Dear People
Some years ago I saw a program which was aired on the BBC. The program
was part of its long running science series Horizon.
The gist of the program was about a scientist who set out to prove
that Astrology was wrong by doing a scientific study comparing (what I
think)were the occupations of a group of people to their Birth Signs.
The outcome of the study was that surprise surprise THERE WAS A CORRELATION.
The scientist became convinced that there was perhaps something to Astrology.
However the program ended by providing a rational explanation to the
correlation which in no way involved the position of the planets when
the people were born.
The only other details I can remember about the program was I believe
the scientist was French and the study was done in France.

I would be delighted if anyone could update me on the following:
- Who the scientist was?
- A description and outcome of the scientific study?
- Horizon's final explanation for the results of the study?  
  Thanks
  Mongolia

Thank you for accepting my suggestion regarding Michel Gauquelin. I
was aware of his theories because of a radio program I heard long ago
which debunked astrology rather thoroughly.

"One piece of evidence supporting astrology that scientists have yet
to disparage comes from Michel Gauquelin,who devoted twenty years to
putting astrology to the test. Analysing birth dates fro 576 members
of the French Academy of Medicine in 1950,he noted that a large
proportion were born when Mars or Saturn had just risen over the
horizon or 'culminated'" in the sky. He then included famous writers,
actors, politicians, athletes and military men and found a similar
pattern: Mars at the horizon or passing the highest point was linked
to doctors, athletes and military leaders, Jupiter in the same
positions with actors and politicians, while the Moon presided over
eminent writers. A team of scientists in Belgium set out to test this
so-called 'Mars effect',using famous sportsmen. To their surprise the
results confirmed Gauquelin's findings,even when repeated."

Omegaman UK: Paranormal and Mystery
http://www.geocities.com/Omegaman_UK/astrolgy.html

"Michel Gauquelin started the ball rolling in earnest with his 1955
study of the so-called Mars effect. Put simply, it states that Mars is
more likely to be in certain parts of the sky when top sports stars
are born. The study caused a predictable furore, but did not stand up
to the barrage of criticism that followed. 'It was held up as a
success for astrology, but when the results were looked at in close
detail, and when the experiment was repeated, it fell apart,' says
[astronomer Robert] Massey."

Metareligion: Is astronomy real?
http://www.meta-religion.com/Paranormale/Other/is_astrology_real.htm 

"The noted French writer and intellectual, Michel Gauquelin, was
fascinated by astrology. Hardly a devotee, Gauquelin was a strong
critic of the demonstrably foolish claims of traditional astrologers.
Yet strangely, in his research intended to debunk astrology, Gauquelin
discovered something puzzling. He found a direct statistical
correlation between the planetary positions at the time of a person's
birth and that individual's personality and eventual achievement.
Gauquelin claimed to have found a relationship between Jupiter and
military prowess, Venus and artists, Saturn and scientists, and Mars
and sports greatness. The last of these showed the strongest
correlation."

Dr Stephen Juan: The Mars Effect 
http://www.harpercollins.com.au/drstephenjuan/0209news.htm

You might be interested in this book, which examines Gauquelin's "Mars
effect" in a skeptical light:

Amazon: The "Mars Effect": A French Test of 1000 Sports Champions
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0879759887

You'll find interesting material related to "The Mars effect" here:

HPLeft Consciousness: sTARBABY 
http://www.hpleft.com/starbaby.html

And here:

THE TRUE DISBELIEVERS: Mars Effect Drives Skeptics to Irrationality 
http://www.discord.org/~lippard/kammann.html

My Google search strategy:

Google Web Search: "michel gauquelin" astrology
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22michel+gauquelin%22+astrology

If I come across any additional information, I'll post it here for
you. I have emailed two friends in the UK who might know more about a
Horizon BBC program that discussed Gauquelin's work.

Very best regards,
pinkfreud

Pink
Many thanks for these very useful links (Especially the starbaby
reference which which goes into the subject in considerable detail)
I also notice that Michel Gauquelin died in the early nineties. The
Horizon program may well have predated his death.
Mongolia

I wonder if the French scientist may have been Michel Gauquelin.

"One piece of evidence supporting astrology that scientists have yet
to disparage comes from Michel Gauquelin,who devoted twenty years to
putting astrology to the test. Analysing birth dates fro 576 members
of the French Academy of Medicine in 1950,he noted that a large
proportion were born when Mars or Saturn had just risen over the
horizon or 'culminated'" in the sky.He then included famous writers,
actors, politicians, athletes and military men and found a similar
pattern: Mars at the horizon or passing the highest point was linked
to doctors, athletes and military leaders, Jupiter in the same
positions with actors and politicians, while the Moon presided over
eminent writers.
A team of scientists in Belgium set out to test this so-called 'Mars
effect',using famous sportsmen. To their surprise the results
confirmed Gauquelin's findings,even when repeated."

http://www.geocities.com/Omegaman_UK/astrolgy.html

"Michel Gauquelin started the ball rolling in earnest with his 1955
study of the so-called Mars effect. Put simply, it states that Mars is
more likely to be in certain parts of the sky when top sports stars
are born. The study caused a predictable furore, but did not stand up
to the barrage of criticism that followed. 'It was held up as a
success for astrology, but when the results were looked at in close
detail, and when the experiment was repeated, it fell apart,' says
[astronomer Robert] Massey."

http://www.meta-religion.com/Paranormale/Other/is_astrology_real.htm 

"The noted French writer and intellectual, Michel Gauquelin, was
fascinated by astrology. Hardly a devotee, Gauquelin was a strong
critic of the demonstrably foolish claims of traditional astrologers.
Yet strangely, in his research intended to debunk astrology, Gauquelin
discovered something puzzling. He found a direct statistical
correlation between the planetary positions at the time of a person's
birth and that individual's personality and eventual achievement.
Gauquelin claimed to have found a relationship between Jupiter and
military prowess, Venus and artists, Saturn and scientists, and Mars
and sports greatness. The last of these showed the strongest
correlation."

http://www.harpercollins.com.au/drstephenjuan/0209news.htm

Deear Pink

Yes that is indeed the scientist. If you can get any more information
about the Horizon program (I just need the very basics) that would be
wonderful.
Also some of the non-astrological explanations of Gauquelin's results would
be great to hear too. (I think I vaguely remember the program dealing
at some length with the debunking explanations)


In any case please go ahead and post this as an answer (you have
answered at least two thirds of my question)

Many Thanks

Mongolia

Thank you very much for the five stars and the nice tip! A friend from
the UK has told me that he remembers the "Horizon" program, and he
thinks it was broadcast in the early 1980s. If I learn more, I'll let
you know.

~pinkfreud