[Setting: A cozy Toronto café, snow gently falling outside. Raj and Lena sip hot chocolate after work.]
Raj: (knocks twice on the wooden table)
Okay, I have to knock on wood after that. I just said my boss hasn’t yelled at me in weeks. No way I’m jinxing that peace.
Lena:
Raj, we’ve been over this. Your boss’s mood swings have nothing to do with your knuckles making contact with table legs. It’s 2025. We have weather satellites on Mars. Let’s retire the wood ritual.
Raj:
Hey! This isn’t just “some” wood. This is maple wood. We’re in Canada! It’s practically a spiritual act here. Maple syrup, maple leaves, maple luck. National magic.
Lena:
Maple luck? So you’re telling me if I knock on birch, I get minor blessings, but maple brings the premium perks?
Raj:
Exactly. Birch might get you a free donut. Maple? That’s job promotions and parking spots in downtown Toronto.
Lena: (laughs)
You sound like an ad for superstitions: “Upgrade to Maple Premium — Just three knocks a day!”
Raj:
Go ahead, mock it. But I knocked on my maple dresser the night before I flew standby to Vancouver — bam, someone canceled, and I got an aisle seat with extra legroom. Coincidence? I think not.
Lena:
Or… the airline’s algorithm assigned it based on status and seat availability. Not mystical lumber.
Raj:
But why do these things keep happening right after I knock? My grandma always said, “Wood seals your wishes and keeps the bad spirits confused.”
Lena:
Well, your grandma also thought cucumbers could cure Wi-Fi issues.
Raj:
And you know what? That one time I balanced a cucumber near the router, our Zoom call was crystal clear.
Lena:
Raj, you rebooted the modem right before that. Come on — you’re a smart guy. You believe in evolution, climate science, black holes. But then you turn into this medieval wizard the second you hear thunder.
Raj:
I’m just covering my bases. Believing doesn’t hurt anyone. Plus, it’s kind of comforting, you know? Like a mental seatbelt. You wear it hoping you never need it.
Lena:
I get that. Rituals can feel grounding. But the danger is when people start relying only on those beliefs instead of action. Like, if you want a promotion, it’s not the maple table — it’s your hard work and maybe updating your resume.
Raj:
Can’t I do both? Work hard and give a respectful knock to the Maple Spirits?
Lena: (smiling)
Sure. Just don’t knock so loud that HR thinks you’re tapping out Morse code for help.
Raj: (grins and knocks again, gently)
See? That joke didn’t backfire because I knocked. Protected by the Maple Defense Shield.
Lena:
Tell you what. Let’s do a little experiment. You knock before your next interview, and I’ll do nothing. We’ll compare who has the better luck.
Raj:
Deal. And if I get the job and a free Timbit, I’m adding “Wood Whisperer” to my LinkedIn.
Lena:
Fine. But if you don’t, you owe me a science podcast binge — no complaints.
Raj:
Only if I get to knock on your headphone case before we start.
[They clink mugs and laugh, snow still falling, science and superstition holding hands — in their own odd, Canadian way.]
Science Vs Superstition 
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