Setting:
Two friends, Mike and Raj, are cooking dinner together in Raj’s apartment in Seattle. Mike accidentally knocks over the salt shaker while laughing at one of Raj’s dad jokes.
Mike:
(startled) Whoa! Dang it—I just spilled the salt!
Raj:
(laughs) That’s what you get for mocking my garlic pun, man.
Mike:
(serious tone) No no no, this is bad. BAD.
(grabs a pinch of salt and tosses it over his left shoulder with dramatic flair)
Raj:
(raises an eyebrow) Did you just… salt your own kitchen?
Mike:
Obviously! You gotta toss it over your left shoulder to blind the devil. Otherwise, it’s seven years of bad luck. Have you never heard of that?
Raj:
(chuckling) I’ve heard of it, yeah. Right after the one about black cats being secret agents of misfortune. C’mon, Mike—you don’t really believe that stuff, do you?
Mike:
Hey, don’t knock it. Last time I didn’t toss the salt? I tripped on a Lego, lost my keys, and got a parking ticket all in one day.
Raj:
(grins) Sounds like a classic Tuesday in adult life. Correlation doesn’t mean causation, my friend. That’s like blaming a sneeze for a thunderstorm.
Mike:
Easy for you to say, Mr. Rationality. But these traditions exist for a reason. Ancient people knew things! They didn’t have your precious Google but still figured out how to survive. Tossing salt was protection.
Raj:
Sure, but they also thought leeches cured fevers and that the Earth was flat. Just because something’s old doesn’t make it right.
(pauses, then smirks) Also, have you seen your kitchen wall now? It looks like a margarita rim.
Mike:
(laughs) Worth it if it keeps bad juju away!
Raj:
Okay, but think about it—if tossing salt really worked, wouldn’t we see professional “Salt Tossers” at NASA launches or during elections? “Quick, Karen, he spilled the salt—toss some or we’re gonna lose Wisconsin!”
Mike:
(mock solemn) Don’t tempt fate, Raj. The Salt Gods are listening.
Raj:
(sincerely) Look, I get it. Sometimes these rituals give us a sense of control, especially when life feels chaotic. But doesn’t it make more sense to, I don’t know, just clean up the salt and move on?
Mike:
Sure, you can clean it up. You don’t have the devil creeping up behind your left shoulder.
Raj:
(grabs a sponge) If he’s behind you, he’s probably just here for dinner. You’re making that butter chicken, right?
Mike:
Exactly. Even the devil can’t resist it. But seriously, it’s not just about the salt. It’s comforting. Like knocking on wood, or wearing lucky socks during game day. It feels like… I’m protecting myself.
Raj:
Fair. We all have our quirks. I check the weather app obsessively before going out, even if I see it’s sunny. Maybe superstition is just a different form of self-care for you.
Mike:
(nods thoughtfully) Yeah. And honestly, I know it’s not “scientific,” but it helps. Even if it’s just in my head.
Raj:
That part, I get. The mind is powerful. But maybe next time, just warn me before launching sodium into the air, okay?
Mike:
Deal. But only if you agree to knock on wood when I say something ominous.
Raj:
(knocks on the counter) Fine. But that’s plywood, not magic oak.
Mike:
(grinning) Close enough. See? We’re bridging worlds here. One superstition at a time.
Science Vs Superstition 
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