?

Log in

No account? Create an account
Jul. 11th, 2010 @ 08:22 pm Superstitions
Current Mood: amusedamused
Tags:
The psycholog of superstitions is well-known: it's a way for people to feel in control of things that they really can have any influence on. For instance, the outcome of the World Cup soccer finals later this evening. But most of these superstitions are based on coincidence -- something coincided with a favourable outcome, and us silly humans tend to think that this unrelated thing caused the favourable outcome. This gives rise to things like "I wore this shirt when my team won, so I'm wearing it again for the next match".

So how on earth does one dream up a way to have an octopus predict the winners of a game? Did they once by accident have two feeding trays with flags of the playing countries in his aquarium!? And why do they think that it's actually predicting something?
I find it very puzzling and amusing that a prank like this makes the world headlines.
About this Entry
Kashira? Kashira? Gozonji Kashira?
Leave a comment
Permanent Link

Share
[User Picture Icon]
From:babarage
Date:July 11th, 2010 09:12 pm (UTC)
(Permanent Link)
I don't know but the damn animal has been right all the way. I say let's fry him!
(Reply) (Thread)
[User Picture Icon]
From:fub
Date:July 14th, 2010 04:16 pm (UTC)
(Permanent Link)
Why? Think of the money to be made!

Also: this. :)
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
From:shinycuba
Date:July 12th, 2010 05:01 am (UTC)
(Permanent Link)
i was thinking of the same... its so random!
(Reply) (Thread)
[User Picture Icon]
From:merle_
Date:July 12th, 2010 07:49 pm (UTC)
(Permanent Link)
The octopus thing is completely freakish. I wonder if they aired all of the results before the games or if they had a tank of 2^10 octopi, picked the one that happened to get things right, and then started promoting it. "Oh look, we have video of it having gotten things right in the past!"

Of course, superstitions are equally freakish.
(Reply) (Thread)
[User Picture Icon]
From:merle_
Date:July 13th, 2010 03:23 am (UTC)
(Permanent Link)
Guess what? According to DW German import television, they're retiring the octopus, now that it has an unbroken record.

*sigh*
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
[User Picture Icon]
From:negativeneve
Date:July 13th, 2010 06:07 am (UTC)
(Permanent Link)
No, they were talking about his prediction for Spain to win before the finals began.
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
[User Picture Icon]
From:merle_
Date:July 13th, 2010 05:39 pm (UTC)
(Permanent Link)
I only saw the magic psychic octpous on the news for the last three matches and had never heard of it before then, so remain skeptical. It made the 12.5% cut which is long but not impossible odds.
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
[User Picture Icon]
From:negativeneve
Date:July 13th, 2010 05:44 pm (UTC)
(Permanent Link)
Me too. At least they've now retired him.
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
[User Picture Icon]
From:negativeneve
Date:July 13th, 2010 06:11 am (UTC)
(Permanent Link)
I personally don't hold any basis in such predictions or superstitions in general, but I do find the idea appealing. You feel more in control of your life and your destiny, I guess.
(Reply) (Thread)
[User Picture Icon]
From:fub
Date:July 14th, 2010 04:18 pm (UTC)
(Permanent Link)
Well, yes, but that's only for superstitions where you are an active participant (like wearing a certain shirt). But the predictions of an octopus don't make me feel more in control at all -- again, I am a passive observer.
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
[User Picture Icon]
From:_intrinsic
Date:July 15th, 2010 04:07 pm (UTC)
(Permanent Link)
Hein.. Zou je me een tip kunnen geven voor een stempel-maak-set om mee te beginnen? Ik heb binnenkort een handwerk-weekend met een vriendin van me en dan wil ik me er toch echt eens aan gaan wagen wat nieuwe dingen te leren!

Je hebt laatst ook een hele mooie papier-snij-kaart verstuurd aan iemand.. Had je die ook zelf gemaakt? Zo ja, heb je daar dan ook bepaalde tips voor? Ik heb op mijn vakantie in Helsinki in een hobbywinkel een speciaal mesje voor papiersnijden gekocht, dus wel al een heel precies mesje in huis zeg maar..

Heel erg bedankt als je me kan/wil helpen!
(Reply) (Thread)
[User Picture Icon]
From:fub
Date:July 16th, 2010 07:05 pm (UTC)
(Permanent Link)
Ik ga er eens posts over schrijven, maar dat wordt naar alle waarschijnlijkheid wel na het weekend!
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
[User Picture Icon]
From:_intrinsic
Date:July 16th, 2010 08:47 pm (UTC)
(Permanent Link)
Een post in de brievenbus? Goed plan! Dan zetten we die bij de posttips, memories en op de infopagina.. dan krijg je er nooit meer vragen over :P

Is mijn post trouwens aangekomen?
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
[User Picture Icon]
From:fub
Date:July 21st, 2010 08:09 pm (UTC)
(Permanent Link)
Nee, een post in mijn eigen LJ. Maar hij is openbaar: tada! Hopelijk heb je er iets aan!
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
[User Picture Icon]
From:_intrinsic
Date:July 22nd, 2010 10:33 am (UTC)
(Permanent Link)
Super! Heb er zeker iets aan :)
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
[User Picture Icon]
From:fub
Date:July 22nd, 2010 07:37 pm (UTC)
(Permanent Link)
Fijn! Als ik weer eens een uurtje tijd heb, dan zal ik een zelfde entry maken over papiersnijden!
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)