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Bombay High Court Rules Astrology To Be a Science
neosaurus writes "In India, the Bombay High Court recently ruled astrology to be 'a time tested science more than 4000 years old.' Not only does this stretch the definition of science, it also reaffirms people's faith in pseudosciences at a broader level." At least we can know for certain the people trying to get creationism taught as science in our schools have equally wacky friends around the globe.
That isn't very reassuring.
Sand and rocks are now drinks.
"The Bombay High Court" ruling is about equivalent to the Georgia Supreme Court saying Creationism is a valid science discipline, or the France High Court declaring french to be the only language allowed to be spoken.
Yes it's a surprising decision, but likely to be overturned by India's "supreme court" later on. Saner heads usually prevail at the national/ union/ federal level.
Information wants to be expensive AND wants to be free. So you have Value vs. Cheap distribution fighting each other.
I have met numerous people, some of them quite clever and respected, who despite being well aware of various pseudo-science tricks (say homeopathy and the like) all fell for astrology. They will claim that people born at a certain time of year share some traits... (like it's some kind of scientific measurable proof. sigh)
I have no idea why it appeals to so many, especially women for some reason. Just look at most women's magazines!
Every newspaper has a column (all of them sufficiently vague that you can't use this to prove how ridiculous the whole thing is).
I wonder what it is that makes so many of us susceptible to such blatant scientific fraud.
As for India, I am not surprised... their belief system is already quite complicated and intersects with all aspects of life, science included.
TODO: 753) write sig.
Since when did article postings come with gratuitous flamebait in addition to the link/info?
When it's justified by the article topic's inherent stupidity?
At least we can know for certain the people trying to get creationism taught as science in our schools have equally wacky friends around the globe.
What happened to the /. that was fairly neutral, objective and unbiased? Perhaps it only existed in my mind. Ad hominem such as this is unnecessary, it only cheapens /. as a whole. Creationism is not being pushed anywhere as a science, to be taught, sure, but not as science. Somehow it has become the boogeyman to those that don't actually know what science is. In the marketplace of ideas their will always be struggle, and the victor will not be the one making childish remarks towards the other.
Actually, that's exactly the concern; nobody (well, very few people) object to Creationism being taught in a religions course, forces such as the Texas school board are indeed trying to mandate its inclusion right next to the observed evolution studies present in many science textbooks, and used for materials in science classes.
You're special forces then? That's great! I just love your olympics!
Because unlike other things on Idle this has real consequences for intelligent and honest people at large. This undermines real science and makes fighting pseudoscience and superstition harder because idiots now have another country to point to and say "See, they think it's real!". It makes it harder to defend vaccines, to debunk homeopathy, and to get rid of the cancer that is religion because garbage masquerading as science now has another sanctuary in a legal code.
That's why it doesn't belong in Idle, because it has real harmful effects.
On the other hand, there's a good chance that people who hear music that isn't really there actually *are* crazy.
As a Bible-thumping believer in Christ
let it be taught as a liberal arts/entertainment subject, because that's all that it is anyway (and IMHO, a fool's frivolous and superstitious waste of time and energy)
Oh, the irony...
that foolishness is a universal virtue, and not confined to Americans like the followers of Sarah Palin,
Like the inimitable Groucho Marx, I would never join a club that would have me as a member.
Seems consistent to me.
Not if you like to be consistent with reality.
And up is down!
Only after exchange of a W boson.