Lilis M

16 April 2018

Science vs Superstition
How do scientists think about the existence of alien,
bermuda triangle, ghost etc?

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 Lilis M
16 April 2018

The Root of Superstition

Do you think that you are more scientific and the African tribal
men are more superstitious? Say it again but slowly!

In our everyday life we meet people and they are not divided up
into the ones who are superstitious and the ones who are not
superstitious. We're all superstitious, but not always about the same
objects. You might laugh when you hear that your great grandpa used
to hide under the bed during a total solar eclipse. But if he were still
alive, he’d probably laugh at you when you and your friends
histerically trying to touch a Korean star at his concert. And when you
finally did it, you don’t want to wash your hands for months.

So here I am, not interested in talking ill about how superstitious

some people are, but I am always curious why they become so
superstitious to a certain degree.

How do people believe in superstitition? Both science and

superstition derive from observation. For example, you forgot to wash
your socks before a math exam. A week later, you got the highest math
score ever. The next test you didn't wash your socks either. And
somehow you got 98 for your English test. You did it again and again
for other tests. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t. But your
brain just recorded the good ones. Now this is your new belief a new
habit a new luck: never wash your shocks for a test.

Instead of accepting that things happen by coincidence, we do

one thing to get the other. And we believe so strongly that it is the
case. If you stop to think about it, you know there's no logical reason
dirty socks should help you with the tests. But, we have a tendency to
choose the easier one. To believe without analyzing, processing,
searching for logical reasons, and testing them requires a lot of time

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16 April 2018

and energy. And not to mention, superstitions are always exciting to

share rather than deep talk about scientific explanation.

Part 1. Read the passage and answer the questions.

1. What is the text talking about?

2. In paragraph 2, the writer wrote: “Say it again but slowly!”

What does it mean?

3. The writer wrote: “We're all superstitious, but not always

about the same objects.” Elaborate this statement with your own
words and example. Use your paraphrasing skills.

4. According to the writer, what is the similarity between science

and superstition?

5. True, false, or unclear. Write the evidence if it is false.

a The writer thinks that being too superstitious is dangerous.
……. b The writer believes that she herself is also
superstitious. ……. c More people love to talk about
superstition than the one about science.
…….

6. How do you say these phrases in Bahasa?

(a) talking ill (b) to a certain degree (c) by coincidence

7. Essay writing: Think about your topic of pseudoscience that

we discuss the previous weeks. Write a short paragraph on what
common people usually believe and what scientists say about it.
And what about you? Which one do you believe in? Write in KISS
way max 75words (10 sentences)

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