Andrew is a scientist and educator, who specialises in explaining developments in astronomy to the public in everyday language. He also works with teachers, museum educators and young astronomers to help them be more effective in space-science education and outreach.
1 February 1989
The recent revelations that the United States President's wife consults astrologers in scheduling important presidential events have embarrassed the U.S. Yet this startling discovery reveals only the tip of the iceberg. Throughout the world people make investments, change jobs, select their mates, and seek medical treatment on the basis of astrological forecasts. Virtually everyone knows the "sun sign" under which he or she was born. Yet very few people understand the origins and tenets of this ancient practice. Especially disturbing is the fact that according to a 1986 Gallup poll, 52 percent of teenagers polled accept astrology as true.