175. Why Is Astrology So Popular?
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Why does your horoscope seem so accurate? Is it possible to believe and not believe in something at the same time? And is Mike a classic Gemini?

• SOURCES:

• P. T. Barnum), 19th-century American showman and businessman.

• David Brooks), New York Times Opinion columnist.

• Bertram Forer), 20th-century American psychologist.

• Daniel Kahneman), professor emeritus of psychology and public affairs at Princeton University.

• Irving Kirsch), associate director of the Program in Placebo Studies and lecturer in medicine at Harvard Medical School.

• Sten Odenwald), Director of STEM Resource Development at NASA.

• Sydney Page), staff reporter for *The Washington Post. *

• Jane L. Risen), professor of behavioral science at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

• RESOURCES:

• "Young People Are Flocking to Astrology. But It Comes With Risks)," by Sydney Page (*The Washington Post, *2023).

• "The Age of Aquarius, All Over Again!)" by David Brooks (*The New York Times, *2019).

• "Response Expectancy and the Placebo Effect)," by Irving Kirsch (*International Review of Neurobiology, *2018).

• "Believing What We Do Not Believe: Acquiescence to Superstitious Beliefs and Other Powerful Intuitions)," by Jane L. Risen (*Psychological Review, *2016).

• Thinking, Fast and Slow)*, *by Daniel Kahneman (2011).

• "Effects of Stress and Tolerance of Ambiguity on Magical Thinking)," by Giora Keinan (*Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, *1994).

• Changing Expectations: A Key to Effective Psychotherapy)*, *by Irving Kirsch (1990).

• "The Fallacy of Personal Validation: A Classroom Demonstration of Gullibility)," by Bertram Forer (*The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, *1949).

• Myers-Briggs Type Indicator).

• EXTRAS:

• "What Do Broken-Hearted Knitters, Urinating Goalkeepers, and the C.I.A. Have in Common?)" by *Freakonomics Radio *(2022).

• "Sam Harris: 'Spirituality Is a Loaded Term),'" by *People I (Mostly) Admire *(2021).