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Welcome to the Saturday edition of The Conversation U.S.’s Daily newsletter.
TikTok astrology accounts have exploded. Astrology apps have multiplied. Dating profiles feature sun signs. And forecasters predict the astrology market will grow from $12.8 billion in 2021 to $22.8 billion by 2031.
What’s fueling the resurgence of a decidedly bunk belief system?
Sociologists Shiri Noy, Christopher P. Scheitle and Katie E. Corcoran decided to dig deeper into the trend. In a study, they found that LGBTQ people, women and Gen Zers are most likely to seek guidance in the stars.
The timing of the astrology boom makes sense. Trust in institutions like the media and universities has withered. Participation in organized religion has dropped. People feel overwhelmed with information and uncertain about the future. With astrology, people can get instructions for making decisions. It provides a clear framework for thinking about yourself and the world. And it’s fun.
“Just as earlier generations might have turned to prayer or ritual, many people today turn to the stars,” they write. “And while astrology may not predict the future, its popularity says a great deal about how Americans are navigating the present.”
This week we also liked an analysis of the dangers of the ongoing turmoil at the CDC, how to protect children from digital racism, and what Westerners thought of matcha when first exposed to it more than 100 years ago.
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Women, younger adults and LGBTQ+ people are most likely to look to the stars for guidance.
We Are/DigitalVision via Getty Images
Shiri Noy, Denison University; Christopher P. Scheitle, West Virginia University; Katie E. Corcoran, West Virginia University
Just as earlier generations might have turned to prayer or ritual, many people today are turning to the stars.
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California National Guard troops stand in front of a federal building in Los Angeles on June 10, 2025.
AP Photo/Eric Thayer
Luke William Hunt, University of Alabama
A former FBI agent-turned-scholar says using National Guard troops to reduce crime in cities such as Chicago and Baltimore would violate legal prohibitions against domestic military law enforcement.
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The Mississippi National River & Recreation Area provides access to water activities right in the middle of the metropolitan area of Minneapolis-St. Paul.
David Joles/Star Tribune via Getty Images
Jeffrey C. Hallo, Clemson University
These sites of national significance hold surprising treasures no less wondrous than the big-name destinations, potentially right around the corner from your home.
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Sara Giordano, Kennesaw State University
Cultural ideas are inextricably entwined with the people who do science, the questions they ask, the assumptions they hold and the conclusions they land on.
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Charles J. Russo, University of Dayton; Lydia Artz, University of Dayton
Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas are testing a Supreme Court precedent barring displays of the Ten Commandments’ display in public school classrooms.
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Jordan Miller, Arizona State University
The CDC’s current crisis has been building since Trump’s first week in office and boiled over after Kennedy fired the agency’s newly appointed director.
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