What Makes Us Superstitious?
CrowdScience
BBC
4.8 • 1K Ratings
🗓️ 12 October 2018
⏱️ 39 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Would you willingly break a mirror, walk under a ladder or cut up an image of someone you love - or might you be worried about tempting fate – even if you don’t believe in supernatural forces? Anand Jagatia enters the world of magical thinking on behalf of CrowdScience listeners to explore why - even in this era of scientific rationalism – superstition, magic and belief in concepts like the evil eye and luck appear deeply entrenched in our cultures and psyche. Meeting historians and psychologists, Anand sets out to reveal the enduring lure of superstition and explore the biological factors that can influence us, like how our brains have evolved to look for connections and find patterns in seemingly random events. Is it possible that some people are ‘lucky’ and can we enhance our own ‘luck’? Experimental evidence is thin on the ground but finger’s crossed, CrowdScience can find some. Presenter: Anand Jagatia Producer: Melanie Brown
(Image: A handmade Voodoo Doll with pins. Getty Images)
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | You're about to listen to a BBC podcast and maybe it's when I had a hand in. |
| 0:04.0 | I'm Tammy Walker and I produce podcasts for the BBC. |
| 0:08.0 | My role is to give new and diverse creators a voice with the opportunity to build a career. |
| 0:12.0 | That's the thing I love about podcasts. |
| 0:14.4 | You start with just a good idea, but then you have the space to see where it goes. |
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| 0:21.9 | while developing the most unique audio talent. |
| 0:24.3 | So if you like what you hear, why not check out the huge range of podcast we've got on BBC |
| 0:29.1 | Sounds. Oh hello you are listening to crowd science on the BBC World Service this week coming to you |
| 0:44.6 | rather embarrassingly from my bathroom. |
| 0:47.0 | I should say I'm Anan Jagatier, I'm just shaving actually, running a little bit late, |
| 0:51.9 | sorry about that. It's the funniest thing I set my |
| 0:54.3 | alarm last night but it just didn't seem to go off in the morning which is weird I guess |
| 0:58.9 | just unlucky anyway I'm really excited about the show because this week's program is all about superstitious beliefs. |
| 1:05.0 | No, I can't believe that's just happened. I've just smashed my shaving mirror and people say that's what |
| 1:15.0 | seven years bad luck? Luckily I don't believe in bad luck so that's fine but what |
| 1:21.0 | are the chances of that happening on a program about superstition? |
| 1:25.0 | Actually now I come to think of it what's even weirder is that producer Mel just happens to be here |
| 1:31.0 | with her recording equipment to watch me shave and record everything that's happening. |
| 1:35.8 | Spooky, it's pretty weird. |
| 1:38.6 | Anyway, man, I suppose we better clean this mess up and then get on with the rest of the show. Come on then. |
| 1:44.0 | I'd like to believe that Luck is around the corner. |
... |
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