well i didn't read the entire thread, cuz it's past my bedtime. but i do indeed use astrology in my life as a tool. i don't say that i believe in it, cuz i don't find it a thing subject to belief or disbelief. it's like saying that i believe in my car running if i fill the gas tank.
['In another post, same thread']
i don't know how it works. i only know that it does. but here is what i think.
the human body is subject to the laws of electricity and gravity. the planets and stars have a gravitational effect on electricity. this is also why i believe that the moon has an effect on people's moods - and if you don't buy that one, ask any 911 dispatcher what full moons are like.
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Astrology is bunk. If it operates by gravity, the moon's effects would thoroughly dominate those of the planets and other stars (even more so if it's tidal in nature, as tidal effects are an inverse-cube relationship rather than inverse-square) and the Sun would be the only thing of any significance if it were electromagnetics. The force almost has to follow an inverse square law (in order to maintain conservation of energy), which would still eliminate everything but the moon - but if it doesn't, then the innumerable asteroids in our solar system, extrasolar planets, etc. should have just as much influence. Quite simply, no known force, or indeed any unknown force which operates under laws similar to known forces, can account for the effects predicted by astrologers.
Jeremy: "911 dispatcher? Come on, it's too early for the bizzare association award."
It's the theory that full moons cause increased crime rates. I think it's a farily common urban legend, or at least it was when and where I was growing up.
Of course, what I've heard about it is: (1) that it's caused by the better night vision full moons bring, making criminal-folk more confident or better able to do their work (and *not* any astrology-like effect). (2) There is actually no connection between moon phases and crime at all. Ignore point one.
Well people working on hospitals also use to say that full moons affect people. Human body is very receptive to external changes and remember the moon and the sun have enough influence to create tides. No supernatural influence is needed. And of course, far away stars influence is ridiculous.
"a gravitational effect on electricity"
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the long-awaited Unified Theory of Universe. Newton, Einsten, fuck off.
It's actually quite interesting to do the maths on this one.
The Gravitational effect of Jupiter at it's closest to earth is roughly half that of someone standing 6 inches away from you, the midwife who birthed you perhaps?
Now theres one for astrology.
And yes, gravity does have an effect on electricity, it's just that it only becomes significant if your close to a black hole or some other piece of exotic matter.
omigod, I'll bet you're, like, a pisces, man, that was, like, just so deep!
FYI everyone: The poster has changed her name to "Selkie" at the moment (which is at least a little more euphonious than "another glimpse of the madman across the water." MySpace allows one to change one's nomenclature as often as one likes, which can be quite confusing in circumstances such as this.
~David D.G.
I used to work in an ambulance, and I can say without hesitation that a full moon had no effect whatsoever on the number of trauma/medical calls we received. It also had no effect on the number of crimes that resulted in injuries, though I can't speak on crime overall.
I have heard that a full moon is correlated with an increase in women going into labor, but have yet to see anything that corroborates that.
Bellabee, read some of the other comments in the thread from which this was taken, such as mine and those by a_moral_animal. You'll see some useful information on that point as well as a link you can use to find out more.
~David D.G.
On the one hand, Astrology is rock stupid. The position of Neptune relative to Jupiter is supposed to determine whether or not I find true love?
On the other hand, it gave us Final Fantasy Tactics.
I'm torn.
he is totally right about full moons affecting people, I've seen it first hand for years.
but.....
The moon is a huge mass in orbit right next to our planet, anyone who lives near the sea can see some of its effects every day. It has a lot of influence.
The stars are billions of miles away, the effects they have on us are minimal and to suppose that some pot bellied charlatan in a fancy waistcoat can inerperet what these effects are based on what day you were born on is about as plausible as believing that some guy made the entire universe in less than a week.
Confused?
So were we! You can find all of this, and more, on Fundies Say the Darndest Things!
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