Rachel works as an assistant at Computer Astrology Ltd, where her boss, Mervyn Astra, runs a palm-reading service using a computer program they’ve developed. Despite Rachel’s skepticism toward palmistry, she helps launch a new campaign—posting as “Rachel Grant, Palmistry Consultant”—and it quickly becomes a massive success, earning the company thousands of hand-photographs and boosting profits.
Although the program
appears scientifically backed, Rachel grows uneasy during a party when a guest
questions the validity of palm lines, especially the “life line”: using major
historical events like world wars as examples, she wonders why they didn’t alert
people to the danger . Back at work, Rachel partners with a colleague to
investigate the data and finds a statistical anomaly: unusually long life lines
are clustered among elderly residents in a single town—possibly due to
photographic source bias (e.g., from a local retirement home) rather than
mystical accuracy .
This discovery shakes
Rachel’s faith in the system. Confronting Mervyn, she learns that he too
believes palmistry is nonsense. Disillusioned, she decides to leave the firm
and pursue a more honest career as a reporter
🧭 Themes & Takeaways
- Skepticism vs. Belief:
The story questions whether seemingly scientific validation can mask
superstition or trickery.
- Data Bias:
It highlights how data sets—even large ones—can mislead if not carefully
analyzed.
- Personal Integrity:
Rachel’s journey emphasizes the value of truth and authenticity over
popularity or profit.
0 Yorumlar