Scribd
Upload
44 views9 pages

LS 2 Lesson 3 - How Real Are Superstitions

The document discusses the impact of superstitions on practices such as fishing and safety during thunderstorms. It highlights how Filipino fishermen avoid fishing during a full moon due to beliefs about spirits, while scientific evidence suggests that fishing is actually better during this time. Additionally, it debunks myths about lightning safety, emphasizing the importance of correcting these misconceptions for better outcomes.

Uploaded by

Samuel Letana
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
44 views9 pages

LS 2 Lesson 3 - How Real Are Superstitions

The document discusses the impact of superstitions on practices such as fishing and safety during thunderstorms. It highlights how Filipino fishermen avoid fishing during a full moon due to beliefs about spirits, while scientific evidence suggests that fishing is actually better during this time. Additionally, it debunks myths about lightning safety, emphasizing the importance of correcting these misconceptions for better outcomes.

Uploaded by

Samuel Letana
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 9

Lesson 3

How Real Are


Superstitions?
Though seen as harmless
activities, finding what’s wrong
(error detection) in superstitious
beliefs and correcting them (error
correction) can benefit people
who are restricted by these
practices. An application of error
detection and error correction can
be seen in the superstitious belief
in fishing.
Some Filipino fishermen avoid
fishing under a full moon because
spirits are believed to be roaming
around bodies of water. Because of
this, fish are scared to go to the
surface. This leads to less fish
being caught by fishermen.
However, in western superstitions,
it is believed that fish bite best
during a full moon.
According to scientific studies, a full
moon affects fishing phases in the two
instances:
A full moon reflects more light on the
water at night. Because of this, fish can
see better and eat more food. The reason
behind seeing no fish during a full moon is
not because spirits have scared them
away, but because they can easily see
their environment and swim away from
fishermen when they arrive.
A full moon affects the pull of gravity
on earth. A stronger gravity during a
full moon causes stronger currents
along bodies of water. These currents
pull fish toward the surface of the
water and allow fishermen to get
more catch.
While both superstitions are
partly correct, both are still partly
wrong. Since some Filipino
fishermen are unaware of the
scientific bases of the full moon
superstition, they are unable to
take advantage of the situation.
Another instance is when
thunderstorms hit the country. When
people are out in the open field, they
would often tell baseless superstitions
about lightning such as staying under a
tree because “it will protect you like how a
house would keep you safe during a
storm,” or to move to an area where
lightning had already struck because as
the saying goes, “lightning never strikes
the same place twice.”
These two superstitions have already been
considered myths based on scientific facts and
fatal incidents. Being relatively closer to
lightning, a tree is more likely to be struck,
thus, staying under it increases your chances
of being electrocuted. On the other hand,
unlike the popular superstition, lightning can
and does strike the same place twice, maybe
even more than that especially if the object is
tall, pointed, or isolated. High-rise buildings
such as the Empire State Building have been
struck by lightning multiple times.
Sometimes, the problem is not
that people lack the information
needed to recognize that they are
making errors but that they are
unable — or unwilling — to correct
them.

You might also like