Horoscopes (Sagan)
April 18th, 2008 | Published in Pseudoscience, Quotes, Science | 6 Comments
I’ve never understood why people read horoscopes. It’s never been a temptation for me and always seemed absurd. Yet I hear there are people who believe in them. This is a true story that shows the power of persuasion when someone wants to believe.
A scientist places an ad in a Paris newspaper offering a free horoscope. He receives about 150 replies, each, as requested, detailing a place and time of birth. Every respondent is then sent the identical horoscope, along with a questionnaire asking how accurate the horoscope had been. Ninety-four percent of the respondents (and 90 percent of their families and friends) reply that they were at least recognizable in the horoscope. However, the horoscope was drawn up for a French serial killer. If an astrologer can get this far without even meeting his subjects, think how well someone sensitive to human nuances and no overly scrupulous might do.
—Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World (Ballantine Books: 1995), pp. 242-243.
April 18th, 2008 at 9:01 pm (#)
It’s amazing the stock some people will set by this lunacy. I’ve read quite a few stories similar to this one, each more surprising (depressing?) than the last.
April 18th, 2008 at 9:21 pm (#)
The people who look to horoscopes for practical advice are the same people who look to the lottery for financial security.
April 19th, 2008 at 9:13 am (#)
Andrew: Great comparison.
January 21st, 2009 at 12:30 pm (#)
I don’t believe in horoscpe reading because only God knows about the future. I think that when people do try horoscope readings they get wrong answers.
January 21st, 2009 at 12:31 pm (#)
People should really stop doing these foolish things.
June 15th, 2010 at 1:27 pm (#)
I once heard of a man who depended on the daily horoscope for advice. One particular day by doing so he saw the reading that persons who were born his month would have a bad day at work that paryicular day. So he stayed home that day, his boss called him but got no contacts from him and because of this the man lost his job and his family. So I agree with Renea that persons should not follow the daily horoscope as it can cause great harm!