BBC Astrology/Astronomy confusion

[lukebl]

Ouch!

I regularly listen the to BBC World Service, as I find its internationally-based news far more informative, interesting and impartial than the tedious domestic stuff.

HOWEVER, whilst listening to an item about the forthcoming Jupiter/Saturn conjunction just now, the news anchor introduced Dr. Carolyn Crawford as being from the Cambridge University Institute of ASTROLOGY.

It was a recording, so she didn't have the opportunity to correct him. I'll bet she's fuming!

[BrendanC]

She'll be fuming now, but that's ok because Jupiter is in the ascendancy and she's Capricorn, so she'll have an unexpected surprise tomorrow and will pull through with aplomb.

[MartinHiggins]

21 minutes ago, lukebl said:

Ouch!

I regularly listen the to BBC World Service, as I find its internationally-based news far more informative, interesting and impartial than the tedious domestic stuff.

HOWEVER, whilst listening to an item about the forthcoming Jupiter/Saturn conjunction just now, the news anchor introduced Dr. Carolyn Crawford as being from the Cambridge University Institute of ASTROLOGY.

It was a recording, so she didn't have the opportunity to correct him. I'll bet she's fuming!

Hi does anybody remember  the book The Henry Root Letters from 1980? He wrote absurd  but sincere sounding letters to well known people and published his original letters followed by their reply. I remember reading correspondence between him and  Patrick Moore about astrology and to David Attenborough asking him for advice about naturism. 

[AngryDonkey]

[Mr Spock]

Astrology, the mass cultural delusion that the sun's apparent position relative to arbitrarily defined constellations at the time of your birth somehow affects your personality.

[Paul M]

27 minutes ago, Mr Spock said:

Astrology, the mass cultural delusion that the sun's apparent position relative to arbitrarily defined constellations at the time of your birth somehow affects your personality.

Hmm..

Being a Libran I tend to take a more balanced view 🤣

[Tiny Clanger]

39 minutes ago, Mr Spock said:

Astrology, the mass cultural delusion that the sun's apparent position relative to arbitrarily defined constellations at the time of your birth somehow affects your personality.

I'm not sure, but I think it was The Good Doctor (Asimov) who in response to some vague handwaving astrology justification based on 'tidal forces' came up with the calculation that the gravitational pull of an astronomical body (other than Earth ...) on a child at the moment of birth was rather less than that of the attendant midwife , less massive, but so much closer ...

I enjoy browsing in second hand bookshops, I've lost count of the number of times I've made an indignant trip to the counter with an astrology book that's been shelved in the science section . No thanks I'm not buying it, but it needs shelving in the right place !

 

[Second Time Around]

34 minutes ago, Tiny Clanger said:

I'm not sure, but I think it was The Good Doctor (Asimov) who in response to some vague handwaving astrology justification based on 'tidal forces' came up with the calculation that the gravitational pull of an astronomical body (other than Earth ...) on a child at the moment of birth was rather less than that of the attendant midwife , less massive, but so much closer ...

I enjoy browsing in second hand bookshops, I've lost count of the number of times I've made an indignant trip to the counter with an astrology book that's been shelved in the science section . No thanks I'm not buying it, but it needs shelving in the right place !

 

Even worse than fantasy books being mixed up with sci-fi.  I always point out to the staff that there's nothing scientific about fantasy - it's just adult fairy tales. 

I've liked a few fantasy novels, but give me "hard" science fiction anytime.

Edited December 18, 2020 by Second Time Around

[Tiny Clanger]

6 hours ago, MartinHiggins said:

Hi does anybody remember  the book The Henry Root Letters from 1980? He wrote absurd  but sincere sounding letters to well known people and published his original letters followed by their reply. I remember reading correspondence between him and  Patrick Moore about astrology and to David Attenborough asking him for advice about naturism. 

There is an excellent , tatty little paperback on my shelves called 'Can you speak Venusian' by some bloke called Patrick Moore . 1979 vintage. He studies, with po faced seriousness but an underlying wit, the theories of several 'Independent Thinkers' on UFOs , astrology flat earth and so on.

Particularly straight faced is his account of how one mouthpiece magazine of a particular group (Cosmic Voice) suddenly ( and, he says , entirely by coincidence) after Moore met with the leader of the group , they had a flood of learned contributions from foreign scientists with many qualifications to their slightly unusual names. For example, a report on the Congress of Vibrations in Vienna, attended by a host of eminent scientists including Egon Spunraas, Dr E. Ratic, and Dr. Hotere. Professor N. Ormuss featured too.

Wonder what Moore would make of some of the 'theories' that occasionally crop up on 'Physics, Space Science and Theories' here ? 😀

[Second Time Around]

Has anyone read "Report on Planet Three", a short story in the book of the same name by Sir Arthur C. Clarke?

It's supposedly written by an alien (Martian?) scientist "proving" that life couldn't exist on Earth!

 

[Marvin Jenkins]

1 hour ago, Paul M said:

Hmm..

Being a Libran I tend to take a more balanced view 🤣

Why does being a Librarian make you more balanced? Is it the access to knowledge?

[Tiny Clanger]

19 minutes ago, Second Time Around said:

Has anyone read "Report on Planet Three", a short story in the book of the same name by Sir Arthur C. Clarke?

It's supposedly written by an alien (Martian?) scientist "proving" that life couldn't exist on Earth!

 

Corgi SF collector's library edition on my shelves !  The title story is only 7 pages long, but a bit like Asimov's 'Nightfall' or Bradbury's 'A Miracle of Rare Device' the short story resonates for years afterwards ...

[JamesF]

34 minutes ago, Second Time Around said:

Has anyone read "Report on Planet Three", a short story in the book of the same name by Sir Arthur C. Clarke?

It's supposedly written by an alien (Martian?) scientist "proving" that life couldn't exist on Earth!

I have, but it must have been many, many years ago.  I shall dig it out of my library for another read.  And just for balance I'll re-read a fantasy novel too.  I've not read Julian May's "The Many-Coloured Land" for a while...

James

[Tiny Clanger]

4 minutes ago, Marvin Jenkins said:

Why does being a Librarian make you more balanced? Is it the access to knowledge?

Orangutans have great natural balance skills 🦧

ook

[JamesF]

2 minutes ago, Tiny Clanger said:

Corgi SF collector's library edition on my shelves !  The title story is only 7 pages long, but a bit like Asimov's 'Nightfall' or Bradbury's 'A Miracle of Rare Device' the short story resonates for years afterwards ...

Nightfall was subsequently re-written as a full length novel as far as I recall.  Possibly with Robert Silverberg?

James

[Paul M]

7 minutes ago, Marvin Jenkins said:

Why does being a Librarian make you more balanced? Is it the access to knowledge?

No! Bookkeeping is all about balancing the books. Innit

[Tiny Clanger]

1 minute ago, JamesF said:

I have, but it must have been many, many years ago.  I shall dig it out of my library for another read.  And just for balance I'll re-read a fantasy novel too.  I've not read Julian May's "The Many-Coloured Land" for a while...

James

I know the 'Many coloured Land' counts as fantasy, 'cos it's got pastel coloured covers😀  (well my old paperbacks do anyway) but it has no magic, dragons wizards or dispossessed adolescent royalty as far as I recall, just time travel and aliens on a past Earth (and it's ages since I read it , firvulag was it ? Explained as the distant human memory that gave rise to the 'wild hunt' myths.)  So a fantasy averse reader might be OK with it as sci fi.especially the later volumes .

[Marvin Jenkins]

Ahh just Libran not Librarian! I thought it was spell check playing again🤣

[Tiny Clanger]

9 minutes ago, JamesF said:

Nightfall was subsequently re-written as a full length novel as far as I recall.  Possibly with Robert Silverberg?

James

Really ? I'll not be seeking that out though, the short story itself is perfect  !

[JamesF]

2 minutes ago, Tiny Clanger said:

I know the 'Many coloured Land' counts as fantasy, 'cos it's got pastel coloured covers😀  (well my old paperbacks do anyway) but it has no magic, dragons wizards or dispossessed adolescent royalty as far as I recall, just time travel and aliens on a past Earth (and it's ages since I read it , firvulag was it ? Explained as the distant human memory that gave rise to the 'wild hunt' myths.)  So a fantasy averse reader might be OK with it as sci fi.especially the later volumes .

It has telepathy and telekinesis and other stuff too   And my paperbacks are similarly coloured.  Magic, wizards and dispossessed adolescent royalty brings to mind the Belgariad.  I can't recall whether it had dragons though.  It's a very long time since I last read that.

James

[Skipper Billy]

3 hours ago, AngryDonkey said:

Excellent - I have never heard of this before - just ordered a copy from Amazon for £1.97. I fear I may wet myself reading it 😉 

 

[JamesF]

8 minutes ago, Tiny Clanger said:

Really ? I'll not be seeking that out though, the short story itself is perfect  !

My recollection is that it remains quite true to the original (which I agree is an outstanding piece of work), but adds more detail to the start and end.

James

[iapa]

On 18/12/2020 at 19:55, JamesF said:

I have, but it must have been many, many years ago.  I shall dig it out of my library for another read.  And just for balance I'll re-read a fantasy novel too.  I've not read Julian May's "The Many-Coloured Land" for a while...

James

Thing with May’s book was introduction of the “prequels” such as   Diamond Jack

i”m never sure if I bed print order or ‘universe’ chronology. Same with the Foundation universe.

[iapa]

On 18/12/2020 at 19:56, JamesF said:

Nightfall was subsequently re-written as a full length novel as far as I recall.  Possibly with Robert Silverberg?

James

There was moving picture made as well.

[iapa]

On 18/12/2020 at 20:12, JamesF said:

It has telepathy and telekinesis and other stuff too   And my paperbacks are similarly coloured.  Magic, wizards and dispossessed adolescent royalty brings to mind the Belgariad.  I can't recall whether it had dragons though.  It's a very long time since I last read that.

James

Or The Magician series by Feist