What Science Says About Astrology

For thousands of years, people have believed that the positions of stars and planets influence earthly events. Today, astrology is a profitable global market, where newspaper columns, mobile apps, and professional consultants claim to judge everything in the world: from personal life and health to stock market quotes. And this is despite scientific evidence that irrefutably proves it is merely superstition. Why does astrology attract so many people? What makes us find its predictions convincing? And is there any harm in believing in horoscopes at all? This book examines astrology through the lens of science: from its colorful history and experimental validations of predictions to the social and psychological factors explaining its enduring popularity. Carlos Orsi explores the role of astrology in the history of science and the reasons it has been deemed a pseudoscience. He dissects its main postulates, detailing how scientists have debunked the most common claims. Deep and truly engaging, this book offers a critical look at the secret of the incredible popularity of the ancient superstition in the modern world.