[Scene: A sunny afternoon at a café terrace in Lyon. Sophie and Claire are sipping coffee. A ladybug lands on Sophie’s sleeve.]
Sophie: (gasping with excitement) Claire, look! A ladybug! Oh la la, today’s going to be amazing!
Claire: (smiling) Ah, the famous ladybug superstition. Do you think you’ll win the lottery or just find an extra croissant at the bakery?
Sophie: (grinning) Maybe both! You laugh, but I swear—every time a ladybug lands on me, something good happens. Last week, one landed on my scarf, and that evening I got a surprise promotion email. Coincidence? I think not!
Claire: (chuckling) Sophie, I love your stories, but you know there’s no scientific link between insects landing on people and job promotions, right?
Sophie: (raising an eyebrow) Hmm, says the scientist. But tell me, Miss Rational, why is it that when I accidentally killed a ladybug once—pure accident!—my car broke down the next day?
Claire: (smiling gently) Well, cars break down sometimes, whether or not insects are involved. It’s like… you notice the bad things after the ladybug because you expect them. It’s called confirmation bias. Your brain links the two events even though they’re unrelated.
Sophie: (playfully rolling her eyes) Oh, here we go, psychologist Claire. Next you’ll tell me black cats are just normal cats, and Friday the 13th is just another Friday.
Claire: (grinning) Well, they are! But listen, I get why you believe these things—it’s comforting. Patterns help us feel in control. But luck isn’t hiding inside a six-legged beetle.
Sophie: But Claire, don’t you want to believe the world has a little magic? It makes life fun! Remember when we found that four-leaf clover at the park, and you finally passed your driving exam?
Claire: (laughing) Okay, that was funny. But I passed because I practiced for weeks! The clover didn’t steer the car, Sophie.
Sophie: Maybe, maybe not. But admit it—you kept it in your wallet for months.
Claire: (blushing) Okay, fine. But that was more about you teasing me than believing in luck! Besides, ladybugs are fascinating without needing magic. Did you know they can eat up to 5,000 aphids in their lifetime?
Sophie: (eyes widening) Really? So they’re pest control heroes and lucky charms!
Claire: (laughing) See? That’s reason enough to love them—no need for superstition. They help gardens, which helps the environment. That’s real good luck.
Sophie: (thoughtfully) Hmm. I never thought of it like that. Maybe the universe didn’t make them lucky—they just are lucky for the plants.
Claire: Exactly! And you don’t have to kill one to have a bad day. Trust me, life gives us enough bad days on its own.
Sophie: (grinning) Fair point. But if another ladybug lands on me today, I’m still buying a lottery ticket.
Claire: (raising her coffee cup) Deal. And I’ll be here, ready to explain probability over drinks when you check your numbers.
Sophie: (raising her cup) To ladybugs, logic, and friendship.
Claire: Santé!
[They clink cups, laughing as another ladybug flutters by and lands on Sophie’s handbag.]
Sophie: (delighted) Claire, look! You sure you don’t want a ticket too?
Claire: (smiling) Maybe just for the fun of it, Sophie. Maybe just for the fun.
Science Vs Superstition 
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