Episode 40: Superstitions, Folklore and Myth

In this episode, the hosts (Hanne, Fel and Astra) take a step out of the hard sciences and into linguistics, sociology and psychology—pulling examples from history, personal experience and studies to try and find the differences (if there are any) between the three and why they might develop in the way they do.

RESOURCES:

• The Story of Myth by Sarah Iles Johnston

• What They Say in New England by Clifton Johnson

• The 'good luck' snack that makes Taiwan's technology behave, BBC: https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210414-the-good-luck-snack-that-makes-taiwans-technology-behave

• The Case Against B.F. Skinner by Noam Chomsky: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/1971/12/30/the-case-against-bf-skinner/

• Ancient Origins of Modern Superstition, British Museum: https://www.britishmuseum.org/membership/events/ancient-origins-modern-superstition

• Half-belief and the paradox of ritual instrumental activism: a theory of modern superstition by Colin Campbell: https://www.jstor.org/stable/591121

• The Science of Superstition and Why People Believe in the Unbelieveable: https://theconversation.com/amp/the-science-of-superstition-and-why-people-believe-in-the-unbelievable-97043

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