WHY THE STARS MATTER. MOSTLY

W hy the Stars Matter.

Mostly .

un signs, rising signs and houses. Star signs and the zodiac chart have become increasingly popular since the 1970s. But does the date, time, and place of our birth along with the positions of planets and stars actually have any effect on our development and growth as humans? It would be nice to think so.

As a self-proclaimed textbook Pisces, star signs have always been incredibly accurate, and often resonate with my traits and actions. Being emotional, imaginative, and gracious are all things I am happy to identify with. However, I do like to argue I am not overly sensitive, money-minded, or pessimistic, even if my friends and family disagree with my objection. However, I know some people (Geminis…) don’t exactly like to be associated with this cosmic system at all, even if there is some reverberation within their lives.

Realistically, there is little to no scientific evidence to back astrology up. Although the use of the stars, moons and planets may seem completely scientific, there has been no proof to show influence on humans as far as star signs claim. There have been no recent scientific studies into astrology, as it is simply deemed untestable by the scientific community. There are so many theoretical obstacles like the lack of predictability, lack of physical basis and mechanism that astrology has been classified as null and void. One of the main flaws of astrology, as told by our dear friend Professor Stephen Hawking, is that astrology goes against certain scientific theories that have been tested and proved by experiment. So, Scorpios of the world, fear not, just because you were born on a cold autumnal night in November, it does not mean you’re destined to be a spawn of Satan. Not according to scientific evidence, anyway.

Personally, I think star signs are a comfort to a small proportion of the population. I have often heard the phrases: ‘Sorry for my awful mood,

Mercury is in retrograde’, or ‘I apologise, my

Libra moon is showing’. Star signs enable us to relate to other people, identify ourselves as part of a group of similar people, and most importantly, reject partners due to their crummy birth charts. Because let’s be honest, no one wants to date an Aquarius with an Aries rising.

Star signs have just become a justification for many human interactions, or lack thereof. As humans, we often try to find explanations for our actions. It is nice to have a system through which we can blame some not so pleasant characteristics on the exact time and place we were born, even if some people choose not to go along with it. There’s always comfort in having excuses for being late or causing an argument, even if they aren’t entirely true. Science is not always the decider of fact and fiction, and I shall continue to believe that whatever is out there has had an effect on me, my personality and my future - even if it is not entirely accurate.

What is these days?

WORDS BY MILLY JONES IMAGE BY SAYLI JADHAV

hilst the idea of infinite universes may terrify some, for me, the idea is comforting. Not only would it mean we are not alone on a tiny rock hurtling through space-time, but even thinking about infinite universes can be of great assistance to us - no matter how distant they may hypothetically be.

There are a multitude of ways we can employ thoughts about infinite universes to help us. Though some are more technical, others are very accessible. Let’s imagine you are facing a challenging situation and can see no fix. This could be anything from making a decision about your personal career advancement to having a difficult conversation with a member of your family. If there were infinite universes, with infinite possibilities - infinite versions of you - one of those versions has already achieved exactly what you want to. Without the confines of your real situation, it is quite easy to use your imagination and work through the situation; you can ask, ‘what needs to be different for me to progress through this problem?’. Then, with a clear view perhaps you’ll be able to work through the problem as the real you, and really fix it.

In philosophy, the idea of infinite universes and the possibilities they would bring is almost indispensable. They are usually referred to as ‘possible worlds’ and explore the logical possibility of a claim or theory. They work by offering an environment wherein a theory or claim can be tested without interference from our world and its constrictions, to see if we can logically process and deem the claim possible. For example, a famous thought experiment using possible worlds is the Zombie Argument (which doesn’t really sound too comforting at all). It asks us to imagine a world wherein there are people just like us - who look, sound, and behave just like us, but with one change. They have no minds; they do not think. Would we be able to tell any difference?

While the idea of possible worlds may not seem to you, reader, to be little more than an exercise of the imagination, there are those who argue that every possible world is just as real as ours. David Lewis argued for a theory known as ‘modal realism,’ which claimed that there is no difference in kind between our actual world and the possible worlds we may imagine. If there are infinite universes, then every possibility must be played out an infinite number of times, and so Lewis would be right. These situations we imagine are no different to our own actual situation. They must be coming to fruition somewhere, akin to our actual experiences. Just because we cannot connect with them further than the imagination doesn’t mean they aren’t there.

But how is any of this comforting to me? Well, I know there is a Martha who is destined to graduate with a First-Class Honours Degree (and I do hope it’s this one), a Martha who became a dancer, and infinite Martha’s living out our infinite dreams and succeeding. And I am grateful that I am not one of the infinite Martha’s who has not fared so well. I am comforted greatly by the idea that I am living each dream I’ve ever had, but also by the fact that I am lucky. I have, by chance, ended up living this life which I enjoy, meeting the friends I love and receiving so many great opportunities. So, infinite ‘you’s can help you not only reason through problems and ask big questions about the human experience, but also just to simply practice gratitude.

WORDS BY MARTHA LUKE IMAGE BY SAYLI JADHAV