Fifteen Minutes: Astrology with Prof. Kirshner

An expert on the stars, Professor of Astronomy Robert Kirshner here illuminates the finer points of astrology for FM-dissecting his personal horoscope, contemplating why so many people believe in theirs, and taking on a tarot card reader at the other end of a psychic hotline.

Known to undergraduates as the David Letterman-esque professor of Science A-35, "Matter in the Universe," Kirshner lightens the atmosphere in his cluttered office with a steady stream of jokes. After a one-liner about slacker students and a quip about make-up exams, he quickly turns to the matter at hand--attempting to distinguish astronomy from astrology.

"Astronomy," Kirshner says, "is the application of physical understanding to the physical world beyond the earth. We know that. And astrology... Basically astrology is a system of religion. It's something that's based on faith not on evidence."

"People do confuse the two, unfortunately," he says laughing.

When told of an instance last year when Dean Harry R. Lewis '68 mistook astrology for astronomy, Kirshner seems incredulous at first. In an e-mail, Lewis explained to undergraduates that joint concentrations should combine fields that are at least somewhat related to one another, and as an example of a difficult combination, he cited astrology and music.

At first defending Lewis, saying he must have been too busy to proofread, Kirshner then laughs and says, "Well, I agree... I think astrology and music is a bad combination." He continues, "I think cosmology and cosmetology get confused even more. Here's a quick tip: If you want to have unwanted hair removed, go to a cosme-tol-ogist, not a cosmologist. If you wanted unwanted dark matter removed, that's a different story."

Delving into a historical argument, Kirshner admits that, unlike the studies of the universe and cosmetics, astronomy and astrology were actually closely linked at one point. "In the 1600's," Kirshner says, "they were related. [Johannes] Kepler was, in fact, an astrologer."

But, Kirshner argues, the discoverer of elliptical orbits and other astronomers may have dabbled in astronomy only when forced to do so by the zodiacally-inclined emperors of the Holy Roman Empire. Nor was this phenomenon unique to Western cultures. "For instance, in the Court of China," Kirshner says, "the emperor believed in astrology. And it is documented that people studied the stars as a means of forecasting war, pestilence, or worst of all: a change in the emperor."

"For the last 2000 years," he concludes, "there certainly has been a strong belief in astrology. But in modern times... it just seems so weird."

"What seems really weird to me is that on American Airlines, you can open up their magazine, and there it is: your horoscope. It's very funny, they have a very flamboyant sort of a wild guy writing these things, and it's entertaining. But on the other hand, what's keeping the airplane up? It seems so wacky to me, that an enterprise that depends on an understanding of the physical world, and requires people to have confidence in their ability to do so, at the same time have this sort of mysticism..."

"I write them an e-mail every once and a while, but they never take [the horoscope] out. And I suppose if they take did it out, immediately they'd get not one but 10,000 letters telling them to put it back in."

When told that even The Crimson includes a horoscope, Kirshner reddens and says, "What's the deal, why does The Crimson have the horoscope in there? Don't people think they're in charge of their own fate?" He reconsiders. "No, of course not, they think the faculty are in charge of their fate. It's honest inadvertence."

It's true, he laments. "Everybody knows their sign." People even use it to verify identity--Kirshner's underage son once got carded by a bartender who, examining his fake ID skeptically, quizzed him on his birthday and his sign. "It just goes to show," Kirshner jokes, "that's one thing astrology's good for-it provides a good question to ask as a bouncer."

But Kirshner says, "As a system of prediction, astrology has no power."

"People who believe in astrology say 'Oh--the tidal effect of the moon. It's very important. Look at the waves--how the ocean goes up and down!'"

"All true," he says. "But we know what the rules of gravity are very well. It's very easy to calculate... the tidal effect of the obstetrician on a newborn baby is larger--because it's proportional to the cube of the distance and twice the mass--and nobody asks where that person was standing at the time of their birth."

Even if you do believe that the planets have a gravitational pull on people, and that that pull somehow effects personality and fate, Kirshner contends that astrological predictions today aren't even based on the proper position of the planets.

"The fact that the earth has precessed and the direction of the pole points has changed significantly means that the constellations actually are not in the same places on the same days as they were. Or rather the sun is not in the same place on the same day as it was 400 years ago. What that means is: astrologists aren't even talking about where the planets actually are. They're talking about where they are in this conventional picture of astrology, and where the sun and moon and the other planets are. They don't use the actual positions."

However, Kirshner doesn't think this argument will persuade many horoscope readers. "It doesn't matter to them," he says. "It's a system of belief, not a scientific thing... It's outside organized religion, but it has all the trappings of it. It has ceremony, it has ritual, it has books of authority that are not unquestionable."

Astrology for many, Kirshner believes, is a means of relieving themselves of responsibility for their lives. Not that he blames them. "I think the urge to believe things is very strong," he says, "You'd hate to think you're just a lump of atoms on the surface of the earth for one hundredth of the age of the universe, and that that's it. But you know, that...could be true."

Yet even Kirshner occasionally takes a peek at his horoscope. "Every once and a while," he says, smiling.

He does it partly for entertainment, but a lot of people--in his opinion--half believe their horoscopes, because they predict things that could happen to anyone.

"They're very cleverly written, so that almost anybody would say, 'Oh yeah! That's me!' It's the self-identification they depend on. But if you clipped off all the dates and shuffled them all around and handed them out, people would again say, 'Oh yeah! That's me!'"

Whipping out an astrological book of birthdays, FM puts Kirshner's skepticism to the test.

Looking up the reading for the sign of Leo, and his birthday, August 15, Kirshner jokes briefly about the strange font, muttering "weirdo typography," and then begins reading.

"OK, August 15, the same day as Julius Caesar and Julia Child."

Enthusiasm and intelligence are usually associated with your birthday. You are usually able to grasp information quickly.

"Well of course! Good point. That's me!"

By accumulating knowledge, you can increase your assertiveness and self confidence.

"I doubt it!"

You are easy going and pleasant with a youthful quality.

"Oh yes."

A mind full of bright ideas.

"Oh yeah."

You need to challenge your vitality and restless temperament through creative pursuits.

"Well, it's all true!"

Sociable and warm, very good in relationships. . .

Love of knowledge can ensure that you exceed either in the theater or in the lecture hall. . .

Here, Kirshner pauses, wrinkling his brow.

You put your ideas across in an entertaining way.

You'd prefer to be self employed.

"Actually I prefer to have Harvard as my personal institutional employer."

Shutting the book, Kirshner laughs and scoffs and says sarcastically, "Well, there you go. It's absolutely true!"

As for the lecture hall prediction--he assures himself: another sign's reading will work just as well.

Choosing a birthday at random, he says "Let's see how we do."

Personal magnetism, penetrating insight. Excellent at combining business and pleasure, double influence of Pluto...

"Oh this is good; this must have been updated, because Pluto wasn't discovered until 1930."

After the age of 56, you develop a moralistic and structured view and desire to be organized and actualize your potential.

"Oh, I haven't done that yet. Luckily I'm not 56."

You could become a philanthropist.

"Well, uh, OK..."

Kirshner stares down at the page, closes the book again, and frowns. "Well, that [sign] doesn't work as well..."

Maybe there's something to it.

"I don't think so. You'd have to prove it better than that!"

Pausing, Kirshner quickly argues, "Astrologers depend on people going, 'Oh yeah, that's me.'"

"If you really do a statistical study..."

And then the astronomer reiterates his rational arguments, summoning gravitational equations to disprove zodiacal influence. And then he rushes off to the lecture hall.