Astrology and Haskell are quite similar in that both are much much easier to do if you have a math degree.

recursive 17 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Ok, I'll bite. How does a math degree help with astrology?

The starting point of casting a horoscope is calculating the apparent locations (this means "where you would have seen them had you looked up there and then") of a whole bunch of celestial objects at the time and place where a particular person was born.

You won't (write software to) do that without knowing a whole bunch of linear algebra and ODEs.

The fortune-telling part is not what needs the math degree.

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recursive 16 hours ago | parent [-]

Does the quality of the astrology depend on the correctness of celestial object positioning? I always assumed it had more to do with the "bedside manner" of the practitioner, and less to do with any measurable falsifiable phenomenon.

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_doctor_love 15 hours ago | parent [-]

You can't do good astrology if the underlying math calculations are wrong. Most mainstream Western astrology uses Placidus houses and then places planets in signs within those houses. From the planetary placements aspects (angles) are calculated.

The sign that a planet is in, which house, and aspects between the planets are what enables astrological fortune-telling and prediction (the forecasting aspect of astrology is technically known as transits and progressions, this is the "predicting the future" piece).

The bedside manner of the astrologer obviously has an enormous influence. One astrologer will look at a chart and treat it as a fixed "you are this way because of your chart" as if you can't change. A more thoughtful (read: actually good) astrologer will treat the chart as an evolutionary blueprint for growth and change. In many ways astrology is really just a different version of psychology and counseling.

A great book to read if you're open-minded but also don't want a bunch of "woo" is to check The Inner Sky by Steven Forrest. The first chapter of the book is called "Why Bother?" For what it's worth I had my chart read by Steven and it has really helped me in my life.

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lelanthran 15 hours ago | parent [-]

> You can't do good astrology if the underlying math calculations are wrong.

So? The people who believe astrology readings would believe them even if the maths is wrong.

The readings themselves don't match outcomes anyway, so it's not like the buyers of readings can even tell that the maths was wrong!

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_doctor_love 14 hours ago | parent [-]

The one thing I know from your comment is that you haven't seriously studied astrology.

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lelanthran 12 hours ago | parent [-]

> The one thing I know from your comment is that you haven't seriously studied astrology.

This is like accusing someone of not seriously studying the ouija board, or tarot cards.

IOW, it's not an insult, it's a compliment.

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_doctor_love 12 hours ago | parent [-]

Oh? So you're over there like super-rational-all-the-time life has no mystery in it?

> IOW, it's not an insult, it's a compliment.

Neither, just an indication that you're comfortable taking a completely dismissive attitude towards things you haven't actually taken the time to study and understand.

I found a great quote from the blog of someone who looks pretty smart:

The more you know, the more you realize you know nothing. --Socrates

Curiously from a blog post titled "Zen and the art of logging" - so clearly this person is open to mystical mumbo-jumbo? After all, does meditation work? Does zen work? Best not to have a strong opinion until you have "gone and seen for yourself."

But you do you.

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lelanthran 11 hours ago | parent [-]

> Best not to have a strong opinion until you have "gone and seen for yourself."

I think this is the best part - the only way to know that voodoo is, indeed, voodoo, is to study it.

IOW, what makes you think I am unfamiliar with the various types of voodoo?

Is your mind that tiny that you cannot imagine that someone took a long look into something before dismissing it as voodoo?

	▲	_doctor_love 10 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Well friend, you sure didn't bring that up to start. Your initial statements gave me a strong sense that you had arbitrarily decided that astrology was bunk without making any intellectual effort. But if you are now telling me that you have investigated astrology, and - after careful analysis and intellectual struggle - decided that it has nothing to offer? Then you have my respect. Because you actually did the work of going and investigating and making a judgment off your own conscience. If you've done that homework, then all I can do is say thank you for being a critical thinker. Obviously, the follow-on is that we have a fundamental disagreement here because I have done the same work and concluded that there is signal with astrology. So I have found that it works for me, and pretty well at that. If the opposite is true for you, it is not right for me to try and coerce you to my point of view. I was musing on your possible reply and remembered this wonderful video from Dr. Richard Hamming. Given our exchange so far, I think you will enjoy it. How Do We Know What We Know? (If Indeed, We Know It) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEjt5PerpeY

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throw-the-towel 16 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

For what it's worth, one of my classmates pivoted into astrology, and we majored in Applied Mathematics.

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tialaramex 17 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Are you sure? I can see for Astronomy that's a branch of physics so sure, there's loads of tricky practical mathematics so if you're bad at mathematics you'll get stuff wrong, but surely for Astrology since it's just bullshit anyway you don't need to do mathematics as it wouldn't make a difference?

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saithound 17 hours ago | parent | next [-]

A horoscope is a fine mixture of fortune-telling bullshit and verifiable astronomical facts. The latter have the form of "where the celestial bodies could be seen at the hour of the client's birth", or "does Jupiter currently appear to be moving forward or backward in the sky".

The average Visual Basic programmer and the world's best mathematician are going to be about equally good at writing the fortune-telling part, but the mathematician will have a much easier time getting the factual part right.

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IshKebab 15 hours ago | parent [-]

I don't think the kinds of people that believe astrology are actually verifying the astronomy though.

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_doctor_love 14 hours ago | parent [-]

False. That's just your opinion. The best astrologers are heavily into astronomy and follow astronomy news very closely.

	▲	IshKebab 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Fair enough. Feels weird to talk about "the best astrologers"! Like the most skilled witch doctors or elite roulette players.

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_doctor_love 15 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

> since it's just bullshit anyway

Alright, you're on - post the place you were born, including date and time and I'll cast your chart and tell you what I see. Then you can tell me if you think it's bullshit or not.

Free reading, you have nothing to lose.

Example: Milpitas, CA @ 4:52am January 24 1987

	▲	_doctor_love 13 hours ago \| parent [-]
		I take downvotes as folks being intellectually not curious. Homies - Silicon Valley is full of people who are into astrology. FFS, this is a community of people whose favorite thing on earth is Burning Man! People who drop acid and do art and experimental living in the desert usually aren't run-of-the-mill "the universe is just a big machine" type thinkers. Most of the best programmers I know are serious meditators and mindfulness practitioners. There are reasons for this. Try to open your mind a little.