Setting: A park bench in Munich, early evening. The sky is starting to darken, and the first few stars are beginning to appear. Two friends, Anna (the superstitious one) and Max (the rational thinker), are sipping on Apfelschorle after a long walk.
Anna: (gasping, pointing at the sky) “Max! Look! A shooting star! Quick, make a wish!”
Max: (chuckling) “Oh boy, here we go again. Anna, I thought we talked about this last month during that meteor shower!”
Anna: “And yet, I wished for my boss to finally go on that sabbatical to Thailand—and what happened last week? He announced he’s leaving for two months!” (grins triumphantly)
Max: “Come on, that’s just coincidence. Maybe he was already planning the trip, and your ‘wish’ just lined up with reality.”
Anna: “That’s easy for you to say, Herr Wissenschaftler. But when you’ve seen as many of your wishes come true as I have, you start to believe the universe might actually be listening.”
Max: “Or maybe it’s confirmation bias? You remember the hits and forget the misses. What about that time you wished for snow on Christmas?”
Anna: “Okay, fine, that one didn’t pan out. But I felt emotionally warmer that year, so maybe it worked in a metaphorical sense?” (laughs)
Max: “Anna, stars are giant burning balls of gas, light-years away. A meteor streaking through the atmosphere doesn’t have the capacity to take requests.”
Anna: “Sure, but isn’t it romantic to think they might? Besides, it’s not really about the physics—it’s about the feeling. Like… when I see a shooting star, I pause, reflect, and hope. That’s not so bad, is it?”
Max: “No, it’s not bad. It’s actually kind of beautiful. But I worry that relying on wishes might distract you from actual steps. Like, did you confront your boss about needing space before he left?”
Anna: “Not exactly. But I thought really hard about it!”
Max: “Thinking doesn’t move mountains, action does. Wishing is fine—as long as it’s the start of something, not the whole plan.”
Anna: “Well, what about you then, Mr. Logic? Don’t you ever want to believe in something magical? Doesn’t your heart ever whisper, ‘Just this once, let’s pretend’?”
Max: “I get tempted sometimes. Like, when my Oma told me that seeing the Abendstern—first star of the evening—was a sign from Opa saying hello. I don’t believe in it scientifically. But emotionally? That one got to me.”
Anna: (softly) “See? That’s the thing. It’s not about science versus belief. It’s about heart and head.”
Max: “Maybe. But I still think it’s better to wish on things you can control. Like… a solid résumé or a good conversation.”
Anna: “How boring!”
Max: “How effective!”
Anna: (laughs) “Alright, Mr. Rational. I’ll make you a deal. I keep wishing on stars, but I also start acting on my goals. Deal?”
Max: “Deal. And maybe I’ll let myself make a wish next time… even if it’s just for a second, in your honor.”
Anna: (grinning) “Make sure it’s a good one. The stars are always listening.”
Max: (shaking his head fondly) “And I’ll be here to fact-check them.”
Science Vs Superstition 
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