Fields of Studies that are classified as Pseudoscience

1. Astrology is the study of the movements and relative positions of celestial bodies interpreted as having an
influence on human affairs and the natural world. It consists of several pseudoscientific systems of
divination. The main theory is that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in
the human world. That is, for example, a star can influence the luck of a person on a specific day. It
includes horoscopes, tarots, numerology and Feng Shui, among others. Many cultures have attached
importance to astronomical events, and the Indians, Chinese, and Mayans developed elaborate systems for
predicting terrestrial events from celestial observations. Astrology has been dated to at least the 2nd
millennium BCE, with roots in calendrical systems used to predict seasonal shifts and to interpret celestial
cycles as signs of divine communications. A form of astrology was practised in the first dynasty of
Mesopotamia (19501651 BCE). Chinese astrology was elaborated in the Zhou dynasty (1046256 BCE).
Hellenistic astrology after 332 BCE mixed Babylonian astrology with Egyptian Decanic astrology in
Alexandria, creating horoscopic astrology. Alexander the Great's conquest of Asia allowed astrology to
spread to Ancient Greece and Rome. In Rome, astrology was associated with 'Chaldean wisdom'. After the
conquest of Alexandria in the 7th century, astrology was taken up by Islamic scholars, and Hellenistic texts
were translated into Arabic and Persian. In the 12th century, Arabic texts were imported to Europe and
translated into Latin, helping to initiate the European Renaissance, when major astronomers including
Galileo practised as court astrologers. Astrological references appear in literature in the works of poets and
playwrights alike. Throughout most of its history, astrology was considered a scholarly tradition. It was
accepted in political and academic contexts, and was connected with other studies, such as astronomy,
alchemy, meteorology, and medicine. At the end of the 17th century, new scientific concepts in astronomy
and physics (such as heliocentrism and Newtonian mechanics) called astrology into question. Astrology
thus lost its academic and theoretical standing, and common belief in astrology has largely declined.
2.

Alchemy is a medieval form of chemistry and speculative philosophy practiced in the Middle Ages and the
Renaissance. This aimed to achieve the transmutation of the base metals into gold, the discovery of a
universal cure for disease, and the discovery of a means of indefinitely prolonging life. When studying the
history of alchemy, one can find at least three major strands 1) Chinese alchemy, centered in China and its
zone of cultural influence; 2) Indian alchemy, centered around the Indian subcontinent; and 3) Western
alchemy, which occurred around the Mediterranean and whose center has shifted over the millennia from
Greco-Roman Egypt, to the Islamic world, and finally medieval Europe. Chinese alchemy was closely
connected to Taoism and Indian alchemy with the Dharmic faiths, whereas Western alchemy developed its
own philosophical system that was largely independent of, but influenced by, various Western religions. It
is still an open question whether these three strands share a common origin, or to what extent they
influenced each other. Due to the complexity and obscurity of alchemical literature, and the 18th-century
disappearance of remaining alchemical practitioners into the area of chemistry; the general understanding
of alchemy has been strongly influenced by several distinct and radically different interpretations. This led
to its difficulty in establishing as a true science and to its eventual decline.

3. Acupuncture is a method of relieving pain or curing illness by placing needles into a person's skin at
particular points on the body. This is considered as a system of complementary medicine as it is used to
alleviate pain and to treat various physical, mental, and emotional conditions. The treatment involves
pricking the skin or tissues with needles. It is uncertain exactly when acupuncture originated or how it
evolved, but it is generally thought to derive from ancient China. Chinese history attributes the introduction
of acupuncture to the emperor Shennong. One explanation is that Han Chinese doctors observed that some
soldiers wounded in battle by arrows were believed to have been cured of chronic afflictions that were
otherwise untreated, and there are variations on this idea. Sharpened stones known as Bian shi have been
found in China, suggesting the practice may date to the Neolithic or possibly even earlier in the Stone Age.
Hieroglyphs and pictographs have been found dating from the Shang Dynasty (16001100 BCE) which
suggests that acupuncture was practiced along with moxibustion. It has also been suggested that
acupuncture has its origins in bloodletting or demonology. The earliest written record of acupuncture is
found in the Huangdi Neijing (; translated as The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon), dated
approximately 200 BCE. The practice of acupuncture expanded out of China into the areas now part of
Japan, Korea, Vietnam and Taiwan, diverging from the narrower theory and practice of mainland TCM in
the process. A large number of contemporary practitioners outside of China follow these non-TCM
practices, particularly in Europe. In Europe, examinations of the 5,000-year-old mummified body of tzi

the Iceman have identified 15 groups of tattoos on his body, some of which are located on what are now
seen as contemporary acupuncture points. This has been cited as evidence that practices similar to
acupuncture may have been practiced elsewhere in Eurasia during the early Bronze Age.