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Your letters
The truth about astrology
From Vanni Pulé, Chairperson, Society for Investigating
the Credibility of Extraordinary Claims San Gwann
I apologize for the delay in answering the comments made by Paris
about my 2000 T.V. series "Tghid Veru?" currently being
repeated. When his article appeared in MaltaToday, I was away
from the island and it was brought to my attention only recently.
Paris was invited for this programme but he couldn’t make
it. He had taken part in a previous programme in this series and
had a chance of expressing himself freelyParis said that I didn’t
know the difference between a horoscope and an astrology chart.
I’ve got news for Paris – I do know the difference.
He also insinuates that I haven’t done any deep research
about astrology. Well, here’s more bad news. For the past
30 years I have been investigating practically and academically
extraordinary claims. Astrology has always been one of my favourite
subjects because of its universal popularity.
I
am sure that Paris is a sensible person and he means well. He
surely believes in his claims. But belief does not necessarily
constitute a truth. Believing that the earth is flat doesn’t
change its roundness. I’m afraid, there are scientific and
rational facts that cannot be disputed even if we use vague terms
like "open-minded", "progressive", "spiritual"
and "free thinking.”
Both
astrological charts and horoscopes are based on the false premise
that planets influence our psychological make-up depending on
the time and place we were born (or conceived perhaps?) Now we
know scientifically that if there is some magnetic influence by
the planets, it is minimal. The gravitational pull of the person
next to you is much more powerful than that of the nearest planet.
If you merely change your position by a few centimetres the effect
on the human body is nullified.
Serious
astronomers do not take the claims of astrologers seriously. There
are about two hundred and fifty thousand million stars in our
galaxy and another hundred thousand million other galaxies. Who
decides what influences us and what doesn’t and in what way?
Recent
scientific discoveries have confirmed that our physical characteristics
are determined by the information encoded in our genes. Together
with our environment, upbringing and early childhood, genes play
a determining role in the formation of our personalities. Therefore,
the very notion that stars and planets determine our physical
and psychological makeup conflicts with a good deal of what we
know about human physiology and psychology.
Many
attempts have been made to statistically verify astrology, but
none has succeeded. Psychologists Zusne and Jones in their "Anomalistic
Psychology" describe the failure of these results. R. B.
Culver and P. Ianna (Astrology True or False? A Scientific Evaluation)
conclude that there is no truth to the Astrologists’ claims.
Geoffrey Dean and Arthur Mather, after reviewing over 700 astrology
books and 300 scientific works conclude that "in effect,
astrology presents a dazzling and technically sound superstructure
supported by unproven beliefs. It starts with fantasy and then
proceeds entirely logically." (Recent Advances in Natal Astrology:
A Critical Review). Michel Gacquelin enjoys popularity with Astrologers
because, in his very intensive studies, he seems to vindicate
Astrological claims. But, in his work "The Scientific Basis
of Astrology: Myth or Reality?" he states clearly: "Every
attempt, whether of astrologers or scientists to produce evidence
of astrological laws, has been in vain. It is now quite certain
that the signs in the sky which presided over our births have
no power whatsoever to decide our fates, to affect our heredity,
characteristics, or to play any part, however humble in the totality
of effects, random or otherwise, which form the fabric of our
lives and mould our impulses to action."
Hundreds
of astronomers, astrophysicists, and scientists in other fields
officially published a letter alerting the public. "Those
who wish to believe in astrology should realize that there is
no scientific foundation for its tenets….It is simply a mistake
to imagine that the forces exerted by the stars and planets at
the moment of birth can, in any way shape our futures." (How
to Think About Weird Things – Critical Thinking for a New
Age)
Why
does Astrology seem to work? Human beings are more similar to
each other than they think. A technique of vagueness called "cold
reading" is used by fortune tellers, tea leaf readers and
Tarot card readers. There are other known psychological limitations
in our perception like Subjective Validation, Selective Attention
etc that contribute to the illusion that an astrological reading
is accurate. (See my article "The Limits of Perception"
in The Beacon Winter 1999)
What
then, is the function of the Astrologer? If he tells clients things
that they already know, isn’t he defeating this purpose and
aren’t these better off with professional counselling? If
he reveals previously unknown secrets about their future and their
character, can he conscientiously take responsibility for these
claims and for the advice that ensues?
But
Paris doesn’t have to worry about losing clients. Astrology
will always appeal to our yearning for something beyond, on which
we can shift responsibility for our actions.
I
did not want this confrontation with an astrologer and I do not
wish to pursue it any further. But since your correspondent made
accusations about my integrity, I had to react. And after all,
Paris cannot fault me for being suspicious of astrology. I was
born under Taurus, the sign of sceptics. So, don’t blame
me, blame the stars.
Misquoting
Aggornat
From Carmel
Attard, Editor, Aggornat.
Labour spokesman
for Agriculture and Fisheries, Mr Noel Farrugia was not correct
when in his letter entitled, "Questions for Eurorealism,"
and which was published in MaltaToday on Sept 2, 2001, he states,
"The Malta-EU Information Bulletin Aggornat is reported to
have stated that the Government sent the position paper on Chapter
7 (Agriculture) to Brussels, without any of the promised consultation
with local sectors because it had to comply with the deadline
set by the Belgian Presidency.” This is not correct. In issue
number B4 of Aggornat in an article entitled, "Negotiations
on Agriculture" the following was written, "The Belgian
Presidency will be pushing EU States in the coming months to have
the full EU position on agriculture ready by end of this year."
This obviously does not refer to Malta since our country is not
yet an EU State.
Should Mr
Farrugia require a copy of the issue, the Centre can send him
one immediately.
Libyan
money owed to Malta
From Carmelo
Micallef, Siggiewi
May I ask
when Libya is going to pay Air Malta, Malta Drydocks and other
Maltese enterprises the money it owes to these industries? Why
do the Maltese Ministers have to go to Tripoli to kindly beg Gaddafi
to pay up for services we rendered him?
Is this a
kind of political Libyan manoeuvring to keep Malta a Libyan satellite?
I would like to know.
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