Quote:
Originally Posted by rtomes
Quite right. I hope that you are not suggesting that I was looking for mysticism?
However there are good reasons why cycles are sometimes divided in 12 as Tulip is suggesting the precession cycle is divided.
Although New Agers and Astrologers often talk a lot of twaddle, there is sometimes a little grain of truth that they find because they are more open minded than hard nosed scientists who "know" what can and cannot happen. Therefore they are very much more likely to make brand new discoveries than these same scientists who generally can only make little incremental changes to existing knowledge.
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Honestly, I think this is a very closed minded way of looking at things.
Rtomes, the weather has cycles right? Even the most hard nosed scientist has no trouble accepting that a complex chaotic system will show cycles.
Wanting to believe something is a major influence in any human beings psyche.
However, to claim that there is a 'grain or truth' to the twaddle of astrologers is a very misleading claim.
The astrologers are not aware of whatever grain of truth is in their ramblings. They are just practicing 'feel good -wanna beliefs.'
It is the scientifically minded individual that will rationally separate the evidence and data from the fluff. That is how true discoveries can be made.
If I'm walking with a vial of a chemical agent in a lab and I slip on a banana peel and my vial falls into a different batch of chemicals and the resulting combination turns out to be a cure for cancer- I'll get credit for the discovery even if it was an accident. True. But it would be known as an accident- a grateful one. How much MORE credit would I receive if it was a result of research? We want things that WORK. I can believe whatever I want, but if I am to influence the lives of the people- I need something that I can demonstrate as functioning, tested and true. I will need to know what I'm talking about.
Even with the accidental discovery, I would need to pore over the results and data and figure out what happened, why it happened and how it happened. I will need reproducible results.
But If I'm rambling about magnetic bracelets curing cancer- it doesn't matter what "truths" may be in anything I say. No one is going to get cured of cancer by my unknowledgeable and ignorant ramblings. Nor will they by wearing the bracelet.
The scientist is much more likely to make a discovery by researching the actual facts. The new age astrology guy will still be rambling about things he knows nothing about- even if by utter chance he happens to accidentally state a truth- he won't even know he said it.
They are motivated by a
want to believe. This does not make them "open minded." It makes them fluff-minded.
And they are far less likely to make a discovery because they don't have a solid foundation upon which to stand.
I have never encountered an astrologer, new age proponent, paranormal investigator or otherwise make ANY discovery. At All.
None.
No evidence, no papers - nada.
The Randi Prize has yet to ever be claimed.