Brief report

Just to report briefly on a couple of predictions this summer.

After the full solar eclipse on July 12, which was visible over Southern Pacific, I posted a public comment in the Russian online press 'gazeta.ru'. I expected that during the summer a noticeable earthquake (up to 8 magnitude) may occur in the region, and I expected it in Latin America. On July 15, there was an earthquake of magnitude 6.5 in Chile. Then on 26th July there was an earthquake of 7.6 in Philippines (this one was very deep and did not cause any damage). Finally, on September 3, a very shallow earthquake of magnitude 7 hit New Zealand (it was stronger than the one on Haiti after the winter eclipse, but due to the good construction technologies nobody died).

In January 2010, I had a LiveJournal discussion with an atheistic sceptic whom I told, as an example of astrology in action, that by the autumn of 2010, Italian prime-minister Berlusconi would have problems again, due to the Saturn transit over his natal Sun. Indeed, in August 2010, he got a new press scandal with ladies, and then some political mess.

And something less astrological but still predictive. In December 2009, I had a discussion with another sceptic, a climate one (with some background in paleoclimatology), and I predicted that with increasing global warming the ocean shores would experience more precipitations while central areas would suffer harsh heat waves and droughts. He claimed that global warming would cause humidity in central Russia, etc. The recent events with heat and fires in Russia are well known, as well as the disastrous flood in Pakistan.

A friend of mine asked me once whether it is possible to couple modern geophysics and such a marginal knowledge as astrology. I firmly believe this should happen in future (although not soon, I am afraid). It is important to understand that eclipses cause various hazards on Earth, and it is equally important to study the plate dynamics and climate system to estimate where these hazards are most likely to occur. Both branches of knowledge are invaluable.

Update of November 5. More news about Berlusconi. And just to compare with the results of the recent midterm elections in the US, the post on Obama's inauguration of 2008.