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For thousands of years, people have believed that the configuration of stars and planets in the sky influences earthly events. Today, astrology is a lucrative global market, with newspaper columns, mobile apps, and professional counselors weighing in on everything from love life to health to the stock market. Yet scientific evidence shows indisputably that it is simply superstition. Why does astrology appeal to so many people? What makes its prognostications seem persuasive? Is there any harm to believing in astrology anyway?
This book aims a scientific lens at astrology, from its colorful history to experimental tests of its predictions through the social and psychological factors that explain its enduring popularity. Carlos Orsi explores the importance of astrology to the history of science and the reasons it has been categorized as a pseudoscience. He investigates its tenets, recounting how scientists debunked common claims. With both empathy and skepticism, Orsi illuminates the psychological, rhetorical, and emotional mechanisms that cause people to find astrological predictions convincing. He also addresses the dangers of irrational beliefs and the risks of applying astrology to serious decisions. Wide-ranging and entertaining, this book offers a critical look at the modern appeal of an ancient superstition.
— Sean Carroll, author of The Biggest Ideas in the Universe: Space, Time, and Motion
How do we know that astrology is pseudoscience? Whether you dabble in it as a fun pastime or simply wonder why it is popular, you’ll be enlightened by reading What Science Says About Astrology. Carlos Orsi's compellingly argued book is an engaging and illuminating look at this superstition.
— Elizabeth F. Loftus, coauthor of The Myth of Repressed Memory: False Memories and Allegations of Sexual Abuse
Thoughtfully researched, crisply argued, and beautifully written—debunking pseudoscience shouldn’t be nearly this much fun. Seventy years ago, Karl Popper gave us a promissory note for why astrology was the queen of pseudoscience. Today, Carlos Orsi has cashed it. A marvelous read.
— Lee McIntyre, author of The Scientific Attitude: Defending Science from Denial, Fraud, and Pseudoscience
In this concise yet thoroughly authoritative book, Carlos Orsi presents everything you need to know about the science of astrology. An entertaining and well-written account from its ancient beginnings to its modern forms.
— Stuart Vyse, author of Believing in Magic: The Psychology of Superstition
Introduction to the Book Series
Introduction
1. History
2. How Do We Know It Isn’t So?
3. Why Does It Seem to Work?
4. What’s the Harm?
5. What Science Says
Notes
Bibliography
Index