Astronomy, for example, arose as an attempt to do better astrology. Most of the influence has been more subtle. This is how Newton got hooked on mathematics. It was an act of curiosity, but Newton found that he couldn’t make sense of it because he didn’t know enough geometry. In 1663, Isaac Newton bought a book on astrology at the Sturbridge Summer Fair. And with very positive results: Astrology had a huge influence on the development of science, sometimes directly. We have been making astrological connections-mapping the heavens and trying to discern their influence on the Earth-for much longer than we have been doing science. However, astrology is a vital part of our human, and scientific, story. Some might walk away at this point, seeing no value in discussing astrology. Newton bought a book on astrology but couldn’t make sense of it. in quantum physics but no ability to spot a dodgy used car. They certainly have nothing to say about the purchase of motor vehicles by science writers with a Ph.D. There is a pull on Earth due to these bodies’ masses, and we see the light (and, in the sun’s case, feel the heat) they emit.
Electromagnetic forces transmit light, heat, magnetic attraction, and repulsion. The gravitational force creates an attraction between masses. There are distant influences from the stars and planets, but they’re called the gravitational and electromagnetic forces. That’s because these heavenly bodies are nothing more than agglomerations of rock, dust, or gas. To the informed scientific mind-a relatively new phenomenon-astrology can’t possibly work. If we had all the data about how the sky looked when you were born, say, we could use it to say something about your future, your personality, and maybe your best course of action over the next few weeks, months, or years. The stars’ and planets’ exact influence depends on their motions and relative positions, such as when they appear close together in the sky. The basic premise of astrology is the stars and the planets exert an influence over events on Earth. He informed me I had indeed bought a dud, and suggested I return the car, get my money back, and buy another one. “Does that mean I’ve bought a dud?”Ī fortnight later, a mechanic phoned while working on my new car.
“I see two cars in your future,” he said. Vishal knew only my name, and date and place of birth, and didn’t tell me anything terribly profound until I asked him about the car I had just bought. A few years ago, I went to an astrologer as research for a radio show exploring strange beliefs.