Devin Braaksma
Crippen, James
Phil 105
14 December 2015
2nd Paper- Imprecision We Trust Although there are many different forms of astrology, they are all based around the similar concept that the position of the stars and planets in the sky around the time of your birth have somehow effected the person that you are today. However, this subject has a huge history that dates back to the 3rd millennium BC. In ancient times, astrology was used within a calendrical system to predict shifts in the seasons and weather. These signs from the stars were said to be a form of communication sent from divine beings in the sky. Astrology was commonly accepted as fact and was used within different cultures and societies up until the 17th century when new …show more content…
To do this, we need fundamentals within astrology that are measurable and comparable to test for validity. When reading through articles written by different astrologers, gravity and electromagnetism seem to be major topics that are said to be behind the bizarre beliefs of astrology and horoscopes. Nadia Smirnova-Mierau, a large advocate for astrology, claims that, “gravitational and electromagnetic forces provide the mechanism, by which celestial and terrestrial events are synchronized” (Gravity and Magnetism). While most people would hear this and assume that Mierau was correct in her statement, we must dive further into this topic to test for any legitimacy. Astrologist’s main point of discussion is that the position of the starts creates different characteristics based on their gravity that influences us every day. Although many people would easily accept this view as truth, American astronomer Phil Plait claims that, “The bottom line is that at best, the gravity from the planets in our solar system is a tiny fraction of the Moon's. So if gravity were the force behind astrology, then the Moon would dominate all the planets combined” (Bad Astronomy). If gravity was the true concept behind astrology, then the moon would greatly override the gravity sensed from planets far away. This eliminates gravity as the source behind this belief, and therefore, we must test the concept of electromagnetism for