Week 1: Initial Investigation and Mind Map

Updated: Dec 10, 2024

1. Zodiac | Symbols, Dates, Facts, & Signs | Britannica

Covers the 12 astrological signs, delves into a brief history about their origin.
“Although astrology is not supported by science, the belief that one’s personality is determined by the zodiac sign that the Sun was in at one’s birth is still widespread, and astrology has enjoyed a resurgence in the 2020s, especially among millennials and Generation Z.
In a 2022 poll 27 percent of Americans said they believe in astrology, and the percentage was even higher, 37 percent, among those under age 30.”

2. What are the ancient origins of your zodiac sign?

A deeper dive into the history of the zodiac signs and how they interacted with different cultures.
“Over time, Babylonian astrology, which interpreted celestial events, merged with Greek divination practices. This blending led to the development of more personalized horoscopes we see today.”
“During the Middle Ages, astrology was widespread and significantly influenced everyday decisions. It was practiced not only by doctors, astronomers, and other scientific professionals, but it also played a crucial role in the development of alchemy, the proto-scientific precursor to chemistry.”
“Beyond its astronomical origins, astrology, according to experts, can foster a sense of community and bring social cohesion. Carl Jung, a renowned psychologist who explored astrology’s archetypal symbols and their impact on the human psyche, suggested that astrology provides a language for understanding universal patterns of human experience.”

A more straight definition of astrology along with coverage of different cultures and their interest in astrology.
“Astrology is a pseudoscience that claims to divine information about human affairs and terrestrial events by studying the movements and relative positions of celestial objects.”
This website also has lots of art pertaining to astrology.

4. OSF | CSS_Holiday_Paper_2022.pdf

A more dissenting opinion on horoscopes vs zodiac symbols.
“Astrologers see horoscopes as a kind of click-bait astrology for the masses:horoscopes assume that 12 zodiac signs divide people into 12 groups. This then makes for 12 types of personalities, with 12 types of futures, successes, problems, and pasts. All you need to know is where the sun is at the time of a person’s birth - problem solved.
Never mind where they were born or which stars were visible at the time, or what all the other planets and moons did at the time. Never mind that there are obviously many more than 12 different kinds of people and life histories. No wonder astrologers don’t like horoscopes. What They do is much more sophisticated and personalized. In a way, horoscopes are to astrology what the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator is to psychometrics.”
Not super relevant but it was interesting to read about the distinction made between the two.
- “27% of US adults considered themselves as spiritual but unaffiliated with any traditional religious group, marking an 8% increase since 2012.
- Around the same time, astrology services such as the AI-generating horoscopes app Co-Star gained extreme popularity” i. These sorts of things have definitely gotten trendier over the years…

What You Need to Know - Zoos A Lifeline to Conservation

“While some people view zoos as “just an animal show,” today, zoos can be considered front-line support in the endeavor to save our most endangered species through funding, research, creating sustainable populations, and more.” marking an 8% increase since 2012. Around the same time, astrology services such as the AI- generating horoscopes app Co-Star gained extreme popularity”
These sorts of things have definitely gotten trendier over the years…
“One of the biggest things zoos do for conservation is funding programs in species’ home ranges. Zoos regularly hold special fundraising events that support in situ conservation where endangered animals hold precariously to survival”
This area highlights the fundraising efforts that several zoos

have put into practice in order to try and protect endangered

animals.

“One powerful tool for inspiring people is the use of ambassadors animals, hand-reared animals that have been gently acclimated, by specially-trained zoo workers, to being in public”

Ambassador animals are also a tactic to make money on the zoos behalf (for the animals benefit).
1. Personalization.
The Conservation Mission of Zoos | Wild Welfare
1. “A study by Patricia et al., 2007 states that conservation and education are key elements in the mission statements of zoos. A survey conducted by The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), revealed that the general public rate conservation and education as the most important roles of zoos (Fraser and Stickler 2008). Most zoos mention conservation and education in their mission statements suggesting that these are rather important aspects of zoo culture.”
2. “So how do zoos help conservation? Zoos primarily deal with three aspects of conservation – practice, advocacy and research. Conservation practice entails captive breeding, species reintroduction programs, Species survival plans and the use of zoo revenue for conservation programs in the wild. Conservation advocacy includes public engagement, promoting awareness, advocating stewardship, and fundraising events and schemes”
  1. How they help conservation… practice… advocacy and research.
  2. “It’s a never-ending debate on whether zoos are good or bad for animals.”
  3. A dissenting opinion about the positive and negative effects that zoos have, do they do more damage or more good?
  4. Protect and rebuild species.
  5. . Keeping them out of the wild.

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