--- In [email protected], "markmeredith2002"
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> --- In [email protected], "John" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > Bhairitu,
> > 
> > A number of astrologers predicted bad times starting around the
first of  September.  I remember one set posted here a couple months
back  (plus I  remember hearing one for 2005 from a noted astrologer
10 years  ago).  
> > > Astrology cannot precisely predict what is going to happen but
the  propensity given the planetary configurations for what might 
 happen.    Far better than  guessing.  Reality is all just the
overtone series  from   the big bang

>  
> There were probably 1 or 2 astrologers predicting bad times in Sept
> and also a few astrologers predicting good times.  The 1 or 2
> predicting bad times probably have predicted bad times on numerous
> occasions and were wrong.  Astrologers have a way of conveniently
> forgettting all the times they were wrong and advertising the few
> times they're generally right.


Thats why they should create a model of their prediction, then show
using historic data why the model has some merit, make some future
predictions based on the model, and then "publish" such.


For example: quantitatively define "Bad times". Is it a decrease in
GNP. Is it an increase in unemployment, crime, deaths, injuries? This
would be the dependnet variable in a simple regression model. Lets say
 the hypothesis, per jyothish theory, is that Sept through Dec should
see significantly higher unemployment.

Then define the independent variables that one speculates drive
variations over time of unemployment, both jyothish and
economic/social. The jyotish variables might include:  Saturn
transiting the 10th house (employment/ career), Jupiter being aspected
by a malefic planet, etc. 

The economic variabels might include GNP, interest rates, foreign
trade balances, weather variables, seasonal variables (for example, is
it summer with lots more students working), corporate cashflow (funds
available for re-investment) and tax rates. 

The model would have the form:

UnEmploy = S10 + JUmal + GNP + i + FT + Wea + Sea + CF + T + b 

-- b being the "error term" the unexplained factors which influence
the dependnet variable.


Testing this model specification would then require  a regression
analysis (a common statistical method) over perhaps 20 years of
monthly data to show which variables are significant in explaining the
variation over time of unemployment. And which are not. Those that
contribute nothing would be dropped from the model. Through iterative
testing, after dropping insignificant variables a final model will
result. 

If the jyotish variables contribute  to explaining the historic ups
and downs of employment, then their predictive power will be
demonstrated. If they contribute nothing to the explanatory power of
the model, it would mean that, for this case, for this model, the
jyotish variables provide no explanatory or predictive power. It would
not prove jyotish was not effective, just that in this model
specification, the chosen jyotish variables did not prove of any value. 

And if the jyotish variables do reamin in the model, the "coeficients"
of each varible that the regression analysis provides, will indicate
the relative effect of the jyotish variables, relative to any or all
of the economic ones. For example, it might show that while  the
jyotish variables do help explain the ups and downs of employment, the
influence is only about 10% relative to the other economic variables. 

It would be highly unlikely that any model would find the jyotish
model explain it all, that they by themselves, are both significant,
and make the use of economic variables redundant. This implies that
trying to predict economic or social events solely with the use of
jyotish models will probably be ineffective, or quite vague at best. 

And such a regression based model will show the periods when a jyotish
variable has an effect and, AS importantly, when it doesn't. For
example, some jyotish predictions are of the form, such as in my
adjacent post, "there will be peace between Country A and B over the
next 12 months" because jupiter will transit the 7th house of
relations. Gee, that sounds pretty specific and testable. But its
bogus if there has been peace between country A and B for the past 50
years. An explanatpory variable -- such as jupiter transiting the 7th
house, is useful ONLY if something specific occurs during that period,
and does NOT occur when when Juptier is not transiting the 7th house.
If the conditions is always occuring, or always not occuring, then it
is not prediction. Yet its amazing how may jyotish predictions take
this form.


Until this sort of analysis is done, repeatedly, over many different
types of model specifications and dependent variables (crime, income,
health, mortality rates etc.) over many regions and countries (or
individuals) then jyotish will remain a hodgepodge of weak claims.









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