[Scene: A sunny afternoon in a Parisian café. Amélie and Julien, two longtime friends, are sitting at a small table near the window, sipping coffee and people-watching.]
Amélie: (gasping) Oh non, Julien! Did you see that? A black cat just crossed the street — from left to right!
Julien: (smirking) I saw, oui. It also paused to lick its paw and looked extremely cute.
Amélie: Julien, I’m serious! That’s a bad omen. I knew I shouldn’t have left the apartment today.
Julien: Amélie, you’ve been worrying about black cats since we were teenagers. And yet, here you are — alive, well, and sipping overpriced coffee with me. No misfortune so far.
Amélie: That’s just luck. Remember last month when I saw a black cat crossing my path near the bakery? That same afternoon, my phone slipped from my pocket and smashed on the pavement. Coincidence? I think not.
Julien: Or maybe you were texting while juggling a baguette and didn’t notice the edge of the sidewalk. Besides, do you know why black cats have this reputation? In the Middle Ages, people believed they were witches’ companions. But that’s centuries-old superstition, Amélie. Science says they’re just… cats.
Amélie: “Just cats,” he says! You sound like my brother, always rationalizing everything. But explain this, Monsieur Logique: why do so many people across cultures fear black cats? That can’t be random.
Julien: Well, humans are pattern seekers. We remember the times something “bad” happens after we see a black cat, but we forget the hundred times nothing happened. It’s called confirmation bias. Besides, in places like Japan and Scotland, black cats are considered lucky!
Amélie: Hah, maybe I should move to Kyoto, then. But honestly, how do you explain the fact that my grandmother avoided black cats her whole life and lived to 98 without ever breaking a bone?
Julien: Easy: genetics, good diet, and the fact that she probably looked both ways before crossing the street — unlike you when you’re distracted by ominous felines.
Amélie: You’re impossible!
Julien: No, just curious. Tell me, what would it take for you to believe that black cats aren’t magical harbingers of doom?
Amélie: Hmm… maybe if one crossed my path, from left to right, and then I won the lottery that same day.
Julien: Done. I will now start a black cat rental service and place one outside your door. You’ll be a millionaire by Christmas.
Amélie: (laughing) Oh, stop! You know, sometimes I wish I could think like you. But part of me finds comfort in these little beliefs — they make life feel mysterious.
Julien: Fair enough. As long as you don’t start avoiding sidewalks or sacrificing croissants to appease the cat gods, I can live with that.
Amélie: Deal. But if anything goes wrong today, you’re buying dinner.
Julien: Deal! And if nothing goes wrong, you’re buying me dinner — and maybe a toy mouse for that innocent cat you’ve been blaming for all your misfortunes.
Amélie: Ha! We’ll see, Monsieur Scientifique. We’ll see…
Science Vs Superstition 
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