Randi's horoscope
OK folks, strap yourselves in. This is a good one.
So, an astrologer has cast a horoscope for Randi and found he makes a good skeptic.
Wait, what?
I know, this sort of thing has a potential for causing a catastrophic collapse of the space-irony continuum, but, assuming this is not satire, then prepare yourself for what must be the absolute, 100%, guaranteed rock-solid most ridiculous thing ever to have been attempted ever in the history of our Universe or any other.
A synopsis can be found here, too. But you might want to keep all sharp objects far away, and anything that might shatter when you start screaming.
Anyway, his basic synopsis is that Randi makes a good skeptic. Shocker, eh? So you see the problem: the astrologer knows about Randi, so he’s actually predicting nothing! He researches Randi before casting the horoscope, and then lo! Astrology predicted everything he found!
Right.
Now, Randi has a rebuttal:
The horoscope part starts about 5 minutes in.
That’s when things get really weird: turns out, the astrologer was using the wrong birthdate for Randi! He was off by 20 days and an entire sun sign. So Randi gave him the actual birthdate, and the astrologer recast the horoscope with the new date and new sign. And guess what? Go on, guess.
He predicts Randi makes a good skeptic!
Amazing (so to speak). Is that what you guessed? Astrology must be more powerful than I thought. All you have to do is already know everything about a person, and then make your conclusions. My obvious mistake was putting all that emphasis on the whole "pre" part of the word "prediction". I suppose it’s not so hard to make a prediction after the fact.
So, what have we learned here? Like the astrologer, we haven’t learned anything we didn’t already know. But maybe we do have more evidence for one thing…
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Comments (79)
Links to this Post
- Randi’s horoscope « Skepfeeds-The Best Skeptical blogs of the day | February 10, 2009
- In defense of astrology. « luna noctiluca | February 11, 2009
I ran a poll using a similar methodology* and discovered that Barack Obama has a strong chance of winning the 2008 presidential election.
* I looked in a phone book at actual names and used them to make up some numbers.
I first saw this when Randi came out with his rebuttal (it came up on my YouTube subscriptions), but only just now found out that the astrologer had redone the horoscope with the correct birthdate. Here’s the funny part, without the benefit of astrology (and I wish I had actually written it down
) I actually predicted what the astrologer’s new reading would say about Randi. I must be magical.
As my father used to say,”If my crystal ball worked as well in forward gear as it does in reverse, I’d be a billionaire,,,”
How many rich astrologers do YOU know?
In the previous, Vax post, I tried to post a list of all our vaccines and twice it disappeared.
Huh???
Gary 7
First video seems to have been removed by the user.
Thanks, Captain Obvious. Randi has been known as a magician since before I can walk, I think.
can=could. Sigh…
I liked the original better
He has a son?
“My obvious mistake was putting all that emphasis on the whole “pre” part of the word “prediction”. I suppose it’s not so hard to make a prediction after the fact.”
Economists do it all the time. Astrologers could learn from them.
you scoffers! it is obvious that this is more undeniable proof that asstrology should be placed among the ranks of top-notch scientific disciplines like homeopathy, therapeutic touch and intelligent design!
…Uh? I get a “We’re sorry this video is no longer available”
A friend of mine (K) once told a mutual friend (A) that the reason A was such a skeptic about astronomy was that A was a Virgo. A called her on the convoluted logic. Then I pointed out that I was born half a year after A (Pisces), and I was just as skeptical as A. Furthermore, IIRC, K was born about a year ± a week after A — enough to move her into the next category, but about the same time of year.
Sounds like “Clinton Talk” to me. Never can get a straight answer!!!!
Becca Stareyes,
s/astronomy/astrology/, no?
Also, I’m a Taurus and I think astrology is bull too.
Eeeek! Heresey!!
“Peter Chavell is helping to demystify astrology by creating video horoscopes .”
^— Very helpful!
“Ceres is in retrograde and I see the planet Pluto…”
“It’s not a planet.”
“It is too!”
“How do you know, your field is astrology”
“I don’t trust astronomers, I think they make up stuff so they don’t get bored.”
“Well ok, what about Ceres?”
“Ceres is in retrograde.”
“It’s going backwards?”
“Well not really”
“How do you know”
“Well…”
“So is Ceres a planet?”
“No”
“Well what is it then”
“Why does it matter, it’s important to your future”
“What about Makemake”
“What’s that?”
“It’s a dwarf planet.”
“Never heard of it, do you what this telling or not?”
What I’d like to know is –Was Randi born in the year of the Tiger? Because Tigers are supposed to be very openly skeptical and those born in the year of the snake (like me) are skeptical but keep their opinions to themselves–sorta.
Surely this blog is visited only by people born in 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998 (happy to meet you 6th graders!)
Take a poll, Phil, see that this must be right!
….. Well the randi video was back for me and very funny is that the astrologer’s video is GONE
Born: 1943, so,,,Poo!!!
Randi:
LAck of education is a treatable condition.
Stupidity, unfortunately, is not.
I foresee the differentiation of humanity into two sub-species. One WITH foreheads and one w/o,,,
GAry 7
You are way too sceptical. To me this shows the precision of astrology. The reading is astoundingly accurate, as Randi admits, and is all the more impressive in that the “wrong” birthdate gave the right answer. Oh, if only astronomy was so exact, and so confident!
Mr. Randi may be old man, but he is still with it.
Keep on fighting for proper science education and rational thought Mr. Randi. You may be a target, but that only means your gaining ground.
sorry Sciencegoddess, i was born 1966.
oh, wait, i forgot the uncertainty!
so the square root of 1966 is about 44.
so i was born in 1966 +/- 44.
i guess Sciencegoddess’ hypothesis is correct!
Oh, I think the problem is that the western astrology just completely ignores the eastern astrology. If only they were combined together, THEN the complete picture would emerge. We are so short sighted, us science types.
I found a book online that synthesizes them, oh, thank goodness. Look! one review even said “All Astro buffs NEED this book.”
Must get it now….http://www.suzannewhite.com/books/book_newastrology.shtml while I wait for my comment to be moderated.
And, I found out that a libra/snake like me is quite something. Who knew?
In the meantime, back to reading “Why Evolution is True”…..
+ or – 44. That’s great!
To rob:
I see that it’s off from your birth year by 4 years, like it is for me (I’m born in 1982, and 1986 is one of the dates). So I guess that to be a skeptic you need to be right on the top of that year, or +-4, but I also guess that being born just one year off could also be counted as a “hit”. That way you get the years 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973 and the subsequent 12 years blocks after and before that. That way, anybody born on a year that is an integer is potentially a skeptic. Seems about right.
There is a free calendar hanging in my company’s lunchroom with a bunch of Chinease zodiac bull on it. One day, I read the description for my year of birth, and thought it seemed rather fitting. Then I read all the others and realized that they all said the same thing, just phrased differently.
It’s even simpler than what year you were born. I was born, and am a skeptic. I’m pretty sure everyone else here was also born. Therefore, to potentially be a skeptic, one must be born.
Todd W, I do not feel that you have the spiritual authority to make such a jusgement. Yours is merely uninformed speculation, and therefore useless. Unless your birth has been utterly proven, a case you have not demonstrated, it remains at most a weak argument.
@AnthonyK
If you doubt the truth of my statement, then clearly you lack an understanding of the subtle energies involved. Just take a look at the quantum vibrations involved.
I find it hilarious that the “correct” horoscope lauds Randi’s skepticism skills. It’s the liar’s paradox! (e.g. STToS – “I, Mudd,” where Norman the android is rendered helpless by the statement by the always-lying Harry Mudd: “I am lying.”)
Astrologer: “Randi is brilliant and highly skilled at detecting falsehood.”
Randi: “The astrologer who cast my horoscope is full of it.”
Astrologer: “See, I was right (and therefore, I am wrong)!”
Norman: “But if you are wrong…then Randi is not a good skeptic…and therefore is wrong when he says you are wrong…but that means you are right…which means Randi is a good…Illogical! Illogical! Please explain…” (as smoke begins rolling out of his ears)
ROFLMAO
Drat, the user (astrologer?) removed the astrologer video!
Okay, here’s my ‘prediction’ for the BA… he will leave California and move to Colorado.
And I don’t even know his birthdate!!!
J/P=?
P.S. birthdate in 1953 – do I have to stop reading this blog?
Todd W:
,,,and we have proven, the ultimate cause of death is,,,conception,,,(Wonder if there’s a vaccine for that?)
GAry 7
For those living in/near Boulder, Co, Dark Star Orchestra(one of, if not the, best Dead tribute bands around) will be playing for Y’All.
If you have the time, check them out. They’re almost as good as the real thing,,,
DSO-Fri Mar 27 – Boulder Theater [Boulder, CO]
GAry 7
I wasn’t born, I was instantiated from two parent objects so horoscopes do not apply to me.
Is it just me, or do you see “horror”scope everytime you read horoscope?
Wow, an Epic Fail combined with a PWN! This is fun!
Aww, the astrologer took it down! I wanted to see it.
I guess it ‘never happened’.
I used to write ‘horrorscopes’ for a little ‘zine I was part of (before blogs and web pages were common).
Scorpio- You’re not THAT good in the sack, so quit using your sign as a pick up line.
Taurus- You should’ve buried the bodies deeper.
Capricorn- Haste makes waste. Unfortunately the waste you made was because of not enough haste. Eew.
Pices-
Gemini- Your dual nature finally agrees on one thing: cheerios without peanut butter is kinda bland.
Ophiucus- You don’t get one, because you’re too obscure. Go lurk in the shadows.
Pices- (insert generic fish joke here)
What I was trying to say before I was left in moderation limbo:
Oh,
I think the problem is that the western astrology just completely ignores the eastern astrology. If only they were combined together, THEN the complete picture would emerge. We are so short sighted, us science types. (she says with a wry smile)
Not surprisingly, I found a book online that synthesizes both western and eastern astrology. That’ll clear this up pronto. One review even said “All Astro buffs NEED this book.” It’s by Suzanne White–look it up if you like because I’ll never add a link again.
I looked up Randi’s supposed birthday and it seems he is a Leo/Dragon. The description on her site says NOTHING about being a skeptic! But, I could spend the $8.99 and find out to get the rest of the description…then I would know for sure!
Now, of course, our creationism comrades also don’t believe in astrology, but that’s because the bible has an admonition against it, not because it doesn’t have any scientific backing.
This reminds me of the following quote by Charles Babage:
“On two occasions I have been asked, – “Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?” In one case a member of the Upper, and in the other a member of the Lower House put this question. I am not able rightly to apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question.”
This really does set off the klaxon alarm for Irony.
I think a gravitational wave was set off from the stupidity.
How ridiculous can astrology believers be?
@Grand Lunar
Ah, but gravity doesn’t exist. OilIsMastery’s web site says so, so it must be true!
Shawn, your post reminded me of Weird Al’s “Your Horoscope For Today” song:
I’m sad Shawn S. didn’t put the Libra horoscope. Now what will I do today?
Would this, technically, be an example of hot reading?
@Sciencegoddess
I was born in 1975, and I visit the JREF site all the time. You could still be right though, because I don’t actually read anything there. I just go for all the pretty pictures.
No – the video has been removed by the user!!! How can I watch it now?
Then there’s the good old precession of the equinoxes that astrologers just don’t get:
————————————————————————–
Constellation Astrology date Actual date
—————————————————————–
Capricornus Dec 22 – Jan 19 Jan 20 – Feb 16
Aquarius Jan 20 – Feb 18 Feb 16 – Mar 11
Pisces Feb 19 – Mar 20 Mar 11 – Apr 18
Aries Mar 21 – Apr 19 Apr 18 – May 13
Taurus Apr 20 – May 20 May 13 – Jun 21
Gemini May 21 – Jun 20 Jun 21 – Jul 20
Cancer Jun 21 – Jul 22 Jul 20 – Aug 10
Leo Jul 23 – Aug 22 Aug 10 – Sep 16
Virgo Aug 23 – Sep 22 Sep 16 – Oct 30
Libra Sep 23 – Oct 22 Oct 30 – Nov 23
Scorpius Oct 23 – Nov 21 Nov 23 – Nov 29
Ophiuchus ??? – ??? Nov 29 – Dec 17
Sagittarius Nov 22 – Dec 21 Dec 17 – Jan 20
—————————————————————
I almost always get at least one Ophiuchian when I do my “What is Astronomy?” presentation.
Rich
Then there’s the good old precession of the equinoxes that astrologers just don’t get:
————————————————————————–
Constellation—Astrology date—Actual date
————————————————–
Capricornus—Dec 22 – Jan 19—Jan 20 – Feb 16
Aquarius——Jan 20 – Feb 18—Feb 16 – Mar 11
Pisces———Feb 19 – Mar 20—Mar 11 – Apr 18
Aries———-Mar 21 – Apr 19—Apr 18 – May 13
Taurus——-Apr 20 – May 20—May 13 – Jun 21
Gemini——-May 21 – Jun 20—Jun 21 – Jul 20
Cancer——-Jun 21 – Jul 22—Jul 20 – Aug 10
Leo———–Jul 23 – Aug 22—Aug 10 – Sep 16
Virgo———Aug 23 – Sep 22—Sep 16 – Oct 30
Libra———Sep 23 – Oct 22—Oct 30 – Nov 23
Scorpius—–Oct 23 – Nov 21—Nov 23 – Nov 29
Ophiuchus— ????? – ????? —Nov 29 – Dec 17
Sagittarius—Nov 22 – Dec 21—Dec 17 – Jan 20
—————————————————————
I almost always get at least one Ophiuchian when I do my “What is Astronomy?” presentation.
Rich
@sciencegoddess: I went to that suzanne white site and I have to say I was amazed. If you look up the description for Libra Rat you can see exactly what I am like. Just imagine the opposite of EVERY single thing it says (ummm…except for the last bit, she nailed that one….really
).
I really am awestruck though, I would have thought it statistically impossible to throw that many vague generalisations together and not even come close. I get the impression that if she had a shotgun the safest place would be directly in front of the barrel.
# Michelle Says:
February 10th, 2009 at 8:33 am
…Uh? I get a “We’re sorry this video is no longer available”
Yep. If you visit the YouTube page itself, you get “This video has been removed by the user”. The revised one is the text link below Randi’s rebuttal video. Just listen to the guy plumbing the depths of his excuse barrel for how he justifies giving virtually identical reading! If you listen very carefully, you can hear the furious whirring noise of someone frantically back-pedalling.
My star-sign is Pyrex (I was a test-tube baby)
Randi = razor sharp
Astrologer = pwnd
It’s funny; that natal chart is very similar to mine (Sun, Mercury and Venus in Virgo, Moon in Capricorn).
It may very well be true that Virgos seldom believe in astrology, because it gives us such an unflattering description.
@Cairnos she certainly does seem to flatter us all in the last statement (did a random check)
…that’s how we will buy her book, so we can learn more!! So you DON’T want to write a best seller, be president, win the Nobel Prize AND star in a Broadway show? How could I possibly believe that the last statement is true?;-)
Well, I’m supposed to have charisma to burn. Maybe not, but I do have a lot of flammable chemicals across the hall in my lab, that’ll do in a pinch. But, as I am also like Mahatma Ghandi (her words), I doubt I would do anything so horrendous as to set things on fire.
According to Miss White’s site this is my horoscope.
“Don’t take for gospel what fortunetellers will indicate to you.”
hehe, the truth shall set you free.
By the way the posts have had me ROFLAMO all day.
1955. Fail.
JC
Oh wait, here, for all you Libra skeptics, from same site…today’s says:
“Even though you may be fascinated by occult sciences, keep some skepticism.” LOL!
Fascinated as in being thoroughly amused.
Is ANYbody on this site a year of the Tiger? Gosh. I can’t believe this isn’t working out!
Warning! Old Joke Ahead!
Ahem.
My sign is “No Parking.”
Wait, I typed occult and sciences next to each other.
My computer should have crashed.
I’d have liked to read the comments, assuming they were accepted without needing approval. Are there other videos by that user?
Say has anyone noticed Science is catching up to the “mentalists” by allowing ordinary people move objects with just their minds?
Kids this Christmas apparently will do what Mr. Randi has been debunking for decades.
Google “Jedi Force Trainer”
Larian LeQuella said on Feb 10th, 2009 at 12:07 pm :
“Is it just me, or do you see “horror”scope everytime you read horoscope? Wow, an Epic Fail combined with a PWN! This is fun!”
No, you’re not alone -I get that Horror-scope feel too.
In fact I’ve come up with my own horror-scopes :
Aries : Today will be your last day before you are either machine-gunned to death, run over by a truck or eaten alive by bedbugs. Make it a good one.
Aquarius : LOOK OUT!!! LOOK OUT! LOOK OUT!
… Durnnit! I just foresaw I will be too late, you’re dead, no need to write anymore.
Pisces : Feeling something’s fishy and rotten smelling? Yes that‘s a harbinger of your imminent demise. Still got to be better than this current incarnation of yours with the only star sign thats wet, smelly &
alcoholic!
Gemini : You or your twin &/or other half will die a particularly nasty, drawn out and agonising death today. My condolences either way.
Leo : Avoid zoo’s, avoid safari parks in Africa and elsewhere, avoid poachers & you’ll be okay. Maybe. If you’re lucky. And quiet. And don’t eat the wrong wildebeest.
Cancer? : Yep. Sorry.
Sad-git-hairy-ass : Enough said.
Libra : Women beware of your tampons today. Men beware of your women! Also avoid scales whether fish, reptilian or measuring- they’ll be bad news for you all month, indeed all your life.
Scorpio : Today you will die in your sleep in the early morning. In fact, you’ll die before you ever get to read this, so why am I bothering to write it?
Virgo? : No, you’re not. Unless you’re very young in which case maybe you are. Anyway its none of my business. Avoid eating/ ordering fortune cookies this week and even more so avoid misfortune cookies.
Taurus : Red is not your colour. Beware of matadors or anyone Spanish or non-vegetarian. Avoid china shops, Pamplona & the stock exchange.
Capricorn : Beware the ides of march, the first of the month, the last of the month, the thirty-first of the month, the sixteenth, thirteen , second, third, fourth, fifth, seventh, eighth , tenth, seventeenth, nineteenth and indeed any day of the month with either an ‘e’, ‘a’, or any consonant at all in it.
NB. The 13th star sign Ophiuchus (serpent bearer) not included. Seeing as astrological lore holds that Ophuichans are sceptical, logical thinkers who don’t believe in superstitious mumbo-jumbo that’s just as well really.
D’oh! Italics stuff-up. Sigh.
Please BA let us edit these!
TAKE II :
***
Larian LeQuella said on Feb 10th, 2009 at 12:07 pm :
“Is it just me, or do you see “horror”scope everytime you read horoscope? Wow, an Epic Fail combined with a PWN! This is fun!”
No, you’re not alone -I get that Horror-scope feel too.
In fact I’ve come up with my own horror-scopes :
Aries : Today will be your last day before you are either machine-gunned to death, run over by a truck or eaten alive by bedbugs. Make it a good one.
Aquarius : LOOK OUT!!! LOOK OUT! LOOK OUT!
… Durnnit! I just foresaw I will be too late, you’re dead, no need to write anymore.
Pisces : Feeling something’s fishy and rotten smelling? Yes that‘s a harbinger of your imminent demise. Still got to be better than this current incarnation of yours with the only star sign thats wet, smelly &
alcoholic!
Gemini : You or your twin &/or other half will die a particularly nasty, drawn out and agonising death today. My condolences either way.
Leo : Avoid zoo’s, avoid safari parks in Africa and elsewhere, avoid poachers & you’ll be okay. Maybe. If you’re lucky. And quiet. And don’t eat the wrong wildebeest.
Cancer? : Yep. Sorry.
Sad-git-hairy-ass : Enough said.
Libra : Women beware of your tampons today. Men beware of your women! Also avoid scales whether fish, reptilian or measuring- they’ll be bad news for you all month, indeed all your life.
Scorpio : Today you will die in your sleep in the early morning. In fact, you’ll die before you ever get to read this, so why am I bothering to write it?
Virgo? : No, you’re not. Unless you’re very young in which case maybe you are. Anyway its none of my business. Avoid eating/ ordering fortune cookies this week and even more so avoid misfortune cookies.
Taurus : Red is not your colour. Beware of matadors or anyone Spanish or non-vegetarian. Avoid china shops, Pamplona & the stock exchange.
Capricorn : Beware the ides of march, the first of the month, the last of the month, the thirty-first of the month, the sixteenth, thirteen , second, third, fourth, fifth, seventh, eighth , tenth, seventeenth, nineteenth and indeed any day of the month with either an ‘e’, ‘a’, or any consonant at all in it.
NB. The 13th star sign Ophiuchus (serpent bearer) not included. Seeing as astrological lore holds that Ophuichans are sceptical, logical thinkers who don’t believe in superstitious mumbo-jumbo that’s just as well really.
***
Hmm … Making upnonsense is fun ain’t it! Wonder if that’s why astrologers do it?
Randi Randi Randi
I understand this. I’m a Scorpio, and we don’t believe in astrology (vide: Bohr’s comment about horseshoes gathering luck “I’m told it works even if you don’t believe it”).
Is it just me or was Randi’s beard looking quite amazing in that video?
Can I take your “astrology is bull” image and make a t-shirt out of it?
I just lmao looking at that.
Yes Science-Goddess, your computer has been indelibly imprinted with an astro-illogical virus, which will cause all your binary bits to invert, thus 1 and zero will imply not zero, 0 or 1 will imply black holes and your bank account password will be emailed to the moon, where gray aliens will use it to pay for the party of the century,,,
Non-sense is so much fun,,,
GAry 7
um… Obama is NOT Catholic. He is some other denomination of Christianity.
What we have here is a postdiction. It’s the same kind of thing as when something occurs and then you look through a list of so-called predictions others made (Nostradamus, for example) and find one that appears to match. You’d have never guessed the result based merely on the “prediction”, but knowing the result you can easily trace back to the postdiction.
@GAry 7 Party of the century, you say? Aliens or not, sounds like fun.
Maybe they can figure out my new website for me (my current one looks like a third grade project). I’ll believe in them then.
Back to the learning curve.
Peter: Quite right – Barack Obama is UCC. He was baptized at the Trinity United Church of Christ in 1988. He attended a Catholic parochial school in Jakarta, Indonesia until the age of ten, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he was ever Catholic.
Phil, why do you waste your time debunking astrology? It should be self-debunking, right? I guess it is a fun pasttime on second thought…
Ryan,
It’s not self-debunking for someone who’s not interested at looking at astrology critically. The hope is that by talking about astrology, those who might be marginally interested or convinced of it will be shown otherwise. Although it does get tiresome after a while. Until an astrologer makes a horoscope for Randi. That’s fun
Google search, for : “astronomy” about 44.100.000 entries, for “astrology” 38.300.000. It seems like older and younger sister to me.
my sign is Mercedes Benz, odalisque rising.