Daily Times

Sir: Some TV channels have been dishing out astrological predictions about the general elections. Some have been predicting the fate of certain specific politicians, some of whom may or may not be incarcerated at the moment. However, as any educated person would know, these predictions have no scientific basis

Spartacus took the Oracle of Delphi with a pinch of salt. Forer proved that Zodiac and other psychic interpretations are vague (Barnum Effect).

In Egypt, Aristotle found a plate with the zodiac carved in it in gold. He could not make head or tail of it, and sent it to Alexander far afield. He too was skeptical. Countless people, including psychologists, lawyers, and writers (Jude Devreux) fall a prey to fortune tellers and psychics (The Psychic’s $17 million Scam, Reader’s Digest May 2014, p86). In the US, a psychic (aamil) was sentenced to 10 years and one month (though prosecution sought 27 years sentence).

Will someone stop pseudo-scientific Zodiac predictionson television?Charlatanism should not be allowed to be broadcast without any restriction.

AEIMAN MALIK

Islamabad

Published in Daily Times, July 26^th 2018.