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With your research, include the following on your Padlet:

Its name + a brief description

How it seems to be scientific

Why it isn’t scientific

The reasons why you think it is popular

3. Cite links to articles, journals, websites!

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A popular pseudoscience which involves the study of the movements of the planets, sun, moon, and stars in the belief that these movements can have an influence on people's lives.

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/astrology#:~:text=Astrology%20is%20the%20study%20of,l%20)%20adjective%20%5BADJECTIVE%20noun%5D

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ASTROLOGY definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

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2 meanings: 1. the study of the motions and relative positions of the planets, sun, and moon, interpreted in terms of human.... Click for more definitions.

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It is mainly a way to understand your own identity but there is no scientific evidence for any of the claims made in astrology.

https://www.yourtango.com/2019324295/how-to-prove-astrology-real-when-told-its-fake-science-zodiac-signs#:~:text=Scientifically%2C%20astrology%20has%20never%20been,exact%20moment%20of%20your%20birth.

https://www.verywellmind.com/the-psychology-behind-why-we-care-about-astrology-5217929#:~:text=It's%20a%20Way%20to%20Understand,it%20for%20confirmation%20and%20encouragement.%E2%80%9D

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The Psychology Behind Why We Care About Astrology

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Why do people believe in astrology? Because it can offer us comfort in uncertain times. Here a psychologist-astrologist shares why people care about astrology.

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It uses basic science regarding the universe and heavenly bodies and scientific tools such as star charts to make predictions regarding people, their lives and the situations on earth.

https://undsci.berkeley.edu/astrology-is-it-scientific/#:~:text=In%20some%20ways%2C%20astrology%20may,as%20scientific%20ideas%20generate%20expectations.

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A coping mechanism. Research suggests that it helps people make sense of things during times when life feels complex. Astrology becomes a tool that can be turned to for comfort.

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A coping mechanism. Research suggests that it helps people make sense of things during times when life feels complex. Astrology becomes a tool that can be turned to for comfort.

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source:

https://www.verywellmind.com/the-psychology-behind-why-we-care-about-astrology-5217929

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If you're into astrology, you don't just know your sun sign; you know your moon sign, your rising sign, and everything else in your astrological chart. You follow any astrology Instagram account you can find, and your phone's notifications are always lighting up with updates from your favorite astrology apps. There's no denying that astrology is currently having a moment in the cultural zeitgeist.

But what is it about the messages in the stars that is so appealing, and why now in particular? Verywell Mind combed the studies and talked to an astrologist who is also a psychologist to find out.

What Is Astrology?

Astrology is the study of how the positions of the stars and planets are believed to affect human lives. Babylonian astrology is believed to be the first organized system of astrology, beginning more than 2,000 years ago.

The Greeks solidified the signs that we know today around 280 BCE. There are also thought to be Chinese, Indian, and Egyptian influences.

These are current signs:

Aries: March 21-April 19

Taurus: April 20-May 20

Gemini: May 21-June 21

Cancer: June 22-July 22

Leo: July 23-August 22

Virgo: August 23-September 22

Libra: September 23-October 23

Scorpio: October 24-November 21

Sagittarius: November 22-December 21

Capricorn: December 22-January 19

Aquarius: January 20-February 18

Pisces: February 19-March 20

Why Are We Interested in Astrology?

An interest in astrology is, in some ways, a coping mechanism. Research has found a correlation between those experiencing acute crises (such as divorce or job loss) and a belief in astrology. It is believed that this is because astrology represents an immediate tool that can be turned to for comfort.

Astrology Helps You Get Through Tough Times

Similarly, this tracks with the recent astrology boom in the wake of tumultuous political times and the uncertainty of a global pandemic.

"I think that astrology is having a peak moment because so many of the traditional institutions have failed to provide a meaning map for people," says Jennifer Freed, PhD, a psychologist and astrologist. "Also, astrology, unlike those institutions, has been a place of welcoming for all people."

It Gives Us a Sense of Control

Another aspect is that astrology may appeal to those who perceive an external locus of control. Someone who believes in an external locus of control will credit outside forces for both the good and the bad-blaming those forces if something goes wrong and crediting luck for success.

It Acts as a Way to Understand Our Identity

Astrology is also seen as a way that one seeks validation for their self-concept -how they think about themselves.

Freed agrees, seeing it as a tool for people to use to "develop their unique gifts and use it for confirmation and encouragement."

Jennifer Freed, PhD

Additionally, we are more likely, as humans, to remember the the positive feedback that validates our self-conception, over negative feedback. For this reason, it's easy to accept the ambiguous and positive aspects of astrology.

The fact that it is based on individualized informationsuch as one's birth date and birth place also lends astrology another degree of credibility in some people's eyes.

It's Hard to Tolerate Ambiguity

Astrology can also really appeal to those who have an especially pronounced intolerance for ambiguity.

Humans have a profound desire to understand the world. If you can understand what's going on around you, you can make better decisions for yourself and your family. This is a survival tactic.

"As human beings throughout eons, we've always been in the quest to understand our existence and make meaning of our lives. Astrology is the oldest system of trying to understand existence and personalities and our personal destinies," says Freed.

In one study of Israeli citizens in high-stress areas during the Gulf War, the higher their stress levels were in the face of ambiguity, the more likely they were to engage in magical, or, superstitious thinking.

Where to Get Started

Freed views astrology meme accounts or newspaper horoscopes as entertainment. She recommends starting with astrology apps for people who want to begin to dip their toes into learning about astrology-particularly apps that ask for your time and place of birth, as she says those will provide more accurate information.

A Word From Verywell

Astrology is generally considered a pseudoscience,not science. There are no scientific and peer-reviewed studies that validate its premises and promises. With that said, it can still be a fun and harmless tool to engage with to learn more about yourself with the understanding that it is just one of many tools.

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The Psychology Behind Why We Care about Astrology

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If you're into astrology, you don't just know your sun sign; you know your moon sign, your rising sign, and everything else in your astrological chart. You follow any astrology Instagram account you can find, and your phone's notifications are always lighting up with updates from your favorite astrology apps.

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It gives us a way to understand our identity.

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It gives us a way to understand our identity.

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Our generation is very conscious about ourselves and how we present towards society because we are often insecure about our future

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Our generation is very conscious about ourselves and how we present towards society because we are often insecure about our future

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Source:

https://www.harpersbazaar.in/culture/story/its-official-gen-z-is-obsessed-with-the-zodiac-talk-741229-2024-01-07

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What I first did on New Year's Eve after the clock struck midnight (of course, after wishing every single person in the room) probably solidifies my status as a true 2002-born GenZer. I looked up 'Predictions for 2024 based on Zodiac signs' and scrolled down to find my zodiac sign. Under Sagittarius, the article read, "In 2024, the stars will align in your favour". If I'm being honest, I was a little relieved. Maybe even hopeful. After spending about four minutes on the article, I was reading predictions for a room full of GenZers at a house party. I'm not sure if they all believed in astrology but they seemed quite intrigued by it. "You can expect for a change to occur in your workforce" read the predictions for Gemini. A voice from behind echoed, saying "Is this my cue to leave my toxic workspace then?" "It shouldn't have taken you this long to realise that, but congratulations" another giggled.

While millennials have already said yes to astrology and its family (numerology and tarot reading), GenZ continues to keep the belief alive. "Most of my clients are GenZers, and their belief in Tarot is relatively new. Some of them take readings to verify their accuracy, while others are consistent seekers of guidance from the Universe, turning to readings every time they feel lost," said Shweta Verhani, an intuitive Tarot reader. To investigate further, I dialed my grandmother's trusted astrologer in a small town (Takula) in Maharashtra. In his rusty voice, he said, "These days, a lot of youngsters like you come to me, some alone, and most with their parents. However, I see them listening to me with utmost curiosity. They even express their desire to learn more about astrology."

As I researched for the story, the one question I couldn't shake off my head is, what makes the supposed 'woke' generation (who also majorly insists on scientific evidence) believe in these phenomena so much? I took this question with me everywhere, only to throw it at the first person I see at work. A fellow GenZ colleague, Rishika Shah, social media editor at Harper's Bazaar India had some answers. "Maybe it is because we, as a generation, are conscious about ourselves and often insecure about the future. Astrology, Numerology, and Tarot have become a way of validating ourselves. It gives you the feeling of watching a happy movie and maybe even reminds us to be cautious," she said.

"Vibe-check is a thing now. If the 'vibe' of a certain place or a person doesn't go well with them, they tend to keep their distance," shared Verhani. Here's where astrology and Zodiac signs come into the picture. It's likely why many have started to associate and tap into their zodiac sign traits. Phrases like "I don't usually like Scorpios" or "Cancerians are more emotional" have become a common topic of conversation at work, among friends, at social gatherings, and on the Internet.

The immediate point of discussion in this conversation is how we can use the aligning of stars, numbers, and cards to work in our favour. Essentially, this pseudoscience can also make your life easier. Here's how.
Serves as a form of self-exploration
Irrespective of whether you're getting your tarot cards read, checking your birth chart or exploring numbers, delving into these phenomena means diving into self-exploration to understand the good and bad within yourself. You end up analysing your personality traits and try to step away from the ones that may seem alarming. It's a subtle form of introspection that makes you more conscious of your actions.

Pushes growth on a spiritual level Acts as an invisible guide
While spirituality is a broad concept, these phenomena are closely intertwined with it. For example, exploring your astrological chart may lead to a deeper understanding of your life's purpose and a greater connection to the cosmos. Many times, it may also explain the lingering feeling of being 'lost'.
Can prepare you for future challenges
Often, while making an important decision, these readings and predictions serve as the signs we are looking for to rely on. They give you a sense of courage or even make you feel a little more confident about the decision. It's probably why our parents rush to consult an astrologer before buying a new house.

The truth is, no one can tell the future. But if one can get a glimpse into the endless possibilities of what is more likely to happen, then why not prepare for it? It is what tilts most individuals towards astrology and the likes. The alignment may help us understand the uncertainties that can occur and prepare for it.

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It's official. Gen-Z is obsessed with 'zodiac talk'

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It's probably going more to you that you know.

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Placebo effect is when the belief in a useless method actually makes a person feel better.

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Placebo effect is when the belief in a useless method actually makes a person feel better.

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Source: https://www.wtamu.edu/~cbaird/sq/2013/03/23/how-does-astrology-work/#:~:text=Horoscopes%20make%20people%20feel%20better%20because%20of%20a%20psychological%20effect,effect%20has%20been%20scientifically%20verified.

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Science Questions with Surprising Answers

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Hardened scientists will tell you astrology doesn't work. Believers will tell you it does. Who is right? They are both right. It depends on what you mean by the word "work". Astrology is the belief that the alignment of stars and planets affects every individual's mood, personality, and environment, depending on when he was born. Astrologers print horoscopes in newspapers that are personalized by birth date. These horoscopes make predictions in people's personal lives, describe their personalities, and give them advice; all according to the position of astronomical bodies. A survey conducted by the National Science Foundation found that 41% of respondents believe that astrology is "very scientific" or "sort of scientific". Let us break the original question into two separate, more specific, questions: 1) Does the position of astronomical bodies affect a person's life? 2) Can horoscopes make people feel better? These questions are both very different. Both can be determined scientifically.

Does the position of astronomical bodies affect a person's life (beyond basic weather)?
No. The position and orientation of the sun relative to earth does cause seasons. Anyone who has shoveled snow off his walk in January when he would rather be at the beach can tell you that the astronomical bodies definitely affect our lives. Solar flares cause electromagnetic disturbances on earth that can disrupt satellites and even cause blackouts. The position of the moon causes ocean tides. If you are a fisher, the position of the moon can have a significant effect on your livelihood. The solar wind causes beautiful aurora, and sunlight itself is the main source of energy for our planet. But all of these effects fall under the umbrella of basic weather; not astrology. Astrology purports that astronomical bodies have influence on people's lives beyond basic weather patterns, depending on their birth date. This claim is scientifically false. Numerous scientific studies have disproven that astronomical bodies affect people's lives according to their birth date. For instance, Peter Hartmann and his collaborators studied over 4000 individuals and found no correlation between birth date and personality or intelligence. In one of the most famous experiments, Shawn Carlson had 28 astrologers make predictions and then tested the accuracy of their predictions. Before conducting the experiment, he fine-tuned the method so that various independent scientists agreed the method was scientifically sound, and also so that all of the astrologers agreed the test was fair. As published in Nature, he found that the astrologers could do no better at predicting the future than random chance. These results agree with fundamental science.

Fundamentally, there are four forces of nature: gravity, electromagnetism, the strong nuclear force, and the weak nuclear force. If an object affects a person, it must do so by interacting through one of these fundamental forces. For instance, strong acid burns your skin because the electromagnetic fields in the acid pull strongly enough on your skin molecules that they rip apart. A falling rock crushes you because gravity pulls it onto you. A nuclear bomb will vaporize you because of nuclear forces. Each of the fundamental forces can be very strong. The problem is that they all die off with distance. The nuclear forces die off so quickly that they are essentially zero beyond a few nanometers. Electromagnetic forces typically extend from nanometers to kilometers. Sensitive equipment can detect electromagnetic waves (light) from the edge of the observable universe, but that light is exceptionally weak. The gravity of a star technically extends throughout the universe, but its individual effect on the universe does not extend much beyond its solar system. Because of the effect of distance, the gravitational pull of Polaris on an earth-bound human is weaker than the gravitational pull of a gnat flitting about his head. Similarly, the electromagnetic waves (light) reaching the eye of an earth-bound human from Sirius is dimmer than the light from a firefly flitting by. If the stars and planets really had an effect on humans, then gnats and fireflies would have even more of an effect. Even if the gravity of the planets was strong enough to affect you, an alignment of the planets would not lead you to win the lottery for the simple reason that a literal alignment of the planets never happens in the real world.

Can horoscopes make people feel better?
Yes. But it has nothing to do with the horoscopes being right. Horoscopes make people feel better because of a psychological effect known as the placebo effect. The placebo effect is when the belief in a useless method actually makes a person feel better. It is the belief itself, and not the method, that causes the improvement. The placebo effect has been scientifically verified. If you give pills to ten sick patients containing only water, but tell them it is a powerful new drug that will help them, and then have ten sick patients not take the pills, then over time the patients taking pills will show better health. Because of the placebo effect, a new drug must not just be proven to make patients feel better. It must be proven to perform better than a placebo. In accurate medical experiments, the control group is not a collection of untreated patients. Rather, the control group is a collection of patients receiving a placebo. The placebo effect is the mechanism at work with astrology. Many people believe in astrology. When they read their horoscope and follow its advice, they feel better. But it is the belief itself and not the astrology that is making them feel better. Many pseudo-scientific treatments - from crystal healing to homeopathy - help people through the placebo effect. Believing in a treatment that does not actually do anything may help, but believing in a treatment that does is even better. Sticking to scientifically proven treatments gives you the benefit of the belief and the benefit of the treatment's action. For instance, instead of reading your horoscope each morning, go for a walk. Exercise is proven to be good for body and mind, and your belief in its effect will also help you.

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Hardened scientists will tell you astrology doesnt work. Believers will tell you it does. Who is right? They are both right. It depends on what you...