[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:06.76,0:00:09.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Are you afraid of black cats?
Dialogue: 0,0:00:09.16,0:00:11.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Would you open an umbrella indoors?
Dialogue: 0,0:00:11.89,0:00:15.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And how do you feel about \Nthe number thirteen?
Dialogue: 0,0:00:15.55,0:00:17.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Whether or not you believe in them,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:17.30,0:00:20.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you're probably familiar with a few\Nof these superstitions.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:20.65,0:00:23.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So how did it happen that people\Nall over the world
Dialogue: 0,0:00:23.60,0:00:25.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,knock on wood,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:25.20,0:00:28.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or avoid stepping on sidewalk cracks?
Dialogue: 0,0:00:28.75,0:00:31.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well, although they have no basis\Nin science,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:31.71,0:00:35.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,many of these weirdly specific beliefs\Nand practices
Dialogue: 0,0:00:35.02,0:00:39.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,do have equally weird\Nand specific origins.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:39.40,0:00:41.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Because they involve supernatural causes,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:41.85,0:00:45.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it's no surprise that many superstitions\Nare based in religion.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:45.50,0:00:50.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,For example. the number thirteen was\Nassociated with the biblical Last Supper,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:50.55,0:00:53.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,where Jesus Christ dined \Nwith his twelve disciples
Dialogue: 0,0:00:53.68,0:00:57.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,just before being arrested and crucified.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:57.72,0:01:02.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The resulting idea that having thirteen\Npeople at a table was bad luck
Dialogue: 0,0:01:02.46,0:01:08.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,eventually expanded into thirteen\Nbeing an unlucky number in general.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:08.14,0:01:12.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now, this fear of the number thirteen,\Ncalled triskaidekaphobia,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:12.82,0:01:18.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is so common that many buildings around \Nthe world skip the thirteenth floor,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:18.26,0:01:22.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with the numbers going straight from\Ntwelve to fourteen.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:22.10,0:01:26.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Of course, many people consider\Nthe story of the Last Supper to be true
Dialogue: 0,0:01:26.36,0:01:29.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but other superstitions come from \Nreligious traditions
Dialogue: 0,0:01:29.36,0:01:33.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that few people believe in\Nor even remember.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:33.03,0:01:37.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Knocking on wood is thought to come from \Nthe folklore of the ancient Indo-Europeans
Dialogue: 0,0:01:37.79,0:01:40.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or possibly people who predated them
Dialogue: 0,0:01:40.73,0:01:44.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,who believed that trees were home\Nto various spirits.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:44.25,0:01:46.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Touching a tree would invoke \Nprotection
Dialogue: 0,0:01:46.68,0:01:50.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or blessing of the spirit within.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:50.11,0:01:52.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And somehow,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:52.37,0:01:56.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,this tradition survived long after \Nbelief in these spirits had faded away.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:56.20,0:02:00.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Many superstitions common today\Nin countries from Russia to Ireland
Dialogue: 0,0:02:00.24,0:02:05.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,are thought to be remnants of the pagan\Nreligions that Christianity replaced.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:05.81,0:02:08.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But not all superstitions are religious.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:08.69,0:02:13.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Some are just based on unfortunate\Ncoincidences and associations.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:13.31,0:02:16.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,For example many Italians fear\Nthe number 17
Dialogue: 0,0:02:16.45,0:02:23.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because the Roman numeral XVII\Ncan be rearranged to form the word vixi,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:23.28,0:02:25.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,meaning my life had ended.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:25.63,0:02:27.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Similarly, the word for the number four
Dialogue: 0,0:02:27.75,0:02:30.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,sounds almost identical \Nto the word for death
Dialogue: 0,0:02:30.49,0:02:32.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in Cantonese,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:32.04,0:02:33.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as well as languages like Japanese
Dialogue: 0,0:02:33.77,0:02:37.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and Korean that have borrowed \NChinese Numerals.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:37.70,0:02:41.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And since the number one also\Nsounds like the word for must,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:41.27,0:02:45.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the number fourteen sounds\Nlike the phrase must die.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:45.38,0:02:50.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That's a lot of numbers for elevators\Nand international hotels to avoid.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:50.29,0:02:51.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And believe it or not,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:51.41,0:02:53.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,some superstitions actually make sense,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:53.99,0:02:58.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or at least they did until we \Nforgot their original purpose.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:58.17,0:03:03.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,For example, theater scenery used to\Nconsist of large painted backdrops,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:03.18,0:03:07.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,raised and lowered by stagehands\Nwho would whistle to signal each other.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:07.92,0:03:11.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Absentminded whistles from other people\Ncould cause an accident.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:11.32,0:03:16.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But the taboo against whistling backstage\Nstill exists today,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:16.69,0:03:20.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,long after the stagehands started using\Nradio headsets.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:20.58,0:03:24.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Along the same lines, lighting three\Ncigarettes from the same match
Dialogue: 0,0:03:24.34,0:03:29.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,really could cause bad luck\Nif you were a soldier in a foxhole
Dialogue: 0,0:03:29.56,0:03:34.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,where keeping a match lit too long\Ncould draw attention from an enemy sniper.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:34.59,0:03:37.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Most smokers no longer have to worry\Nabout snipers,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:37.46,0:03:39.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but the superstition lives on.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:39.64,0:03:42.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So why do people cling to these bits\Nof forgotten religions,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:42.60,0:03:43.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,coincidences,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:43.49,0:03:45.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and outdated advice?
Dialogue: 0,0:03:45.38,0:03:48.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Aren't they being totally irrational?
Dialogue: 0,0:03:48.14,0:03:50.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well, yes, but for many people,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:50.08,0:03:54.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,superstitions are based more\Non cultural habit than conscious belief.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:54.82,0:03:59.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,After all, no one is born knowing to avoid\Nwalking under ladders
Dialogue: 0,0:03:59.03,0:04:00.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or whistling indoors,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:00.72,0:04:04.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but if you grow up being told\Nby your family to avoid these things,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:04.74,0:04:06.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,chances are they'll make \Nyou uncomfortable,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:06.85,0:04:11.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,even after you logically understand\Nthat nothing bad will happen.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:11.21,0:04:14.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And since doing something like knocking\Non wood doesn't require much effort,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:14.84,0:04:19.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,following the superstition is often\Neasier than consciously resisting it.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:19.95,0:04:23.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Besides, superstitions \Noften do seem to work.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:23.70,0:04:27.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Maybe you remember hitting a home run\Nwhile wearing your lucky socks.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:27.51,0:04:29.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This is just our psychological \Nbias at work.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:29.95,0:04:33.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You're far less likely to remember \Nall the times you struck out
Dialogue: 0,0:04:33.42,0:04:35.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,while wearing the same socks.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:35.45,0:04:39.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But believing that they work\Ncould actually make you play better
Dialogue: 0,0:04:39.01,0:04:43.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,by giving you the illusion of having\Ngreater control over events.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:43.70,0:04:48.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So in situations in where that confidence\Ncan make a difference, like sports,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:48.37,0:04:52.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,those crazy superstitions might not\Nbe so crazy after all.