Secrets of the stars
The astrologer Jonathan Cainer died after beginning his last horoscope for his own star sign: ‘We’re not here for long. So make the best of every moment.’ Why do people believe horoscopes?
— In 1948 psychologist Bertram R. Forer gave each of his students what he said was a unique assessment of their character and asked them to rate it for accuracy. The average rating they gave was 85%.
— The assessments were in fact identical, and cribbed from horoscopes in newspapers. The students, Forer suggested, wanted to believe the descriptions and so blinded themselves to their vagueness.
Old debts
The Nationwide Building Society said it would offer mortgages with a term which runs up the borrower’s 85th birthday. How many 80- to 85-year-olds are in debt?
| Owe credit on a storecard | 2.5% |
| Hire purchase agreement | 0.9% |
| Personal loan | 1% |
| Overdraft | 0.4% |
| Debt to mail order firm | 0.7% |
| Debt to friends and family | 0.4% |
| Mortgage | 2. |
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