Astrology is the science that studies the effect of the stars and planets on human behavior, relationships and the events that surround them. And through this study, based on the position of the stars and planets at the time and place of their birth, then attempts to predict as a probability, the future of the person as well as their relationships .
Is that really science? Is there really a correlation between the position of the stars and planets at the time and place of a persons birth and his future behavior or life events or his relationships? Is there any empirical proof?
Empirical Proof, No.
I have a hypothesis on the idea though, that I would like to propose here.
Its definitely a puzzle to which there is no concrete answer or empirical proof. Yet there are many schools of thought that believe it and many more theoretical and mathematical systems that attempt to predict the future of a person using that science.
There is at least one significant commonality between all these systems. All these various astrological systems, are at least partially rooted in the science of astronomy. They all attempt to accurately and very scientifically calculate and understand the position of the stars and planets at the time and place of a persons birth. But it gets less scientific from there on. The correlation between this accurately calculated star chart of a person's birth and the prediction of their future or their behavioral characteristics is less scientific or empirical at the moment.
There is no scientific or even statistical proof. But there is a lot of more than just anecdotal evidence that has a substantially large group of people believing in the idea of astrology.
But even before we attempt to try to collect evidence and prove or disprove correlation between the two through statistical significance, it would be interesting to consider a few questions.
Lets consider the first question. Could it even be theoretically possible?
To answer this question, it would be interesting to consider another related question, i.e. the behavioral characteristic of the Universe. Is this Universe completely chaotic or is there some level of symmetry or order to it? I see both symmetry and chaos in the universe. The universe is a dynamic system that works based on some natural laws such as gravity. In fact I see a dynamic system in play between chaos and symmetry. A sort of the Chinese Yin and Yang. I see symmetry transform into Chaos and better symmetry development from that Chaos. Everything from the astronomical to the atomic or even smaller, seems to have excellent symmetry from certain perspectives and complete chaos from another. Perspective here is being the relative point in both space and time from which one views a set of events in the universe.
The science of Fractals for example, is something that uses this dynamism in Nature between Chaos and Symmetry to understand, describe and simulate nature.
Now if we then believe that the universe has symmetry and chaos at every level, then there is no reason to believe that human beings as part of that universe are any different. There must be some symmetry as well as chaos in the way human beings behave as well as the events that surround them.
Where there is symmetry, there is predictability. The correlation within the symmetry can be measured, understood and used to predict the pattern followed within the symmetry. To predict where certain objects in this universe will be at a time X(t), or how they will move or behave at that time, requires amongst many things, the position of the object at some time X(t-1) as well as the position and movement of other objects in that universe that might have a pattern of co-relation with the objects under study. At least on a theoretical basis. It may still be practically infeasible because of the shear size of the problem and the number of simultaneous measurements necessary to make these predictions.
This then opens the possibility that a system can be developed to predict human behavior or the events that surround them with some amount of probability. This does not empirically prove or disprove any of the existing astrological systems. It just explains the hypothesis that a such system can theoretically be developed.
Could the star chart at birth have a correlation to the life of a person?
The star chart at birth of a person is a reasonably unique set of parameters based not only on the time of birth but their location as well. Its like fixing a persons origin both in space and time relative to the pattern of the stars and planets in that space and time. So it feels like a significantly unique set of parameters that can have a potential correlation to the persons future. It essentially fixes a human beings position in space and time at birth, which you could call X(0). And how he moves for his rest of his life and where he will be at time X(t) may then have a pattern of co-relation with the biggest objects in universe namely, the planets, stars and entire galaxies. This is does not prove that it does. It merely suggests that it potentially could.
Does that mean free will does not exist?
Well, not necessarily. As much as nature may have a mind of its own and hence symmetry that may allow predictions, it also has a healthy dose of Chaos that constantly tries to disrupt that symmetry. It is this Chaos that adds uncertainty to that order or symmetry and hence a level of uncertainty to any predictions that can be made based on the symmetry.
This uncertainty then leaves room for "free will" to exist as an instrument of that chaos and uncertainty. This means that not everything is destined nor can it be predicted. This last one is pretty significant, for people to ponder. Specially for those who believe in fate, destiny and astrology.
So choose wisely and act.
Is that really science? Is there really a correlation between the position of the stars and planets at the time and place of a persons birth and his future behavior or life events or his relationships? Is there any empirical proof?
Empirical Proof, No.
I have a hypothesis on the idea though, that I would like to propose here.
Its definitely a puzzle to which there is no concrete answer or empirical proof. Yet there are many schools of thought that believe it and many more theoretical and mathematical systems that attempt to predict the future of a person using that science.
There is at least one significant commonality between all these systems. All these various astrological systems, are at least partially rooted in the science of astronomy. They all attempt to accurately and very scientifically calculate and understand the position of the stars and planets at the time and place of a persons birth. But it gets less scientific from there on. The correlation between this accurately calculated star chart of a person's birth and the prediction of their future or their behavioral characteristics is less scientific or empirical at the moment.
There is no scientific or even statistical proof. But there is a lot of more than just anecdotal evidence that has a substantially large group of people believing in the idea of astrology.
But even before we attempt to try to collect evidence and prove or disprove correlation between the two through statistical significance, it would be interesting to consider a few questions.
- Could it even be theoretically possible?
- Could the star chart at birth have a correlation to the life of a person?
- Then what about free will and does it not really exist?
Lets consider the first question. Could it even be theoretically possible?
To answer this question, it would be interesting to consider another related question, i.e. the behavioral characteristic of the Universe. Is this Universe completely chaotic or is there some level of symmetry or order to it? I see both symmetry and chaos in the universe. The universe is a dynamic system that works based on some natural laws such as gravity. In fact I see a dynamic system in play between chaos and symmetry. A sort of the Chinese Yin and Yang. I see symmetry transform into Chaos and better symmetry development from that Chaos. Everything from the astronomical to the atomic or even smaller, seems to have excellent symmetry from certain perspectives and complete chaos from another. Perspective here is being the relative point in both space and time from which one views a set of events in the universe.
The science of Fractals for example, is something that uses this dynamism in Nature between Chaos and Symmetry to understand, describe and simulate nature.
Now if we then believe that the universe has symmetry and chaos at every level, then there is no reason to believe that human beings as part of that universe are any different. There must be some symmetry as well as chaos in the way human beings behave as well as the events that surround them.
Where there is symmetry, there is predictability. The correlation within the symmetry can be measured, understood and used to predict the pattern followed within the symmetry. To predict where certain objects in this universe will be at a time X(t), or how they will move or behave at that time, requires amongst many things, the position of the object at some time X(t-1) as well as the position and movement of other objects in that universe that might have a pattern of co-relation with the objects under study. At least on a theoretical basis. It may still be practically infeasible because of the shear size of the problem and the number of simultaneous measurements necessary to make these predictions.
This then opens the possibility that a system can be developed to predict human behavior or the events that surround them with some amount of probability. This does not empirically prove or disprove any of the existing astrological systems. It just explains the hypothesis that a such system can theoretically be developed.
Could the star chart at birth have a correlation to the life of a person?
The star chart at birth of a person is a reasonably unique set of parameters based not only on the time of birth but their location as well. Its like fixing a persons origin both in space and time relative to the pattern of the stars and planets in that space and time. So it feels like a significantly unique set of parameters that can have a potential correlation to the persons future. It essentially fixes a human beings position in space and time at birth, which you could call X(0). And how he moves for his rest of his life and where he will be at time X(t) may then have a pattern of co-relation with the biggest objects in universe namely, the planets, stars and entire galaxies. This is does not prove that it does. It merely suggests that it potentially could.
Does that mean free will does not exist?
Well, not necessarily. As much as nature may have a mind of its own and hence symmetry that may allow predictions, it also has a healthy dose of Chaos that constantly tries to disrupt that symmetry. It is this Chaos that adds uncertainty to that order or symmetry and hence a level of uncertainty to any predictions that can be made based on the symmetry.
This uncertainty then leaves room for "free will" to exist as an instrument of that chaos and uncertainty. This means that not everything is destined nor can it be predicted. This last one is pretty significant, for people to ponder. Specially for those who believe in fate, destiny and astrology.
So choose wisely and act.
i would really hate to meet an astrologer - of all - who could predict my free will.
ReplyDeleteAstrology is characterized as, "the divination of the alleged impacts of the stars and planets on human undertakings and earthly occasions by their positions and perspectives." There's a well-known axiom that things are "written in the stars," and for adherents of astrology,
ReplyDeleteBest Astrologer in Mumbai