Majority of Young American Adults Think Astrology Is a Science 625
Hugh Pickens DOT Com writes "Americans have always had a strange fascination with astrology. First Lady Nancy Reagan famously employed the services of an astrologer after the assassination attempt on her husband. Now UPI reports that according to a new survey by the National Science Foundation, nearly half of all Americans say astrology is either 'very' or 'sort of' scientific. Younger respondents, in particular, were the least likely to regard astrology as unscientific, with 58% of 18 to 24 years olds saying that astrology is scientific (PDF). What's most alarming is that American attitudes about science are moving in the wrong direction. Skepticism of astrology hit an all-time high in 2004, when 66 percent of Americans said astrology was total nonsense. But each year, fewer and fewer respondents have dismissed the connections between star alignment and personality as bunk. Among respondents in the 25 — 44 age group 49% of respondents in the 2012 survey said astrology is either 'very scientific' or 'sort of scientific,' up from 36% in 2010. So what's behind this data? The lead author of the report chapter in question, public opinion specialist John Besley of Michigan State University, cautions that we should probably wait for further data 'to see if it's a real change' before speculating. But, he admits, the apparent increase in astrology belief 'popped out to me when I saw it.'"
Re:And in other news... (Score:2, Funny)
Astrology (Score:5, Funny)
IT IS SCIENCE (Score:4, Funny)
It's a science of extracting money from gullible people.
I don't believe in astrology (Score:5, Funny)
We Virgos are sceptical about such things.
Re:More likely (Score:5, Funny)
Majority of young Americans would like Beta, if th (Score:3, Funny)
Majority of young Americans would like Beta, if they ever came here in the first place.
Well I've recently become more convinced (Score:4, Funny)
Every day you hear about more things they are spotting in space, with bigger more powerful horoscopes they can see more exoplanets and stars etc. Considering how much our Curiosity alone has Discovered about the surface of Mars, it's not surprising Astrology is gaining a lot of credibility.
Re:More likely (Score:5, Funny)
Totally true. I don't believe a thing about astrology, but then again I'm a pisces. We're naturally skeptical.
Re:Majority of young Americans would like Beta, if (Score:4, Funny)
Majority of young Americans would like Beta, if they ever came here in the first place.
The majority of young Americans don't even know what VHS is these days, let alone Beta. ;-)
Re:More likely (Score:4, Funny)
Hold on, let me go get some real world empirical data ... okay, I just asked my 15 year old daughter how many of her friends believe in astrology. Her response: "What's astrology?"
I see the problem with your data. The poll was for 18-25 year olds. Your daughter still has three more years of stupid to absorb from school before she can have an opinion.
Re:Majority of young Americans dont know clockwise (Score:5, Funny)
Re:And in other news... (Score:3, Funny)
The radio announcer said last night that the Palestinians and the Israelis might come to a peace deal real soon now, because it appears to be the only way they can get Kerry to shut up.