Astrology: Fact or Fiction? 

As a scientist, I can never accept anything as dumb as astrology. I'm a Taurus, and we're very stubborn.

"Big career move today!" "Nope, I got fired" sounds like a pretty big career move to me

I told an astrology believer that I didn’t believe in astrology and broke down reasons as to why I didn’t believe in it and they said the typical “that’s such a (my sign) thing to say” and with that response I came to the conclusion that astrology is nothing more than space racism.

In high school I was talking to this girl in Spanish class every day. One time we had a project together and she asked the question: what is your sign? I told her. She then did the “really? Ugh, we aren’t compatible…” after literally being compatible and it all ended… lol

Well of course "gravity" doesn't determine your personality when you're born. It's density and buoyancy!

I love how astrology keeps things so vague and broad that every sign fits everyone in some way

I happen to be a fraternal twin. 12/21/1985. We are almost NOTHING alike. For me, that was "book closed" on astrology. I love this guy.

Broke up with a girl once because she said "astrology is a science".

Confirmation bias: My horoscope was wrong, meh. My horoscope was wrong, meh. My horoscope was wrong, meh. My horoscope was wrong, meh. My horoscope was wrong, meh. My horoscope was wrong, meh. My horoscope was wrong, meh. My horoscope was wrong, meh. My horoscope was wrong, meh. My horoscope was wrong, meh. OMG! It was so right today. OMG, this shit is so real!!!!!!!111!!!!!!!1 My horoscope was wrong, meh. My horoscope was wrong, meh. My horoscope was wrong, meh. ....

Dude, that is SUCH a Libra thing to say.

I’m an Astrophysicist and my fiancé “believes” in Astrology. We have had conversations on how it’s pseudoscience at best and isn’t really and she completely agrees, but at the end of the day she still chooses to be interested in it because the claims “it’s fun” and she wants to “believe in something.” I’ve found myself enjoying entertaining Astrology, despite knowing it doesn’t actually have any Physical sway on the real world.

Your ability to mimic, not just the aesthetic of 80's science videos, but their entire style & essence is a thing of wonder & joy! Thank you

This reminds me of when I was little and found out I was a libra, and I was mad because all the other signs had some sort of animal and mine just had a measuring tool

My Astronomer teacher, on the first day of class, the first thing we did was debunk astrology collectively as a class.

I love how he proposes possible counterarguments, defeats them, and then repeatedly goes, "Still not convinced? Here's more evidence. I'm going to put more nails in this coffin than you would ever expect because this needs to fucking go."

When I was younger and more impressionable I was interested in astrology. As I got older, it just doesn't hold the same weight as it once did in my mind. It's not science. At best, it's a way for people to socialize in my opinion.

Astrolgers: (Looks up at the night sky). "Thank you for changing my life" Some random star in the sky: "I'm literally just vibing"

Horoscope: *You will have to make an important choice today* . Me in the store, wondering which ice cream flavour to buy: The prophecies! THEY WERE TRUE!

as a leftist and feminist who believes science is a key pillar to equality and freedom for all people-and having to deal with SO MANY of my comrades who deeply believe in this shit-this video gave me a sense of catharsis that nearly brought me to tears. mysticism and religion is so dumbfoundingly strong right now across all political alignments, its just scary. we will never find the answers for worldwide peace and happiness until we leave these ancient, dogmatic, and harmful ways of thinking behind.

I may be biased, but I grew up on astronomy. So many constellations I used to be able to identify and name. Astrology just never had the same pull for me. I think it comes from the notion that while we are separated by gulfs of space and time that are insurmountable for humans, those stars and planets are real, physical places. If you were to be invulnerable and teleported out to the surface of a distant star, you would be in a real place that exists. Astrology just muddles and mystifies something that needs none of that.

I completely disagree. The position of stars has had a massive effect on my life. More specifically the positions have cause annoying and gullible people to spew nonsense at me.

Previously debunking flat earth theory and now astrology. I really like these debunking videos. Thanks for the upload...

"I use astrology to pick which women to date". "If they believe in it, they are not for me"! Emo Phillips

I heard an interesting argument for astrology, at least historically, and only pertaining to personality. The concept is that if you go back in time, to a agrarian or hunter-gatherer type society, the time of year of your birth might influence your personalities based on the seasonal flow of time, but also depends on a nurture-centric view of the nature-nurture discussion of personal development. Like a child born in spring, when food stores from the previous season are running low, and maybe game is harder to find might go hungry, where a child born after harvest might have a different temperament by virtue of them having more ready access to food. The assignment is arbitrary, but tagging them to annual cycles (whether that be a month, zodiac sign, or other predictable pieces) might have some bearing. At least in the past

The fact that we need to explain this to adults is sad

I had a benefit from astrology, which I believed in as a teenager. Wanting to know how it worked, and figure an astrological chart, I had to learn trigonometry. Due to changing schools at just the wrong time, I skipped trigonometry class. I went right from Algebra 3 to Analytic Geometry - which assumed I knew trig. And, I did, thanks to learning astrology. Then I grew up. I dumped astrology, and studied calculus and computer science. :)

My ex was a cancer just like me and she broke up with me because she said I "smothered" her. I literally saw her once every month and we communicated via text, all of which I initiated because she never wanted to talk to me. She used astrology as a reason she couldn't be going out with me and I wondered why I didnt break up with her sooner.

These videos are kinda theraputic in a way; there's something about breaking down silly ideas with actual science that's just so entertaining. Very good video, i'm enjoying it so far.

Another factor to consider is that different cultures have different astrological systems which would open them up to contradictions; for example, a couple's Greek horoscopes may indicate they're a good match while their Chinese horoscopes might indicate that they shouldn't be together. Any supernatural belief system has the inherent potential for contradictions.

“...Imagine if instead of this horoscope, you got the following: *you are a Virgo. You expect too much from others, are lazy, arrogant and extremely rude and hateful. You have no real friends and your current ones are hopelessly sentimental. Virgos make good doorsteps* " -psychology textbook, 1987

Going back to older stuff in 2022 it's wild how Dave has really refined his delivery over time 👍

I’m guessing most believers in astrology have never known someone born on the same day as them. Makes the differences between us easier to spot.

One of my schoolmates and I were born the same day, same hospital, 40 minutes apart. We couldn’t be more different and our life experiences are not the same at all. But hey, we once both got a dog at some point in our life, so, ASTROLOGY

"Libras will eat something today." "OMG STACY I WILL EAT SOMETHING TODAY!"

Dang I went from watching your videos to pass my Physics class in undergrad, now you’re making skeptic videos. Keep up the good work!

Dave, I just sorted comments by new, and seeing your replies made my day

I was expecting you to include the fact that the precession of the stars over years would mean that one star sign becomes an entirely different sign over the centuries!!!

If there is one positive takeaway from my astrology phase in middle school: I learned where all the zodiac constellations are and I can usually spot the planets that are visible to the naked eye 😅

There's a difference between believing for fun and believing for real. You can enjoy pseudoscience all you want, but as soon as you start rejecting reality, it's gone too far.

"Astrology is flat earth socially accepted" - some guy

Astorlogy: You will breathe tommorow People: OMG I'M SUCH A CAPRISUN!!!

"Astrology today can be regarded as a flavour of self-help" is the best description of modern day astrology

Please never predetermine the content of my character based solely on my gender, ethnicity, or astrological sign.

I have been a subscriber of ur channel from back in 2017 around 2018.. and I'm so happy to see u have grown so well professor Dave!! I'm so happy for u

I always viewed astrology as a personality test; it's not completely accurate but it was entertaining to try. It wasn't until a month ago that I realize that people actually take it like gospel. I really want to deny it.

i like how, when professor dave is debunking pseudoscience, he sounds more annoyed than usual 😄

Know what I really despise? Astrology being presented as some kind of feminist thing. To me there is nothing feminist about putting people into preconceived boxes based on dry facts about their birth. That's kind of the whole point of every social justice movement: judge a person for their actual deeds and values, not your preconceptions about whatever category you've sorted them into. It's just another kind of phrenology.

One discussion I find kind of interesting is the idea that the region, climate, and season of a person's birth can have measurable developmental effects on people; I'd be interested to see if there's any correlation on that front.

When the planets are in certain positions in the night sky, I take out my telescope and look at them - I submit that the planets do indeed have an effect on events here on Earth. :)

My girlfriend believes in astrology and tries to convince me it is true every day. I'm very good in math and science so I see it for what it is.. a way to bs gullible people...

"You're so interesting! What sign are you?" "Well, if you believe in all that, you tell me!" "OK! You're an Aries!" "No" "You're a Libra!" "No" "Oh! I know. Sagittarius! Right?" "No" Usually takes about 9-12 guesses to NAIL IT! I'm a Pisces, and I approved this message

Regarding his point at the end, I am firmly of the opinion that 9 times out of 10, the true nature of things is thousands of times more interesting than the best fantasy that could ever be written.

"The most vital part of a rain dance is timing."

I tell my astrology tolerant acquaintances the reason I don't believe in it, is because I simply cannot accept the notion that one twelfth of the world's population is having as crappy day as I am.

Thank you so VERY much Professor Dave for thoroughly vocalizing my exact thoughts on the subject of astrology especially your final comments about “growing up as a species”. Ever since I was a young man I have been hoping for humans to mature, leave outdated superstitious behind and to work together in a peaceful and scientific way. You are extremely intelligent and thank you for all your efforts 😀

i am fascinated with astrology. i have been for about a decade now! i use it almost every day, and sometimes i even make money off of reading peoples charts. i used to believe in it wholeheartedly, but now i dont. even though i dont think its real, i definitely still enjoy it a lot because there is so much to it! when talking to clients i am upfront about my beliefs and then they pay me to read their charts anyway lol. its fun for everyone, and i think it should stay that way!

When people ask me what my sign is, I make them explain to me why it’s important before I answer. They don’t like that, and usually don’t wind up liking me, but I don’t really care.

My brother and his girlfriend are pretty serious into astrology. They are otherwise intelligent people. It drive me crazy.

This was so well made and hit every angle so well. Can't believe this if you made more politics videos you would be destroying people, you have an ability with destroying stupid things to the complete extent they can be ridiculed without trying to ridicule anything, and actually stating what your motif is - the noble cause of improving humanity. Cheers to that.

I love the way you teach, dave. it's inspiring. It's definitely made me a better teacher and I think also a better person.

I think it was in Carl Sagan’s Cosmos where he pointed out how the stars making up star signs we see are only the very brightest, and some are even distant galaxies; and since they exist in a 3-dimensional plane, if you view the same constellation from a different point in space, they have absolutely no correlation due to the vast distances between them, as opposed to the flat plane the ancients imagined. Also, as someone who lives in Australia, just as with flat earth, astrology falls apart as the Northern hemisphere constellations aren’t visible, except upside-down on the horizon. There is no star sign for being born under the Southern Cross. And of course the concept that there are only 12 personality types in the world is ludicrous.

Early 1939, a French journal had as its headline : "Astrologists are unanimous : there will be no war in 1939 !"

Fiction. I just saved everyone 18 minutes 👍🏻

The ending was absolutely beautiful.

The worst thing about astrology is the link to homeopathy and quack medicines

The Barnum effect, named after the showman PT Barnum, is a common psychological phenomenon whereby individuals give high accuracy ratings to descriptions of their personality that supposedly are tailored specifically to them, yet which are in fact vague and general enough to apply to a wide range of people. This effect can provide a partial explanation for the widespread acceptance of some paranormal beliefs and practices, such as astrology, fortune telling, aura reading, and some types of personality tests.

How could astrology have possibly worked anyway in times, when nobody knew about celestial objects like Neptune, Uranus, all the Plutoids and the Kuiper Belt?

Love your yt page. Keep up the great work

One major problem with astrology that the Professor didn't mention is its complete failure to predict natural disasters. A massive earthquake or tsunami means that thousands of people, who will inevitably include members of every sun sign, will be having a REALLY bad day, so every single horoscope for that day should have warnings about it. When astrology can predict earthquakes, that will be the time to start taking it seriously.

0:28 Astrology. 12 Zodiacs determine your personality 1:15 Part 1: A mechanism of action How does celestial position influence us? 2:09 Four Forces - Strong Nuclear Force - Weak Nuclear Force - Electromagnetic Force -Gravity 3:44 How can Gravity dictate your personality at birth? - It Can't 6:20 Let's assume Astrology is true. 7:16 Astrologers fail the test. 8:28 Faternal Twins, same person, same chart. Are they identical? Definitely not. 9:35 *Part 2: Horoscopes* - Most horoscopes are vauge, listing nice things for everyone 11:48 It must correlate with reality 13:00 Failure of predictions = Phoney 13:58 Equations need to explain Reality 14:49 Who is it hurting? - The Regan Administration entertained an Astrologer 16:25 It's comforting. But it is absurd.

I once briefly dated a girl that had an astrology book on 365 birthdays. For each birthday it included a list of a few other "soulmate birthdays". She asked my birthday and was like "OMG! You're my soul mate!", and embarrassed me by excitedly telling others that we are soulmates. lol

When a girl asks me what sign I am, I say, "stop."

There was a good point that could be made when you mentioned a car in your driveway having a bigger effect on us than the stars. That point being, if stars COULD affect our minds with their minute gravitational pulls, then they STILL wouldn't to any measurable degree. This is because if the stars can affect us at this distance, then so can all of the massive things that are here on earth. The results between individuals would be so incredibly chaotic that there would be zero consistency between two people born under the same star sign. So not only does astrology not work, but if it did, it would still not work.

I like how he keeps debunking them in so many ways. Everything he said is logical and have sense. I love this man. You got yourself a new subscriber!

im a stegosaurus personally

Brilliant video 🙌🏻👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

There is a difference between "My horoscope was right, what a neat coincidence", and " I'm gonna stop being friend with some one because Jupiter was kinda bright when I was born"

My sister went to a psychic once. The lady said she "sees" that she works with her hands. Considering she had hands at the time.... Psychic

I seriously feel in a thousand or so years this is exactly what someone would say about modern religions. Whether it's real or not honestly doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. It can help guide people to balance and provide another perspective, or help someone through a generally rough time. And obviously it's fun. It just like religion is too valuable to just be outright dismissed because it's not "real." It's real to them and that's okay.

Professor Dave: dismantling your beliefs one video at a time

People tend to fall for anything that gives you flattering compliments and tells you you’re smart. That’s why so many people still take Internet personality tests. They tell you you’re smart, you’re a good friend, you’re loyal, etc. Things that, even if they were false about the person, they’d never consciously disagree with. They never tell you that you have attachment issues, or that you blow up small problems, or that you tend to overindulge yourself or disregard responsibility. Because then it’s much more apparent that they’re bogus and nobody wants to be told that.

Stars can totally have an effect on my life. The other night I looked up and saw one twinkling and said “oh hey that’s neat”. I wouldn’t of said that otherwise, can your science explain that.

Next he's gonna claim Santa isn't real

Human: thinking that they are unique, that everyone is different from one another. Also human: believes in Astrology.

"Romance is in the air!" "She left me." That hits hard, ouch.

I'm 14 years old and my mom believes in astrology. Bu you know what? I have been telling her it makes no sense for YEARS. With my limited understanding of the science, I can tell in a few seconds that astrology does. make. no. sense.

The basic thing about astrology is that the star constellations look connected like they do ONLY FROM EARTH and actually only on the northern Hampshire. If you would travel as far as the closest sun (star) you will have another dot in the sky that is our sun, not seen as a dot from earth obviously. beyond this as far as you travel it all will appear just different. So basically if you really “connect the dots” it all points back to earth people being self centred and unaware of the vastness of space.

Me and my twin were born 10 minutes apart. Me and him are very different personalities in so many ways. Often people can't even tell we are brothers never mind twins. But I have since learned that even being born 10 minutes apart means we would of apparently been subject to different planetary influences on our personalities...go figure hey.

Even from my position of someone, who enjoys good mystic experience, I would argue, that learning about world around enhanced my experience quite a bit- just watching sunset, with moon high in the sky and stars starting to appear, while knowing how incredibly huge, ancient and distant it all is, and all that had to happen to allow life to arise and gaze upon all that with at least some level of understanding, is in itself more profound experience than any mystical mumbo-jambo could give you.

Please release a video to counter the utter nonsense that is crystal healing

Great video Dave.

Fiction. There, saved you 18 minutes.

Hey! Astrology is real! The Onion's Horoscopes last week said I'd be devoured by a lava monster -- and I was! If that isn't proof of astrology, I don't know what would be . . . .

- What is your sign? - I'm a dinosaur. - That isn't a valid sign. - None are.

I read Tarot cards, by myself, for just myself. I don’t make any life choices based off of it because it’s incredibly up to interpretation. Cards are a coping mechanism for my anxieties. Also, they are negative as well as positive. “You are the problem because you aren’t listening” I always use “What’s wrong with me” because it feels like I’m okay. I would like to repeat that it is NOT something I use for choices. Just a fun hobby.

Another vid I wish I could broadcast directly into peoples minds.

Thanks

Me and my twin sister are Leos. This means... Our parents got cozy in winter 😳

Way back when Sagan made Cosmos, he pointed out that hardly any newspapers carried daily columns on astronomy, but that all of them carried daily columns on astrology. Sad then, still sad to this day.

As I've seen some people say, "astrology is birthday racism" and I cannot agree more. Something that a lot of people do not know is that "personality" isn't this ethereal, infallible, genetic concept, something like a soul, your personality and actions or the same of any organism are based on the data they receive and process from the environment, which is based on their own perception and intellect. There are thousands of factors when it comes to an individual entity being who they are. You are not born a specific person, you might be genetically predisposed to specific mental disorders and illnesses, perhaps, which might affect your judgement as emotions are an integral part of the cognition of organisms, but you will develop marginally different in different circumstances. For example, if you as a foetus and a direct genetic copy of you were sent off to different families, then carried to term, then raised, you would be two completely different people, although looking similar in appearance. Perchance your styles would be so different you'd barely even recognise your twin/clone. Your species doesn't determine personality, your race doesn't determine personality, your breed doesn't determine personality, 90 dogs of the same breed will all be 90 different people; this has been proven recently, a breed of a dog does not determine their personality - EVER. There is individuality in insects, in spiders, in fish - the circumstances in which you were raised are what determines your personality. The actions you perform are based on your choices. The existence of some spherical mass of nuclear explosions, gas or rocks somewhere far in space at the moment of your birth is NOT going to determine who you are as a person. It's same as claiming that if you're born on the same day and in the same region a man called Štef sneezes three times in a row and says "jebote" and a woman called Leticija trips over a shopping bag the moment someone in her audible vicinity pops a bottle of champagne, you're going to be a pathologist. Like, that's how outlandish astrology sounds.