Latest / The Psychology of Superstition

Why Uncertainty Never Disappears
This episode explores why scientific and technological progress has not eliminated uncertainty from human life. Although modern medicine, forecasting, data, and technology allow us to understand risk more precisely, they often replace mystery with probability rather than certainty. The episode examines how this ongoing uncertainty can create anxiety, hypervigilance, compulsive checking, magical thinking, and the search for simple explanations when complex systems feel impossible to control.
It also shows why superstition continues to adapt to modern life. People may no longer rely on ancient…
The skinny
The skinny isn't ready yet — notes appear once the transcript is processed.