not talked to in a while yesterday.) But star signs? Astrology as I know it does not work like that.
But, I know if you look at insurance records and driving, some signs are clearly better risks than others. I know Geminis don’t have as many wrecks as many other signs.
1 Cancer
I always tell people I don’t have a star sign but any its Gemini and I give it a score of 1.
1 – taurus
Oh, btw, should we also consider that the actual position of the sun is not necessarily in the constellation of our “birth sign”? The dates are for ancient history when this stuff was made up, but over time, things have changed and Earth isn’t “in” those signs on exactly those dates anymore. And really there should be a 13th Zodiac sign, as well – Ophiuchus should be the sign for anyone born between Nov. 30 and Dec. 17. And although I’m a Libra, I’m really a Virgo!
(Let’s not even consider that the boundaries between one constellation and the other are just “decided”, there is no real basis for putting the boundary one place over another).
http://www.geocities.com/astrologyzodiacs/realsolarzodiac.htm
What is this Ophiuchus sign?
7 Aries
0, Pisces.
2 – Pisces
Taurus – 1
1 – Capricorn
1 – Aquarius
1…….woefully inaccurate.
Sagittarius
1- Saggitarius
1 – Sagitarius
2 – sagitarius
6 – Taurus
2 Virgo
1 – Pisces
3 – Leo
5 – scorpio
1 – Aries
(I had dental work yesterday, was not keen to speak to anyone, and certainly not sweet and romantic)
2 – Sagittarius
1 – Taurus
3 Scorpio
1 – pisces
Oughtn’t we post whether or not we believe in astrology, too?
1-Scorpio
1 – Scorpipo
This thread would make a nice starting point for someone looking to build up their identify theft portfolio…. Just sayin’.
0 – 19 Feb
1 – Sagittarius
1 Scorpio
8 – Cancer.
(My birthday is July 23, and I always thought I was a Leo on the cusp of Cancer, but according to your chart, I’m a Cancer on the cusp of Leo. Calculate it whichever way you wish.)
2 – Cancer
Travis we have the same birthday.. and I always thought I was a Leo on the cusp of Cancer too!
2 – Gemini
1 – Aquarius
7 – Sagittarius
2 – Virgo
3- Aquarius
7 – Virgo
How do you collaborate data with these experiments here and on twitter? are they manually entered by hand?
0 – Gemini
0 – Pisces
Are negative intergers allowed?
This was a 1 no, make that a 0 for me.
1- Sagittarius
Oops… Scorpio
1 – Sagittarius
What happened to Ophiuchus?
3.5 – LIBRA
So far Gemini, Aries and Cancer leading the field…with Libra, Sagitarius and Pisces bringing up the rear…only 46 respondants though. Probably need at least 300 more to make it a meaningful measure.
Yes it is simplistic and many astrologers reject tabloid astrology. But still it will be interesting to see what the result is
8 – virgo
Virgo
I am a Taurus
10 – aquarius
0 – Pisces
6 – Libra
4 – Leo
10 – Libra
A classic rainbow rouse opener, followed by a statement so vague it could meant anything!
And still it doesnt come close!
0
Scorpio
libra
8 – cancer (Have fun with MS excel)
1 – Sagittarius
0- aquarius
0 – Gemini
1 – pisces
8 – Cancer
(I’m getting married in a couple of weeks and I need to contact a few people about the wedding plans, so the statement could be construed as accurate for me, I guess. But I’m sure there’s a twist…)
1 – Taurus
9 – Capricorn
It’s particularly entertaining when you realize that I’m polyamorous, have 2 long-term romantic relationships and am just starting 2 new ones, and one of my long-term sweeties has recently moved 3000 miles away. Yesterday I went to the movies with my local boyfriend (who has been very sweet and romantic lately) and my new potential partner (who lives 2 hours away) and his wife. I also had a phone conversation with my other sweetie (the one who moved across the country) yesterday.
I’m highly amused.
““Your heart may be fully engaged in something sweet and romantic” – what else should a “heart” be doing, if you define “heart” as the seat of the romantic emotions?
“but you know you’ve got more going on than that” – who doesn’t?
“It’s a good day for you to check in with your people all over the map.” – almost *every* day could be a good day for that; but as it happens I was working from 8 in the morning to 10.30 at night.
Depending on how you interpret it, either quite inaccurate or accurate in a general way but nearly meaningless.
1 – Gemini.
2 – pisces
2 – Gemini
1 – Virgo
1 Aquarius.
3 – Leo
1 although it should really be 0 and I’m a Leo
1 – Libra
1 – Virgo
Scorpio – 8
1 – Taurus
1 – Aries
2 Sagittarius
1 – Pisces
1 – pices
1 – pisces
1 – Virgo.
6 – Capricorn
“Your heart may be fully engaged in something sweet and romantic”–I’ve no one with whom to *be* romantic, so nil points there.
“but you know you’ve got more going on than that.”–As someone else said, who doesn’t?
“It’s a good day for you to check in with your people all over the map.”–Always a good day for that. I like my people.
Nice and generally applicable, as always. I give it a 1. I’m an Aquarius/Capricorn cusp.
2 – Virgo
1 – Leo
TAURUS – 0 (OK 1 if I have to)
I’m another moon child, so I may be ARIES depending on the year, location, time and altitude of my birth.
1- Taurus
2 – cancer
1- Gemini
2, Virgo
2 – Taurus
1 – Capricorn
5 – neither very accurate nor very inaccurate. Capricorn/Aquarius cusp
1 – Aquarius
1 – Gemini
2 – Pisces
1 – Aquarius
1 – Libra
4 – Virgo
1 – Pisces
1 – Pisces
4 – Leo
107 entries up til 9:39.
Cancer 5.1 average, Capricorn 4.6 are the front runners.
Pisces 1.3, Sagitarius 1.7 are the back markers.
Sceptical bunch!
I’ve converted 0s to 1s (as the scale is 1-10).
10 – Libra
Your heart may be fully engaged in something sweet and romantic – yes, am happily loved up, so this is true pretty much all the time.
but you know you’ve got more going on than that – well yes – woman can’t live on love alone, obviously there is more in my life.
It’s a good day for you to check in with your people all over the map. – as is every day, particularly when you live in a different country to most of your friends.
1 – Capricorn
2 – Capricorn
2 – Scorpio
1 – Taurus
1 – Aries
I claim not to believe in this sort of stuff but, having said that, I did find myself talking about it yesterday, positing the theory that “if you believe in this sort of thing” then the reason I don’t get on with a colleague is that we share a birthday and are both antagonistic Arians. Do I need help?
Rating – 4
Starsign – Leo
1 – Scorpio
1 Libra
1- Aquarius
A generous score of 2.
I’m supposedly Aries.
2 SAGITTARIUS
1 – Aries
1 Taurus
7 Sagittarius
1 – Gemini
6 – Capricorn
but as others have said, I probably have a few days of every week which could be made to fit as well.
1 – Aries
1 – Aries
5 – Aries
But…. I would expect the accuracy values given by most people posting here to be quite a bit lower than the, shall we say, average population. Most folks who read your blog are likely to be well aware of these sorts of generalizations, and thus rate this particular statement quite a bit lower. My extremely cursory overview of the responses would appear to bear this out.
A bell curve of these answers would show a *huge* shift to the left, even if we count the many 0s as 1s.
9 – Aries
[...] http://richardwiseman.wordpress.com/2009/07/15/lets-test-astrology/ [...]
2 – Gemini
4- Pisces
After 128 entries, here are the average points per sign:
Cancer 5.1
Capricorn 4.2
Libra 3.6
Virgo 3.1
Aries 2.9
Leo 2.8
Gemini 2.8
Aquarius 2.3
Sagitarius 2.1
Scorpio 2.0
Taurus 1.6
Pisces 1.3
1 Libra
Of course that won’t be the case. Sun-signs are nonsense, and the people who write them do astrology no favours. Take it from an astrologer – there is no such thing as ‘a Leo’ or ‘an Aries’.
The very system on which sun-sign horoscopes are based is flawed. So this test really can’t work, though I’m quite sure that that’s what Richard had in mind.
You can’t disprove astrology by testing sun-signs. And you definitely can’t prove it this way.
I’ll admit – I thought sun sign astrology was the full extent of astrology. I did not realise the distinction between sun sign and horoscopic (am I right that you are in favour of horoscopic astrology?)
For full satisfaction though, I’d like to see Richard arrange a test for horoscopic astrology.
In any case, this is some light hearted entertainment to make fun of newspaper astrology. Either way the result will say nothing anyway, this is just one, uncontrolled fun-trial on a blog, nothing scientific.
1 – Capricorn
By the way, full tests of ‘proper’ astrology have been done several times, and the results were consistently negative. There’s simply no link between the planets and our lives. How surprising…
Full tests of proper astrology, eh? I’d be interested to see the results, but I notice you didn’t name any. Were these tests carried out by James Randi?
Drew there have been plenty of controlled studies into ‘proper’ astrology and as anonymous said they have been consistently negative. You cannot make the accusation that astrologers have not been given a chance by mainstream scientists.
Here are three such studies, none of which were conducted by James Randi seeing as you have a problem with him.
A great study was conducted by a researcher at the University of California named Shawn Carlson. A decent review of this study is worth reading here:
http://psychicinvestigator.com/demo/AstroSkc.htm
Or you could read the full article in Nature here:
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v318/n6045/abs/318419a0.html
Here’s another study in which “participants were unable
to identify their own astrological charts at a greater-than-chance level.”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18649494
Here’s another one, which states “this test leaves no doubt that astrology does not have any predictive power as far as academic ability is concerned.”
http://www.ias.ac.in/currsci/mar102009/641.pdf
I have named three studies, do you have any controlled studies of astrology that you could point to as evidence to support your claims?
Well, you say sun signs are nonsense, but other astrologers would claim that it is *your* form of astrology is bunk, and only *their* form is *proper* astrology. How many thousands of astrology books out there, all purporting to teach you the right way to read charts?
Which ought to be a pretty good clue that it’s all nonsense. If astrology could actually do anything, by now it’d be a science, and there wouldn’t be any question of what the right way to do it is.
As to what studies are out there? Well, here’s two:
http://psychicinvestigator.com/demo/AstroSkc.htm
http://www.ias.ac.in/currsci/mar102009/641.pdf
No doubt you will dismiss them as not being tests of “proper” astrology. But when you do, give at least a cursory thought to the preceding two paragraphs.
Anyway, even if there was only one true form of astrology, you’re correct that what we’re doing on this blog would hardly constitute disproof… but that’s okay, because there’s no need to “disprove” anything. It’s your job as an astrologer to prove it. So far, nobody’s been able to in several thousand years. But no doubt you’re just the person to overcome that.
Drew, when you mention Randi, what are you insinuating?
I wasn’t insinuating, Matt, simply asking if these ‘full tests’ were the ones performed by Randi, and recently used by Penn and Teller. If these are the ones anon. is referring to, they were hardly fair tests.
To answer your previous question – I am an astrologer, but I do not believe in sun-signs, or, indeed, tabloid horoscopes. I’ve actually debunked sun signs on my own site. It’s very easy to do, but one has to look into the ridiculous method, rather than set up a test such as this.
(To leave you with a tip – Western astrology is based on seasons, not constellations – so you weren’t ‘born under’ any sign. And your sun sign says absolutely nothing about your personality. Calling somebody an Aries is like calling somebody a March/April.)
Best wishes,
Drew
See http://www.astrology-and-science.com/ for reports of many tests (none of them by Randi, if that is a problem for you).
1 – Aquarius
2 – Sagittarius
Gemini – 1
3 Sagittarius – how romantic can work be?
6 – Pisces
Are we doing science, guys????
2 Leo
2 – Libra
5 – Leo
2 – Aquarius
1- Gemini
9 – Cancer
1 – Leo
9 – Sagittarius.
A remarkably coincidental Forer effect in this case.
If it is scientific scrutiny, or statistical scrutiny, then life script theory of astrology as jyotishratna.com is the answer. theory has been discovered after two decades of empirical research, and each planet has been given a single word attribute. theory does not consider signs at all.
whether health, accidents, divorce, check the theory on your databases,and we assure you excellent results.
1 – Sagittarius
4 – Leo
1 cancer
3 Scorpio
5 — Aries
8 TAURUS
1 – LEO
1 – Pisces
2 – Leo
4 – Pisces
1 Sagittarius
1 – Virgo
1 – Virgo
7 – capricron
4- Capricorn
5- Leo
9 – leo
1 – Taurus
4 -Scorpio
1 – libra
8 – leo
2 and libra
1 Virgo.
What?
3 – Pisces
8 – cancer
Libra…Virgo on your chart
Either way, I’m a 1, for yesterday
2 – Gemini
2 – Aries
1 – Virgo
1 Leo
1 – Taurus
1 – Cancer
7 – Leo
And you forgot Ophiucus. Though I doubt you’ll find their prediction in the tabloids.
1 Taurus.
1 Taurus
1 — Scorpio
1 – Aquarius
4 – Gemini
5 – Scorpio
1 Aquarius
1 -Aries
1 – Gemini
I’m curious if this type of experiment could also be used for biorhythms. My initial thought is you’d need a decent sampling of people to subjectively rank their own emotional/physical/mental experience each day for two weeks then compare them to their biorhythm.
Perhaps just as interesting is having someone log this information for 90 days to determine if we have any cycles at all.
1 – aries
3 Pisces
2 – Libra
1- pisces
2 – pisces
2 – Aquarius
1 – Sagittarius
1- Sagittarius
6-Taurus
1 – Scorpio
4 – Capricorn
I was going to put 2 because I have a boyfriend whom I love, but other than that yesterday wasn’t particularly out of the ordinary romance-wise and nor did I check out on ‘my people’ all over the map.
However, then I thought about it and realised there is a way that it could be construed that I did check out ‘my people’… I have started a new job and have been meeting new people who are on a map of the office. I suppose that this is how the horoscopes work – they are so vague that you can find links if you look hard enough!
1 – Taurus
1 – Virgo
My fave astrologer “event” was hearing the identical-down-to-the-exclamations-used “prediction” two days in a row for two different star signs (from the same astrologer of course…)
1 – Leo
2 – Pisces
Oddly enough it was my birth day yesterday. I will give it a 7.
8- Libra
1 – Cancer
7 – Sagittarius
1 – Aquarius
Gemini – 1
6 – Aries, but then I talk to people all over the map every day!
2- AQUARIUS
2 – Aries.
2 – Libra
2 – Gemini
1 – Aquarius
3 – Libra
6 – Taurus
There are 3 claims in the statement. So i figure each one should be worth about 3 points. There’s a distinct lack of romance in my life at the moment so I couldn’t give any points for that. However since i do have “more going on than that” I gave 3 points. As for it being a “good day to check in with people all over your map” I did go to a meet-up group yesterday and had fun there, and saw some family of mine. It didn’t seem like a bad day for checking in with people so i figured it was true enough to get another 3 points. Hence my 6 point score.
1 – Libra
1 – Gemini.
This is a woefully unscientific test. In fact, its a joke! The so-called “very popular astrology site” is not even disclosed, and as someone who IS knowledgeable about Astrology, let me assure you, there is NO way that any actual, professional Astrologer would ever make a blanket statement for what is likely to happen, not even a state of mind, for anyone of one particular Sun Sign for one given day. 1/12th of humanity corresponds to any one given Sun Sign and we do not claim life is that simple! Astrology does NOT claim what you are trying to make it LOOK like it claims in this silly proposition of yours, which is exactly the kind of foolish way debunkers, academics & skeptics have wrongheadedly been trying to make Astrology look bad for the past 30 years. Please read-up on your OWN CHART, ALL the factors, NOT not just the Sun Sign! Shame on you! —edaugusts
1 – Gemini
1 cancer
2 – libra
1-sagittarius
Btw Ed Augusts where can I find info to do my “own chart”, with “all the factors”?
2 – cancer
7 – Capricorn
1 – Virgo
1 – Taurus
2 – Aries
Ed Augusts: Lots of people do believe in the 12 sign astrology and it is always worth debunking that so we can get on with our lives free from the silly behaviour tags that even sillier superstitious people will try to pin on us.
1 – Libra
Leo- 7
9 – Gemini (planning a wedding and calling all sorts of people/family in the process… also having to worry about other issues at the same time)
Gemini – 1
3- Cancer
1 – Gemini
2 – virgo
this is, of course, the least accurate form of astrology
please, if you want to do an experiment like this, take the perspective that astrology is a viable means of describing certain aspects of internal/external relationships, and then work out the likelihood that a particular interpretation of a sun-sign-horoscope designed for mass appeal will correspond to individuals within that spectrum. then check that against your reader’s results.
also, add in the margin of error/expectation by using astrology to predict the responses of your readers, since this blog is unlikely to have an appeal evenly distributed across the zodiac.
keep up the great ignorant work!
Accuracy – 0
Sagittarius
Oops sorry, 0 is not on the 1-10 scale.
1 – Sagittarius
1 – Pisces
4 – Libra
5 – pisces
1 – Scorpio
6 – Leo
2 – Scorpio
0=gemini, we all know its crap
1-Libra
cancer–>5
2 – Cancer
2 – Cancer
1- virgo
5 – Virgo.
I’m not doing anything particularly romantic, but I am moving to Scotland (from Sweden) soon so the map part kind of rings true.
1 – Aries
Scorpio – 1
Scorpio – 1
1
Libra
1 – Leo
1 – Aquarius
10 – Taurus
3 – Libra
1- Pices. Nothing at all romantic or sweet yesterday. Didn’t even look at a map, let alone look up someone from afar. Rubbish.
10 Aries
9- ARIES
1 – Aries
1 – Gemini
5-Sagittarius
“Sweet and Romantic” is inapplicable to my life right now, but I did just get back from a trip and have been reaching out to my friends from all over, so it’s kinda accurate.
1 – Aquarius
[...] Let’s test astrology! Good morning. Looks like a busy few days ahead. I am speaking in Edinburgh on Thursday, Dublin on Friday and [...] [...]
4 – Pisces
1 – Leo.
1 – Taurus
2 – gemini
7 – pisces
god, this stuff is such crap. will you please post the results?
6, Aquarius
1, Aquarius
this isn’t testing astrology. it’s testing horoscopes. not the same thing.
Well after reading such predictions each morning what one should do? Trying to find ways to spend the day accordingly or at the end of the day link back the predictions with what actually happened on that day?
Do these general predictions really help us in our day to day life?
1 – Cancer
Astrology to me is nothing more than the same old bullsh*t to make money of the naïve or ignorant! If it was for the day 15th i would give it some credit because it’s my birthday.
1- Scorpio
1 virgo
7 – Capricorn
5 -Virgo
5 – Gemini
neutral 5 – Virgo
richardwiseman.wordpress.com….I like that blog…and I like that post….Congrat.
So you can help anyone anything….
well… i don’t think this kind of ‘generalized’ predication can help anyone that much. Suppose my horoscope of the day says – ‘bad day for travelling’ – so …should all the people with my sign just stay at home for the entire day?? … huh!!
:/
But well…I do believe that people with same sign will have some similarities in their nature… or a particular period of time can be good/bad/average for your sign in terms of getting response for the efforts made…. or at times getting lucky/ unlucky even without any efforts
Oh btw….
my rating – 3 (Aquarius)
Aries, 3
0 – Libra
1 – Capricorn
1 — Leo
1 – Cancer
1 – Libra
1 Cancer
[...] 17, 2009 A recent fun test of Astrology on Richard Wiseman’s website reminded me of the fact that despite being extremely sceptical of this crazy belief/pseudoscience I [...]
1 – gemini
1 – Gemini
“Your heart may be fully engaged in something sweet and romantic, but you know you’ve got more going on than that. It’s a good day for you to check in with your people all over the map.”
Well my heart *may* be engaged in something sweet and romantic every day, cuz I’m a sweet and romantic person. Strangely enough I *do* know that I’ve got ‘more going on that that’, because I’m quite busy. And surely any day is a ‘good day for you to check in with your people all over the map’?
So yes. Saggitarian and I’d say 7 but only because it is so vague.
Ridiculous,
-JamesC
is this a trick ? i thought you and chris french didnt believe in all this as the inexorable energies are moving towands confirmation of metaphysics are you now aligning yourself to that.
this is the age old story of trying to mass all sun signs together, the chart has millions of permutations, this is like trying to explain medicine in a phrase ,untill you know all the individual syndomes its impossible to understand learn astrology ,from educated info ,not the usual potboiler rubbish.
thank you for this information. I hope u ll go on helping us to learn this kind of important issues Eğlence ve hüznün bir arada yaşandığı bir dünya.!!!
I don’t believe that by this test you’ll prove anything considering astrology.
You may only gather different people who are tracked by different routes by their own individual tendencies who were searching on the internet during particular moment not regarding geocentrical position and so on and so off…
And, honestly, I hate people who present themself as “astrologers” and work on a basis of SUN position. That’s an insult for ay mind.
And, btw, whoever want’s to learn a bit of astrology should visit
http://www.astrologyinserbia.com
Before someone looze mind with those false astrologers and wannabie Dr.Astronomers who will prove that astrology is not “working” without even entering the subject by itself (they prefer to rely on “what astrologers say” hahaha) thus managing to defy their “dr” title with their own stupidity and ignorance with stubboredness of ay caveman inteligens.
1 – Aquarius
I want to improve my life and i want good life partner when my wish going to fulfill
The quote is too vague to make sense out of. 0 / Zero/ Scorpio.
An astrological quote from an old friend:
The Cancer might kill you but the crabs
will drive you crazy.
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