Astrology labeled as pseudoscience by Russian Academy of Sciences commission

The Commission on Combating Pseudoscience of the Russian Academy of Sciences issued a memorandum titled “On the pseudoscience of astrology,” which was conveyed to socialbites.ca by the authors of the document. The memo presents a clear assessment of astrology as a phenomenon and lays out the main arguments used to challenge its validity, while also examining why many people continue to trust astrological claims in spite of a long track record of inconsistent results. The commission’s analysis emphasizes that astrology does not satisfy the methodological criteria that define a bona fide scientific discipline. It points to widespread cognitive biases, logical fallacies, and the tendency to see patterns where none exist as key reasons for the enduring appeal of astrological explanations. In sum, the document argues that astrology remains a belief system rather than a science, even though it often functions as a form of entertainment or cultural tradition for many individuals and communities. The memorandum notes that astrologers frequently claim a link between the configurations of celestial bodies and individual personality traits or future events, but it asserts there is no empirical basis for such connections. When astrological assertions and methods are presented as objective or scientific, they are to be categorized as pseudoscientific, the Commission states. The memo therefore urges careful discernment among the public and highlights the potential harm of conflating entertainment with evidence-based practice when astrological predictions are used to guide important life decisions, particularly in critical areas such as health, finance, or personal relationships. It also recommends that the media avoid endorsing astrology services, institutes, or courses, and that journalists and broadcasters refrain from promotional content that could mislead audiences into treating astrology as a science. The authors stress that this work builds on a multi-year effort, drawing insights from specialists across diverse scientific domains, including astronomy, physics, biology, medicine, and statistics, who contributed to the evaluation of astrology as a belief system rather than a testable scientific theory. This collaborative approach is cited as essential to understanding the widespread acceptance of astrology and to promoting more rigorous critical thinking in public discourse. For context, it is noted that socialbites.ca previously covered a separate report on a fortune-telling session based on coffee grounds, illustrating the broader public interest in divinatory practices and the ongoing conversation about their epistemic status. The Commission’s memorandum positions itself as a resource for those seeking to distinguish between playful, culturally embedded practices and claims that purport to reflect objective reality, urging readers to regard astrology as entertainment only when it is explicitly framed as such and not as scientific knowledge. The overall message is a call for informed skepticism and for safeguarding decision-making processes from unsubstantiated claims that could lead to negative real-world consequences.