Europe: Astrology as scientific as Economics [and more so than histroy!]
Offline http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_224_report_en.pdf
41% rated astrology either as 4-5 on a 1-5 scale with 4-5 representing "scientific" Economics, was barely behind with 40% and psychology beat out astrology with 53% [page 36 BTW] Oh and don't forget Homeopathy with a healthy 33% [To be fair, only 13% think horoscopes are scientific]
I found stats on American belief for comparision
http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind06/c7/c7s2.htm#c7s2l3
Belief in pseudoscience is widespread. For example, at least a quarter of the U.S. population believes in astrology, i.e., that the position of the stars and planets can affect people's lives. Although two-thirds (66%) of those queried in 2004 said that astrology is "not at all scientific," about one-third considered it at least "sort of scientific" (appendix table 7-14
).[30]
So about ~33% of Americans would have said the same thing.
Also, 32% of Europeans don't understand science and 31% don't care enough to be interested in it [page 33].
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I have no problem putting most economic theory in the same category as Astrology, ie pseudo-scientific bullshit.
Favorite oxymorons: Gospel Truth, Rational Supernaturalist, Business Ethics, Christian Morality
"Theology is now little more than a branch of human ignorance. Indeed, it is ignorance with wings." - Sam Harris
The path to Truth lies via careful study of reality, not the dreams of our fallible minds - me
From the sublime to the ridiculous: Science -> Philosophy -> Theology
I don't think it was specific economic theories, but economics in of it self.
For example, perpetual motion is a pseudo-scientific theory regarding physics, but that doesn't make physics in of itself a pseudo-science.
Actually economics is almost entirely unscientific nonsense. It has a dismal record of failure of its predictions that would shame any scientist.
I remember a chart printed in New Scientist quite a while ago that superimposed the economic predictions for the UK economy at various points over recent decades on a graph of what actually happened...
I also remember hearing two economic commentators, on morning television in the US, in two separate segments within one hour, provide apparently logical analysis of the economy coming to almost diametrically opposite conclusions.
Based on its record, Economics has less claim to legitimacy than Astrology...
Economists make totally fanciful assumptions about the way people will react and make economic decisions.
They explicitly avoided using the latest computer modeling techniques to analyse and predict the course of the economy, because they didn't like the assumptions or something, perhaps because they didn't understand them. Thus making recent events almost inevitable, since the new models are far more accurate in modelling extreme and unusual events.
There are no doubt some serious analysts, but the general run of economists are too much into supporting the current system, which most of the time rewards them insanely. They don't want to know anything which might rock their boat.
One might have hoped that recent shocks might have shaken them out of this outlook, but they are already settling back into the old groove.
Favorite oxymorons: Gospel Truth, Rational Supernaturalist, Business Ethics, Christian Morality
"Theology is now little more than a branch of human ignorance. Indeed, it is ignorance with wings." - Sam Harris
The path to Truth lies via careful study of reality, not the dreams of our fallible minds - me
From the sublime to the ridiculous: Science -> Philosophy -> Theology
I'm curious if there was potential for people to not understand the difference between astrology and astronomy, seems a plausible source for some of the votes. Unless, of course, both options were available.
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That's a good point - that is a common confusion.
Favorite oxymorons: Gospel Truth, Rational Supernaturalist, Business Ethics, Christian Morality
"Theology is now little more than a branch of human ignorance. Indeed, it is ignorance with wings." - Sam Harris
The path to Truth lies via careful study of reality, not the dreams of our fallible minds - me
From the sublime to the ridiculous: Science -> Philosophy -> Theology
Both were available [Astronomy scored 70%]
OK. At least astronomy did better...
My Website About Roller Coaster Design
None the less it is rather depression that almost half of Europeans consider Astrology science.
But this is where all the vampires, witches and spooky creatures live. You can't really expect us to get by without consulting a wise gypsy woman about the stars now can you?
Forget Jesus, the stars died so that you could be here
- Lawrence Krauss
I blame the wiccans
exactly as they should be. In Indonesia many people are instinctively happier believing that rather than a seismic event, the recent tsunamis were caused by their own sin. Humans are odd creatures and their ability to create parallel realities in their heads to imagine what enemies are doing; how loved ones are feeling, or picture which waterhole the gazelle might be drinking at on Saturday at 4pm; comes replete with the capacity for grand delusion.
The capacity for cranial astral/dimensional travel is probably our greatest strength and our greatest weakness.
"Experiments are the only means of knowledge at our disposal. The rest is poetry, imagination." Max Planck