I knew an amateur astrologer. She had all the charts, all the text books. It looked like some serious science and she believed in it in all sincerity. Pseudo-science is still pseudo-science, though, no matter how much it resembles "research material". Back to Hawking, I remember him and others, a few years back, being quizzed about where the Universe "came from". The reply back then was along the lines of This is not a serious topic for scientists, who seek to describe the physical laws of the Universe. The conditions that existed prior to the Universe coming into existence cannot be observed and no theories can be tested empirically - therefore they are not a matter that the science of Physics should address. I guess this point of view is not conducive to increasing book sales, so it has fallen out of favour :wink:
The thing that I find funniest about astrology is their adherence to the houses, or constellations, and the constellations effect on people. Constellations are just labels attached to groups of stars and planets. The labels exist to help people get their bearings in the sky. They are meaningless. If somebody hadn't bothered to see a bull or plough or whatever else in the stars then would the stars cease to exist? Of course not. They would still be there doing whatever they normally do, but we wouldn't have a label attached to them. So the foundation of astrology is based upon meaningless labels given by man.
You will only be a Virgo if your were born over 1000 years ago. The earths sync with the sun has changed by a factor of 20 degrees in that time, meaning that all of the star signs are one out. As greyman pointed out, the house of Ophiuchus is no longer part of the zodiac rendering everything meaningless anyway....
1) Once it was thought that the atom was the smallest particle. Then they found neutrons, protons, electrons....then they found quarks and waves...then they found that the orbits of these particles was not regular, like the earth orbiting the moon..they were moving in free space...In quantum physics, a particle (string theory, P theory and so on) suggests that some of these sub atomic particles can exist in 2 places of the atom at the same time....over 99% of the atom is free space...it is 'empty'....but contains some form of energy (i dont know what because im not an expert..my brother however has a degree in Quantum Physics so i'll ask him).. As such, every atom in your body is 99% 'nothing'..so you, me and everything in the universe is made from 'nothing'..the scientific definition and understanding of 'nothing' is not that of the layperson... Also, science is looking into dark matter, which is thought to fill this free space, and therefore 99% of all matter in the universe...I believe that it is this matter that gives an atom its mass-ergo 'nothing' is 'something'! Some particles are so small (neutrinos for instance) are so small that they pass through everything on earth at light speed..they travel though space, through the atoms of your body, then through ground, the centre of the earth, and out again, trillions of times per second....think, Large Hadron Collider. 2) Intelligent Design isnt a theory..its pseudo science; a hypothesis at best. There has never been a shred of evidence of any kind offered, instead, just a load of misinformation, misunderstanding and downright lies. Talk of irreducible complexity, or the flagellum with its seemingly 'designed' internal propellar..all nonsense, all disproven..but yet the creationists (re-branded as ID(iots) still try and perpetuate this rubbish... Buy 'The Greatest Show on Earth', or 'The Blind Watchmaker' by Richard Dawkings...i think you'll find them truly fascinating and inspiring...
What I can't believe is that people who are trying to make out that they know what they are talking about try to back it up by quoting either Wikepedia or Derren Brown - Respectively the biggest source of missinformation and the biggest con-artist in the world...
Derren Brown does his best to blow all this crap into the weeds, yet some people truly believe that he is a psychic...when he did his US evangelical tour the yanks were conviced that he was the messiah, he even trained a punter to become a healer (i think the show is actually called 'Messiah....4OD will have it)..he even tells people that he doesnt have special powers..do they listen..no? Watch a few videos of him or even better James Randi debunk all of these charlatans..very funny watching them squirm..yet..people still want to believe this damaging nonsense..dont even get me started on 'psychic surgeons'...effs sake..
Derren Brown IS a charelton ! He trained in NLP ( Neuro Linguistic Programming ) under the person who basically invented it, Richard Bandler. He also trained with Paul McKenna. His stage show is mainly made up of basic NLP techniques and camera tricks - which he always denies using. He is, at best, an entertainer... and at worst a con-man. The fact that he debunks other fakes does not make him any less of a fake himself...
youre mistaken..he DOES use NLP, and discusses it freely...he uses suggestion..why do think he's a charlatan when he does'nt claim to have any 'powers'.. i got Bandlers book on NLP and it fascinating...youtube a few of Brwons vids where he NLP's simon pegg, the bloke on the golden mile in blackpool, or when he's in NYC buying jewellery with blank sheets of paper. Brown doesnt pretend to be anything...it doesnt sound like youve ever watched him. ps, he doesnt use camera tricks...ive seen his stage show.
I only used wiki as a single source of reference, believe me, there are many others ... try Waterstones. Personally, life's too short to even contemplate debating this nonsense, but hey, it makes me laugh when people seriously believe in it. Just another form of manipulation for those that can't make a decision based purely on pseudo-intellectual (sic) BS. I guess it makes sense to some single cell organisms - great.
I'm sorry mate, but in the horoscope section of the Sun, it states that Virgo is from August 24th to September 22nd, clearly I was not born 1,000 years ago (maybe yesterday I hear some of you cry) and there is no mention of the Octopus bloke. Anyway, my horoscope for today stated that "it would be a rewarding day when someone I helped in the past would return the favour in a generous way". Imagine my amazement when I got to work and the person I bought a cup of tea yesterday in the canteen bought me a coffee today - and coffee is more expensive than tea. Uncanny, how can you not believe?
thats really weird....thats almost exactly the same-word for word as my horoscope (scorpio)....i lent my mate the lawnmower last summer, i went to collect it last night but he was at work and i ended up nailing his wife... alls well that ends well and vice versa..
Bit more than basic techniques, his skill level is up there with Bandler and co. He also uses hypnosis
dont forget to root out the collection box for me. i think i left a heavy bag of seed by the backdoor.
Mr Hippo, I can't work out if you are serious or winding us up. I thought the latter. Now not so sure. Come on, which is it? Honest injun?
Funky, I am more than happy to clean out the collection box, at least it will avoid getting stains all over my boot liner, I also have room for your heavy sack in my boot.
Check your horoscope Glidd, if you can read and interpret it properly, the science of astrology will enable you to answer your own question. Honest injun ........ of course it is as much bollocks, horseshit and snake oil as religion, ghosts, etc. Why do we humans invent such nonsense? I think we need a philosophy thread next! Having said that, I seriously can always relate a horoscope to what has really happened. The skill of the authors is to be specific and vague, vague and specific, random, specific and vague......NOBODY EXPECTS THE ACCURATE HOROSCOPE......I need to go to bed.
@ funkyrimpler - I have seen Derren Brown's stage show on three occasions - he definitely DOES use camers tricks, I have seen him do it and can prove it. My wife is a highly qualified hypnotherapist and NLP practitioner and trainer. She has studied with Richard Bandler, personally, over many years ( a little more than "reading his book" ), and is more than qualified to comment on Derren Brown. Her opinion? He's a showman, and nothing more ( albeit a very successful one ).@ bradders - I have to disagree. His skill as a showman and entertainer is undesputable. His skill as an NLP practitioner is nowhere near what Richard Bandler can do...
