Original subtitles

THINK YOU'RE SO

SMART THAT YOU'D NEVER BE LED

ASTRAY BY SUPERSTITIOUS

THINKING?

THEN PAY CLOSE ATTENTION.

THIS ILLUSTRATES SOMETHING

RATHER CURIOUS ABOUT HUMAN

NATURE.

WHENEVER YOU SEE SOMETHING THAT

APPEARS TO BE IMPOSSIBLE, SUCH

AS A BALL ROLLING UPHILL, THEN

YOUR BRAIN INSTANTLY STARTS TO

SEARCH FOR AN EXPLANATION.

SO RIGHT NOW YOU MIGHT BE

THINKING...

WELL, MAYBE IT'S MAGNETS.

OR PERHAPS IT'S THREADS.

OR POSSIBLY SPECIAL EFFECTS.

THINK YOU KNOW HOW

MAGICIAN AND PSYCHOLOGIST

RICHARD WISEMAN TRICKED YOUR

BRAIN WITH THESE MAGIC MARBLES?

YOU MIGHT GUESS C.G.I. OR

MAGNETS, BUT YOU'D BE WRONG.

WE'LL FIND OUT THE SECRET TO DR.

WISEMAN'S TRICK IN A MINUTE.

THE FACT IS, WHEN WE SEE

SOMETHING WE CAN'T EXPLAIN, WE

ARE NOT CONTENT TO LET IT STAY A

MYSTERY.

IT IS HUMAN NATURE FOR OUR

BRAINS TO CREATE AN EXPLANATION

AND FILL IN THE BLANKS.

AND THOSE EXPLANATIONS ARE OFTEN

THE ROOT OF HUMAN SUPERSTITION.

I DEFINITELY CANNOT UN-SEE

THE FACE.

OUR BRAINS ARE RIDDLED WITH

ALL THESE LITTLE QUIRKS THAT

WARP OUR SENSE OF REALITY.

IN THIS SPECIAL

SERIES, YOU'LL PARTICIPATE IN

MIND-BENDING EXPERIMENTS THAT

WILL REVEAL HOW AND WHY HUMAN

SUPERSTITIONS EXIST AND HOW

THOSE SUPERSTITIONS HAVE

IMPACTED HISTORY.

I HAVE MY PREDICTION RIGHT

HERE IN THE ENVELOPE.

SHUT UP!

ILLUSIONS OF THE MIND HAVE

ACTUALLY CHANGED HISTORY.

BY EXAMINING

SPECIFIC CASES, FROM SéANCES IN

THE WHITE HOUSE...

YOUR BRAIN FABRICATES

REALITY.

TO MAGICAL MICE AS

WELL AS THE PREDICTIONS OF

NOSTRADAMUS...

THAT'S SO WEIRD.

TO HOW VAMPIRES

WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR A PLAGUE.

WHICH IS DARKER, "A" OR "B"?

WE WILL UNCOVER HOW

SUPERSTITION HAS SHAPED OUR

WORLD.

IF YOU LOOK BACK ON HUMAN

HISTORY, YOU'LL SEE THE IMPACT

PLAYING OUT ON A BROAD STAGE.

WRAPPING YOUR HEAD

AROUND SUPERSTITION CAN UNRAVEL

THE MOST COVETED SECRETS OF YOUR

BLEEPED-UP BRAIN.

HAVE YOU FIGURED OUT HOW RICHARD

WISEMAN MADE THESE MAGIC MARBLES

DEFY GRAVITY?

LET'S WATCH IT ONE LAST TIME.

IF YOU'RE STILL SEARCHING FOR AN

EXPLANATION, PERHAPS YOU SIMPLY

NEED TO TURN YOUR WORLD UPSIDE

DOWN.

IN FACT, THE REALITY IS FAR

SIMPLER THAN THAT.

IT'S ALL JUST A QUESTION...

OF PERSPECTIVE.

WITH THE MAGIC MARBLES, THE

OBSERVER IS PLACED INTO A VERY

INTERESTING POSITION.

THEY SEE SOMETHING WHICH IS

SIMPLY IMPOSSIBLE.

THERE YOU HAVE BALLS APPEARING

TO GO UP RAMPS.

AND SO YOU ARE FORCED TO TRY TO

FIND AN EXPLANATION.

OUR BRAINS CANNOT

ACCEPT THE IMPOSSIBLE.

SO WHEN NO LOGICAL EXPLANATION

IS AVAILABLE, THE BRAIN INVENTS

EXPLANATIONS TO THINGS WE DON'T

UNDERSTAND.

AND THESE EXPLANATIONS FOR THE

IMPOSSIBLE, RATIONAL OR NOT, ARE

THE KEY TO SUPERSTITION.

SUPERSTITIONS ARE A KIND OF

ILLUSION.

IT'S OUR BRAINS SEEING A PATTERN

THAT ISN'T REALLY THERE.

IF YOU ARE LIKE

MOST PEOPLE, YOU PROBABLY HAVE

SUPERSTITIOUS BEHAVIORS AND

DON'T EVEN REALIZE IT.

MAYBE YOU WISH ON SHOOTING

STARS, FALLEN EYELASHES, OR

BIRTHDAY CANDLES.

OR SOMETIMES YOU READ YOUR

HOROSCOPE, KNOCK ON WOOD, OR

WEAR YOUR LUCKY SHIRT FOR AN

INTERVIEW.

WELL, YOU'RE NOT ALONE.

SUPERSTITION AFFECTS ALL OF US.

IN FACT, 50% OF AMERICANS ADMIT

TO BEING SUPERSTITIOUS.

SUPERSTITION EVEN PLAYS A ROLE

IN THE HISTORY OF THE WHITE

HOUSE.

IN 1862, WITH THE CIVIL WAR

RAGING, PRESIDENT AND MRS.

LINCOLN SUFFERED A DEVASTATING

PERSONAL LOSS.

IN 1862, AS THE CIVIL WAR WAS

IN FULL SWING, THE LINCOLNS ALSO

HAD A PERSONAL TRAGEDY THAT

TOOK PLACE.

THEY LOST THEIR SON WILLIE.

HE MOST LIKELY DIED OF TYPHOID.

SO THE LINCOLNS WERE

UNDERSTANDABLY WRACKED WITH

GRIEF.

AND THIS FAMILY

TRAGEDY LED FIRST LADY MARY TODD

LINCOLN TO INVITE SOME RATHER

UNUSUAL GUESTS TO THEIR HOME IN

AN EFFORT TO CONTACT HER LOST

SON.

MARY TODD LINCOLN, THE FIRST

LADY, PARTICIPATED IN SéANCES.

MARY TODD LINCOLN EVEN BROUGHT

PSYCHICS INTO THE WHITE HOUSE.

EVEN PRESIDENT LINCOLN JOINED

HER.

HELPING THE

LINCOLNS MAKE CONTACT WITH THE

DEAD WAS LORD CHARLES J.

COLCHESTER, A WELL-KNOWN PSYCHIC

OF THE DAY.

WHEN COLCHESTER WOULD HOLD

THESE SéANCES, HE WOULD DIM THE

LIGHTS.

HE WOULD CREATE A KIND OF MOOD

OF CONNECTING TO THE OTHER SIDE.

DURING THE SéANCE,

LORD COLCHESTER AND HIS

ASSISTANTS BEAT ON DRUMS, RANG

BELLS, AND PLAYED THE BANJO.

AND AS THEY LAID THEIR

INSTRUMENTS DOWN, ALL OF A

SUDDEN...

LOUD RAPPING NOISES WERE

HEARD.

OSTENSIBLY, THESE NOISES WERE

WILLIE, THE DECEASED 11-YEAR-OLD

SON, RECONNECTING AND

COMMUNICATING WITH HIS PARENTS.

THROUGH THESE

PROMISING NOISES, THE DESPERATE

FIRST LADY HEARD WHAT SHE WANTED

TO HEAR.

FIRST LADY LINCOLN WAS REALLY

TRANSFIXED BY THESE SéANCES AND

REALLY FELT THAT SHE WAS

ACTUALLY MAKING CONTACT WITH HER

SON.

BUT LORD COLCHESTER

WAS A KNOWN CHARLATAN, WHOSE

PARANORMAL GIFTS DIDN'T EXACTLY

STAND UP TO SCIENTIFIC SCRUTINY.

SO WHY, IN SPITE OF MRS.

LINCOLN'S UNDERSTANDABLE GRIEF,

DID SHE REFUSE TO BELIEVE THE

TRUTH THAT LORD COLCHESTER WAS

SIMPLY PRESENTING AN ILLUSION?

OFTEN, OUR BRAINS DO NOT WANT TO

ACCEPT THE TRUTH.

TO FIND OUT HOW HARD IT IS TO

SEE THE TRUTH, SCIENCE WRITER

JEFF WISE IS TAKING TO THE

STREETS OF NEW YORK WITH ANOTHER

TYPE OF ILLUSION.

LOOK AT THIS CHECKERBOARD

PATTERN CLOSELY.

TAKE A LOOK AT SQUARES "A" AND

"B."

DO YOU SEE ANY DIFFERENCE

BETWEEN THEM?

DO YOU HAVE YOUR ANSWER?

LET'S SEE IF PEOPLE ON THE

STREETS AGREE WITH YOU.

OKAY, TAKE A LOOK AT THIS.

HERE WE HAVE A CHESSBOARD, AND I

JUST WANT YOU TO TELL ME WHICH

IS DARKER, "A" OR "B"?

"A."

DEFINITELY "A."

YEAH?

WHICH ONE'S DARKER?

"A."

"A" IS DARKER.

"A" IS DARKER?

"A" IS DARKER.

"A" IS DARKER THAN "B"?

CLEARLY.

ARE YOU SURE?

YES!

BUT SOMETIMES THE

BRAIN PUTS WHAT WE EXPERIENCE

IN THE WRONG LIGHT.

YOU'RE WRONG.

WHAT IF I TOLD YOU THAT THESE

SQUARES ARE THE EXACT SAME

COLOR?

I WOULD HAVE TO CALL YOU A

LIAR, JEFF.

THE BRAIN CAN OFTEN

MAKE THE TRUTH JUST PLAIN HARD

TO SEE.

SEE THIS GRAY?

IT MATCHES "A."

AND IT MATCHES "B."

"A" AND "B" ARE ACTUALLY THE

SAME COLOR.

OH, WOW!

WHAT THE HECK?

SO "A" AND "B" ARE THE SAME

SHADE.

HOW DID THAT...

BELIEVE IT OR NOT,

THERE'S A REASON WE SEE THE

SQUARES DIFFERENTLY, EVEN WHEN

THEY'RE THE SAME.

THE REASON SQUARE "B" APPEARS

LIGHTER IS BECAUSE OUR BRAIN

ASSUMES IT'S IN SHADOW AND

AUTOMATICALLY COMPENSATES.

THE BRAIN'S SUBCONSCIOUS

AUTOMATICALLY PROCESSES VISUAL

INFORMATION BEFORE YOU PERCEIVE

IT CONSCIOUSLY.

IN MANY WAYS, OUR

BRAIN IS A MACHINE THAT WALKS

THROUGH CERTAIN PROCEDURES AND

CHECKS THEM OFF, AND THAT

SHADOW MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE

TO OUR BLEEPED-UP BRAIN.

EVEN WHEN YOU SHOW PEOPLE

THAT "A" AND "B" ARE THE SAME,

THEY HAVE A HARD TIME ACCEPTING

THE TRUTH.

NOW THAT YOU KNOW THAT

THEY'RE THE SAME SHADE...

YEAH.

DO THEY LOOK THE SAME NOW?

NO.

THEY STILL LOOK DIFFERENT?

YEAH, THEY STILL LOOK A LOT

DIFFERENT.

THEY LOOK A LOT DIFFERENT.

IT MATCHES.

SO WEIRD.

AT THE END OF THE

DAY, OUR BLEEPED-UP BRAIN CAN

JUST BE STUBBORN AND LEAD US TO

BELIEVE SIMPLY WHAT WE WANT TO

BELIEVE REGARDLESS OF THE FACTS.

LIKEWISE, IF MARY TODD LINCOLN

TRULY THOUGHT THAT SHE COULD

COMMUNICATE WITH HER DEAD SON,

KNOWING THAT LORD COLCHESTER WAS

A FRAUD WOULD NOT STOP HER FROM

BELIEVING THIS SUPERSTITION.

WE COULD SAY THAT MARY TODD

LINCOLN WAS FOOLED BY A MAGIC

TRICK BY LORD COLCHESTER.

BUT IN SOME WAYS, LORD

COLCHESTER IS BESIDE THE POINT.

WHEN YOU REALLY WANT TO BELIEVE

SOMETHING, YOU WILL FIND REASONS

TO BELIEVE IT.

BUT WHILE LORD

COLCHESTER GAVE MARY TODD

LINCOLN HOPE, PRESIDENT LINCOLN

WAS LESS THAN TRANSFIXED.

EVENTUALLY, LORD COLCHESTER WAS

BANISHED FROM THE WHITE HOUSE

AND NEVER HEARD FROM AGAIN.

SUPERSTITIONS OFTEN SATISFY A

PERSON'S DESPERATE NEED TO

EXPLAIN MISFORTUNES IN THEIR

LIFE.

BUT SUPERSTITIONS THAT COMFORT

SOME SEEM LIKE NONSENSE TO

OTHERS.

EVERY BRAIN IS GENERALLY

HARDWIRED THE SAME WAY, BUT

THERE ARE SLIGHT DIFFERENCES IN

EACH OF US.

AND THIS MIGHT HELP EXPLAIN WHY

MARY TODD LINCOLN BELIEVED ONE

THING WHILE OTHERS, INCLUDING

HER HUSBAND, DID NOT.

BUT MARY TODD LINCOLN CONTINUED

TO CONSULT WITH PSYCHIC MEDIUMS

UP UNTIL HER DEATH IN 1882.

AND SHE IS NOT ALONE.

MANY OF US POSSESS OBJECTS THAT

WE BELIEVE TO BE LUCKY.

SOME BELIEVE THAT BREAKING A

MIRROR WILL BRING SEVEN YEARS OF

BAD LUCK OR THAT WALKING UNDER A

LADDER MAY HAVE TERRIBLE

CONSEQUENCES.

THROUGHOUT HISTORY, OUR BRAIN'S

INNATE NEED TO FIND MEANING HAS

SOMETIMES LED US TO

SUPERSTITIOUS CONCLUSIONS IN

BOTH OUR EVERYDAY LIVES AND ON

THE WORLD STAGE.

THE LESSON FROM ALL THIS IS

DON'T TRUST WHAT YOUR BRAIN

TELLS YOU ALL THE TIME.

AND THE

SUPERSTITIOUS EXPLANATIONS OUR

BRAINS CREATE CAN BE DOWNRIGHT

ASTONISHING.

DON'T LET A BLACK

CAT CROSS YOUR PATH.

MAKE SURE YOU KNOCK ON WOOD IF

YOU'VE JINXED YOURSELF.

AND WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T OPEN

AN UMBRELLA INSIDE.

THE WORLD IS FILLED WITH

SUPERSTITIONS, BUT THESE

SEEMINGLY ODD WAYS TO WARD OFF

BAD LUCK AND PROTECT YOURSELF

MAKE PERFECT SENSE IN ONE VERY

SURPRISING PLACE--YOUR BLEEPED-

UP BRAIN.

THE LESSON FROM ALL THIS IS

DON'T TRUST WHAT YOUR BRAIN

TELLS YOU ALL THE TIME.

OUR BRAINS ARE

PROBLEM-SOLVING MACHINES.

AND WHEN CONFRONTED WITH A

SITUATION, THEY WILL PLOT A

SOLUTION.

BUT SOMETIMES THAT SOLUTION IS

MADE WHEN WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE

INFORMATION, AND THAT CAN MAKE

FOR SOME BIZARRE SITUATIONS.

IT'S RARE FOR US TO END UP

BELIEVING SOMETHING THAT'S

SIMPLY ISN'T SO, BUT WHEN IT

DOES HAPPEN IT COULD HAVE A

PROFOUND EFFECT ON AN

INDIVIDUAL.

THEY CAN END UP BUYING INTO

CERTAIN THEORIES ABOUT THE

WORLD WHICH SIMPLY AREN'T TRUE.

IN FACT, WE'RE

ABOUT TO MAKE SOMETHING

DISAPPEAR RIGHT BEFORE YOUR

EYES.

GET READY FOR A SIMPLE

EXPERIMENT THAT WILL SHOW YOU

JUST HOW EASY IT IS FOR YOUR

BRAIN TO MISS OUT ON

INFORMATION.

TAKE A LOOK AT THIS ANIMATION.

MOVE SO THAT YOU'RE DIRECTLY IN

FRONT OF THE TELEVISION, ABOUT 5

FEET AWAY.

CLOSE YOUR LEFT EYE, AND FOCUS

YOUR RIGHT EYE ON THE SMALL DOT.

MOVE AROUND A BIT.

AT SOME POINT, YOU WILL SEE THE

LARGE MOVING DOT COMPLETELY

DISAPPEAR.

SEE IT?

OR NOT SEE IT?

THIS IS A BLIND SPOT, AND IT

REPRESENTS THE PRECISE PART IN

YOUR EYE WHERE AN OPTIC NERVE

PREVENTS INFORMATION FROM

ENTERING YOUR RETINA.

AND THE REASON WE RARELY STUMBLE

ACROSS THIS INFORMATION GAP IS

BECAUSE YOUR BRAIN USUALLY

FABRICATES THE MISSING DATA IN

MOMENTS LIKE THIS.

IN ESSENCE, YOUR MIND CREATES

SOMETHING THAT ISN'T THERE.

AND THAT IS A KEY TO

SUPERSTITIOUS THINKING.

WHEN SOMETHING IS HIDDEN FROM

VIEW, IT'S VERY EASY TO BE DRAWN

TO ERRONEOUS CONCLUSIONS ABOUT

CAUSE AND EFFECT.

FOR CENTURIES,

ANYTHING THAT COULDN'T BE

EXPLAINED THROUGH LOGIC WAS

LABELED AS MAGIC.

THAT'S BECAUSE YOUR BRAIN

ESSENTIALLY WORKS IN A

CAUSE-AND-EFFECT WAY.

BUT WHEN NO CLEAR CAUSE IS

VISIBLE, YOU WILL STILL CREATE

ONE.

AND BEFORE MODERN SCIENCE SHED

LIGHT ON THE MYSTERIES OF

NATURE, A NUMBER OF STRANGE

THEORIES WERE PRESENTED TO

EXPLAIN THE WORLD AROUND US.

ONE IDEA IS SO STRANGE THAT YOU

MIGHT FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE.

PEOPLE BELIEVED THAT ANIMALS

WERE GENERATED THROUGH A MAGICAL

PROCESS CALLED SPONTANEOUS

GENERATION.

SPONTANEOUS GENERATION IS THE

PROCESS BY WHICH INANIMATE

MATERIAL GIVES RISE TO LIVING

THINGS LIKE FROGS FROM MARSH

SLIME, EELS FROM RIVER WATER, OR

MAGGOTS FROM ROTTING MEAT.

IN THE 1600s,

FLEMISH SCIENTIST JAN BAPTISTA

VAN HELMONT PUBLISHED A

SCIENTIFIC RECIPE FOR CREATING

MICE.

HE TOOK A CONTAINER, AND IN

IT HE PUT SOME SOILED

UNDERCLOTHES, AND HE ADDED

WHEAT.

HE PUT THIS CONTAINER IN A

CORNER, AND HE LEFT IT FOR 21

DAYS.

WHEN HE CAME BACK, HE OBSERVED

FULL-GROWN MICE.

THIS FOR HIM WAS PROOF.

HE THOUGHT HE FOUND AN EFFECTIVE

RECIPE FOR GENERATING MICE.

EVEN IN THE AGE

BEFORE MODERN SCIENCE, HOW COULD

ANYONE REALLY BELIEVE THAT

SOILED UNDERWEAR AND WHEAT COULD

ACTUALLY GROW MICE?

THE ANSWER LIES IN YOUR

SUPERSTITIOUS BRAIN.

MAGICIAN EKATERINA

DOBROKHOTOVA'S GOT A TRICK UP

HER SLEEVE THAT SHOWS HOW YOUR

MIND WILL FILL IN THE BLANKS,

SOMETIMES WITH SHOCKING

CONCLUSIONS.

WE MAGICIANS ROLL A LITTLE

BIT DIFFERENTLY THAN YOU GUYS

WITH OUR MONEY.

I HAVE HERE ONE, TWO, THREE,

FOUR SINGLE DOLLAR BILLS.

NOW YOU CAN'T GO REALLY FAR WITH

THIS, SO DEPENDING ON MY NEEDS,

I HAVE TO LITERALLY TRANSFORM

THE BILLS.

NOW, WATCH CLOSELY.

100, 200, 300, AND 400 DOLLARS.

WAIT, HANG ON.

HOW DID SHE DO THAT?

LET'S SEE THAT AGAIN.

I HAVE ONE, TWO, THREE, AND

FOUR AMERICAN DOLLAR BILLS.

OKAY?

NOW YOU CAN'T DO A LOT IN NEW

YORK CITY WITH FOUR BILLS, OKAY?

LIFE HERE IS A LITTLE BIT

EXPENSIVE, SO WATCH.

WATCH REALLY CLOSELY 'CAUSE THE

MAGIC HAPPENS IN A BLINK OF AN

EYE.

WOW.

NOW TELL ME IF YOU SAW THAT.

I DIDN'T SEE THAT!

YOU WERE WATCHING CLOSELY

RIGHT?

YEAH!

WE KNOW THAT IT

ISN'T POSSIBLE TO CHANGE A ONE

DOLLAR BILL INTO A 100 DOLLAR

BILL.

BUT LIKE VAN HELMONT WHO THOUGHT

HE HAD A RECIPE FOR MICE, THESE

PARTICIPANTS WEREN'T WATCHING

CLOSELY ENOUGH.

AND WE BET YOU WEREN'T EITHER.

NO, WE DIDN'T SEE IT HAPPEN.

THAT'S A VERY LUCRATIVE

TRICK.

(laughter)

WE HAVE NO DIFFICULTY

TRANSFORMING $100 INTO ONE

DOLLAR.

AMAZING.

(group clapping)

THANK YOU.

THIS MONEY-CHANGING

ROUTINE IS ASTONISHING BECAUSE

OF WHAT WE CAN'T SEE HAPPENING.

I'M NOT ACTUALLY TRANSFORMING

THE MONEY.

BUT IN MAGIC, SEEING IS

BELIEVING.

AND THROUGH A

SLEIGHT OF HAND THAT'S TOO FAST

FOR THE BRAIN TO REGISTER,

EKATERINA CRAFTS THE PERCEPTION

THAT SHE'S LITERALLY CHANGING

THE MONEY, WHEN IN FACT, SHE'S

HOLDING ALL EIGHT BILLS AT ONCE.

IN REALITY, THIS TRICK ISN'T A

FINANCIAL WINDFALL.

IT'S JUST A FAUX PAS OF THE

MIND.

LIKEWISE, WITH HIS RECIPES TO

SPONTANEOUSLY GENERATE MICE, VAN

HELMONT ALSO HAD A BLIND SPOT.

HE BELIEVED IN SPONTANEOUS

GENERATION, AND SINCE HE DIDN'T

SEE THE MICE CLIMB INTO THE JAR,

HE ASSUMED THEY JUST APPEARED.

HIS MIND WAS WORKING ON A

CAUSE-AND-EFFECT BASIS.

HE JUST GOT THE CAUSE WRONG.

BUT NOW WE KNOW--APPEARANCES CAN

BE DECEIVING.

LAST NIGHT, I SAW A RACCOON

IN MY GARBAGE CAN.

THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE

GARBAGE CAN PRODUCED A RACCOON,

BUT IT'S EASY TO SEE HOW SOMEONE

COULD FIND THAT LINE OF EVIDENCE

COMPELLING.

VAN HELMONT GOT IT

WRONG WITH THE MICE, BUT HE IS

NOT THE FIRST TO DRAW FALSE

CONCLUSIONS.

BEFORE GALILEO PROVED THAT ALL

OBJECTS FALL AT THE SAME SPEED,

PEOPLE BELIEVED THAT HEAVIER

OBJECTS FELL FASTER THAN LIGHTER

ONES.

THAT'S BECAUSE PEOPLE DRAW

CONCLUSIONS BASED ON WHAT THEY

PERCEIVE, WHETHER IT'S TRUE OR

NOT.

IT'S THE SAME REASON MANY PEOPLE

BELIEVE CELEBRITIES DIE IN

THREES, WHICH IS ANOTHER GOOD

EXAMPLE OF HOW HUMAN BRAINS

SEEK PATTERNS OUT OF RANDOM

EVENTS.

THE TRUTH IS DEATH TAKES

CELEBRITIES ALL THE TIME.

WE ONLY START LOOKING FOR THE

PATTERNS WHEN IT IS BROUGHT TO

OUR ATTENTION WITH A MAJOR NEWS

STORY.

OUR SUPERSTITIOUS MINDS FIND

LOGICAL CONCLUSIONS, EVEN WHEN

THEY DON'T EXIST.

DO YOU GET A LITTLE

NERVOUS ON FRIDAY THE 13th?

THINK YOUR CAT HAS NINE LIVES

OR AVOID CRACKS IN THE SIDEWALK

FOR FEAR THEY WILL BREAK YOUR

MOTHER'S BACK?

WHAT MIGHT SEEM LIKE NONSENSE

NOW WAS ACCEPTED AS COMPLETELY

RATIONAL AT ONE POINT IN HISTORY

OR ANOTHER.

THAT'S BECAUSE ALL SUPERSTITIONS

ARE THE BRAIN'S ATTEMPT TO SOLVE

A PROBLEM.

AND SOMETIMES OUR PROBLEM

SOLVING CAN BE A LITTLE OFF.

TO PROVE IT, PSYCHOLOGIST

RICHARD WISEMAN HAS SET UP A

DRAGON THAT WILL MAKE YOUR HEAD

TURN.

SEE IF YOU CAN SOLVE THIS

PROBLEM.

I'D LIKE TO SHOW YOU

SOMETHING TRULY REMARKABLE.

RIGHT NOW, THE DRAGON IS STARING

DIRECTLY AT YOU.

BUT WHAT'S INCREDIBLE IS AS THE

CAMERA STARTS TO MOVE AROUND,

THE DRAGON WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK

AT YOU.

NOW YOU MIGHT THINK THAT THIS IS

A REALLY SOPHISTICATED PIECE OF

TECHNOLOGY OR AN INCREDIBLE

PUPPET.

IN FACT, THE SECRET TO THE

DRAGON EXISTS ENTIRELY INSIDE

YOUR HEAD.

THE DRAGON IS NOTHING MORE THAN

A CUT-OUT.

THERE'S NO MOVING PARTS.

THERE'S NO FANCY TRICKERY.

WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS THAT IT HAS

AN INVERTED FACE.

YOUR BRAIN IS SEEING THAT

INVERTED FACE AND CONVERTING IT

INTO AN AMAZING MOVING ILLUSION.

IT'S JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF HOW

YOUR BRAIN FABRICATES REALITY.

SO WHY DO WE SEE

THIS ILLUSION?

THE BRAIN TRIPS YOU UP.

IT'S USED TO SEEING FACES WHICH

COME OUT.

IT ISN'T USED TO SEEING A HOLLOW

FACE.

AND SO WHEN IT'S FACED WITH THE

PHYSICS OF A HOLLOW FACE, IT

DOESN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.

AND IT SOLVES THE PROBLEM BY

CREATING A HEAD THAT MOVES

AROUND AS YOU MOVE AS AN

OBSERVER.

SO IT CREATES THIS IMPOSSIBLE

SITUATION SIMPLY BECAUSE IT'S

MADE ONE FALSE ASSUMPTION.

SOMETIMES OUR

BRAINS JUST CAN'T SOLVE THE

PROBLEM.

AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, A

PHENOMENON LIKE THIS LED TO ONE

OF THE MOST PERPLEXING

DISCOVERIES IN THE HISTORY OF

SPACE EXPLORATION.

IT ALL STARTED IN 1975, WHEN

NASA SENT THE VIKING ORBITER TO

MARS.

PART OF THE MISSION WAS TO

FIND OUT IF MARS HAD EVER

HARBORED LIFE.

THE VIKING ORBITER STARTED THE

FIRST-EVER DETAILED OBSERVATION

OF THE MARTIAN SURFACE.

THE VIKING PROGRAM RETURNED

50,000 PHOTOGRAPHS FROM MARS,

AND IT SEEMED VERY CLEAR THAT

LIFE DOES NOT EXIST ON MARS.

HOWEVER, ONE

CURIOUS PHOTOGRAPH THE VIKING

ORBITER SNAPPED IN 1976 SEEMED

TO CONTRADICT THAT ASSERTION.

WHAT THIS PHOTOGRAPH SEEMED

TO SHOW WAS A GIANT FACE A MILE

WIDE.

WAS IT SOME KIND OF ANCIENT

TEMPLE?

SOME KIND OF VAST ALIEN ARTWORK?

IT DIDN'T SEEM LIKE A NATURAL

FORMATION.

IT SEEMED LIKE SOMETHING THAT

SOMEONE HAD BUILT.

WHEN NASA RELEASED

THE IMAGE TO THE PUBLIC, IT SET

OFF A MEDIA FIRESTORM.

TO THE POPULAR PRESS, IT WAS

A SENSATION.

TO THE PUBLIC, THIS THING MUST

HAVE BEEN CREATED BY NOT JUST

INTELLIGENT ORGANISMS BUT BY AN

ADVANCED CIVILIZATION.

AND THEY WANTED PROOF THAT IT

WAS REAL.

IN 1998, NASA FINALLY SENT

ANOTHER ORBITER.

THIS SPACECRAFT WAS ABLE TO

RETURN AND TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS OF

THE SAME PLACE WHERE VIKING HAD

SEEN THE FACE.

WHAT THE PHOTOGRAPHS SHOWED

CONCLUSIVELY WAS THAT THE FACE

ON MARS WAS REALLY JUST AN

ERODED ROCKY HILL.

DESPITE

OVERWHELMING EVIDENCE THAT

INTELLIGENT LIFE NEVER EXISTED

ANYWHERE ON THE RED PLANET,

MILLIONS OF PEOPLE BELIEVED THIS

GIANT FACE INDICATED THE

EXISTENCE OF ANCIENT ALIENS.

BUT WHY?

SCIENCE JOURNALIST JEFF WISE

HAS A PHOTOGRAPH THAT MIGHT HELP

ANSWER THAT QUESTION.

I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU AN OLD

PHOTOGRAPH.

I JUST WANT YOU TO TELL ME WHAT

YOU SEE.

DESCRIBE WHAT YOU

SEE IN THIS VINTAGE PHOTOGRAPH.

LET'S SEE WHAT OTHERS PERCEIVE.

IT LOOKS LIKE THREE PEOPLE.

A WOMAN IN THE BACK WITH A VERY

LARGE HAT.

OKAY.

A MAN IN THE SUIT ON THE

LEFT, AND THEN THERE APPEARS TO

BE A FACE IN BETWEEN THE BOTH

OF THEM.

THERE IS A FACE IN THE MIDDLE

OF THE PHOTOGRAPH, AND THERE'S

PEOPLE BEHIND THE FACE.

THERE'S A SEATED MAN...

OKAY.

IN FRONT OF HERE IS A

DISEMBODIED FLOATING FACE.

HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE

THIS BIG FACE?

LET'S SEE WHAT OTHERS SAY.

LOOKS LIKE JESUS.

LOOK, THERE'S THE GOLDILOCK

HAIR, AND HE'S LOOKING UP

LIKE...

OH, I DIDN'T EVEN SEE HAIR.

LIKE, YEAH.

HE'S GOT, LIKE--IT LOOKS LIKE

A WIG LIKE THE JUDGES IN ENGLAND

WEAR, RIGHT HERE.

OKAY.

THERE'S HIS WIG.

THERE'S THE MUSTACHE, LIKE A

HANDLEBAR MUSTACHE AND HE'S GOT

LIKE A LITTLE BEARD HERE AND BIG

EYEBROWS.

AND HIS HEAD IS MUCH BIGGER THAN

THIS GUY AND THIS GIRL.

WHAT KIND OF SCENE DO YOU

THINK THIS COULD BE PORTRAYING?

THIS IS JUST A PHOTOGRAPH.

WELL, IT LOOKS TO ME THAT

SOMEBODY ADDED THIS HEAD IN

THERE, SORTA LIKE, YOU KNOW,

YOU CAN PHOTOSHOP NOWADAYS.

BUT THE CULPRIT

THAT PLACED THIS DISEMBODIED

HEAD ONTO THE PHOTOGRAPH IS YOUR

BLEEPED-UP BRAIN.

WHAT IF I TOLD YOU THAT THERE

IS NO GIANT FACE IN THIS

PICTURE?

I WOULDN'T--I WOULDN'T

BELIEVE YOU.

OKAY, YOU SEE IT?

I SEE IT, IT'S RIGHT THERE.

OKAY.

IF THERE IS NO

FACE, WHAT IS THERE?

THERE'S A WOMAN, THERE'S A

MAN, AND IN THE MAN'S LAP,

THERE'S A BABY.

I DON'T SEE THAT AT ALL.

YOU DON'T SEE IT AT ALL?

YOU STILL SEE THE BIG FACE?

I STILL SEE THE BIG FACE.

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE

TALKING ABOUT.

TELL ME WHAT YOU SEE.

I DON'T SEE A BABY.

SOMETIMES, TO SEE

REALITY FOR WHAT IT REALLY IS,

OUR BRAINS MAY NEED A LITTLE

HELP.

I WANNA SHOW YOU A PROP.

OH, MY GOD, IT'S A BABY.

LOOK, RIGHT THERE.

STOP IT!

SEE?

WHAT?

MAYBE I CAN ASK YOU TO COME

FORWARD AGAIN.

AND THAT'S--AND SHOW ME--

THERE'S A BONNET, AND THERE'S

THE BABY OUTFIT.

OH, MY GOD, I SEE IT NOW!

THAT'S CRAZY!

I DO SEE THE BABY NOW.

BUT WHEN I TAKE THAT AWAY, I

STILL SEE--I STILL SEE THE FACE.

THIS PHOTOGRAPH

REVEALS A PECULIAR SECRET OF THE

BRAIN.

WE SEE FACES EVERYWHERE.

WE SEE FACES IN CLOUDS.

WE SEE FACES IN TREES.

WE SEE THEM IN TORTILLAS.

IT'S A PHENOMENON CALLED

PAREIDOLIA.

PAREIDOLIA CAN

AFFECT US IN EVERYDAY WAYS AND

PLAY A ROLE IN OUR SUPERSTITIOUS

BRAINS.

I GUESS THIS IS HOW PEOPLE

SOMETIMES THINK THEY'RE SEEING

THINGS WHEN THEY'RE NOT.

LIKE THEY SEE A GHOST IN THEIR

HOUSE.

IT COULD BE--MAYBE IT'S NOT A

GHOST, YOU COULD BE SEEING ONE

OF THESE.

SO WHY ARE WE

HUMANS PRONE TO PAREIDOLIA?

IT'S PART OF OUR EVOLUTIONARY

PAST.

WE'RE HARD-WIRED TO SEE FACES

EVEN WHERE THERE AREN'T ANY

ACTUALLY THERE.

AND THE MOST IMPORTANT THING

THAT A HUMAN BEING CAN SEE IN

HIS OR HER ENVIRONMENT IS THE

FACE OF OUR FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS.

WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT THE FACES

OF THE PEOPLE AROUND US ARE

DOING.

ARE THEY HAPPY?

ARE THEY SAD?

ARE THEY SUSPICIOUS?

WE HAVE TO HAVE THIS

INFORMATION.

THIS VINTAGE

PHOTOGRAPH SHOWS THE BRAIN'S

DEFAULT TO SEE FACES

EVERYWHERE EVEN THOUGH HERE, THE

FACE IS JUST AN EFFECT OF LIGHT

AND SHADOW.

CAN ANYONE UN-SEE THE FACE?

I DEFINITELY CANNOT UN-SEE

THE FACE.

THAT'S THE FIRST THING THAT I

SEE.

LIKEWISE, WITH

VIKING'S ICONIC PHOTO FROM MARS,

PAREIDOLIA DECEIVED PEOPLE INTO

SEEING A MASSIVE ALIEN FACE.

EVEN I, KNOWING THAT THAT

FACE ON MARS IS A TRICK OF LIGHT

AND SHADOW, WHEN I LOOK AT THAT

PICTURE, I SEE IT.

AND TO THIS DAY,

PEOPLE CONTINUE TO SEE FACES IN

THE UNLIKELIEST PLACES.

IN 2012, PEOPLE SAW A VISION

OF THE VIRGIN MARY IN A TREE IN

NEW JERSEY.

THEY PRAYED TO THE TREE, THEY

GATHERED ROUND AND LIT CANDLES.

IN 2008, A GRILLED CHEESE

SANDWICH WITH A LIKENESS TO THE

VIRGIN MARY SOLD ON EBAY FOR

$28,000.

THE FACE ON MARS

AND ALL THE OTHER FACES WE SEE

EVERYWHERE EVERY DAY ARE JUST

ANOTHER FUNCTION OF OUR

SUPERSTITIOUS BRAINS.

DO YOU CROSS YOUR

FINGERS BECAUSE YOU THINK IT

WILL HELP A WISH COME TRUE?

WE'VE SEEN THAT THE BRAIN CAN'T

ACCEPT WHAT SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE.

NO MATTER HOW BIZARRE, OUR MINDS

MUST CONCOCT AN EXPLANATION TO

GIVE ORDER TO THE CHAOS WE

EXPERIENCE AROUND US.

OUR VERY SURVIVAL AND SAFETY

DEPENDS ON ORDER BEING ACHIEVED.

AND THE CHAOS THAT WE SEE DOES

NOT JUST REVOLVE AROUND THE

WORLD WE SEE NOW.

IT CAN, AND OFTEN DOES, INCLUDE

THE FUTURE.

AND PREDICTING WHAT THE FUTURE

HOLDS MIGHT JUST BE ONE OF OUR

GREATEST SUPERSTITIONS.

IMAGINE TRYING TO PREDICT WHAT

WILL HAPPEN IN THE YEAR 2400.

WILL THERE BE FLYING CARS?

A CURE FOR CANCER?

LOOKING THAT FAR AHEAD IS A

DAUNTING TASK, EVEN FOR TODAY'S

GREATEST VISIONARIES.

BUT IN THE 16th CENTURY, ONE

FRENCHMAN LOOKED INTO THE FUTURE

WITH HAIR-RAISING ACCURACY--

NOSTRADAMUS.

NOSTRADAMUS IS SAID TO HAVE

PREDICTED MANY THINGS, INCLUDING

THE FRENCH REVOLUTION, THE

APOLLO MOON LANDING, THE BOMBING

OF HIROSHIMA.

IN HIS BOOK "THE

PROPHECIES," NOSTRADAMUS ALSO

FORETOLD THE RISE OF SEVERAL

NOTORIOUS ANTICHRISTS.

HE SAID THE FIRST ANTICHRIST

WAS AN EMPEROR BORN NEAR ITALY

WHO WOULD RISE FROM A SOLDIER TO

AN EMPEROR.

OVER 200 YEARS

LATER, THAT SOLDIER, BORN ON THE

ISLAND OF CORSICA, JUST OFF THE

COAST OF ITALY, EMERGED AS THE

FRENCH EMPEROR.

HE DID SEEM TO PREDICT

NAPOLEON BONAPARTE.

IN HIS CONQUEST OF

EUROPE DURING THE 19th CENTURY,

NAPOLEON'S WARS COST THE LIVES

OF 6.5 MILLION PEOPLE.

FOR THE SECOND ANTICHRIST,

NOSTRADAMUS ENVISIONED THE

EXISTENCE OF THE WORLD'S MOST

INFAMOUS VILLAIN.

(shouting in German)

(crowd chanting)

HE SAID THAT THE SECOND

ANTICHRIST WOULD BE A CAPTAIN OF

GREATER GERMANY, AND HE WOULD

USE THE NAME "HISTER."

HE SAID THAT HE WOULD SEDUCE

TROOPS WITH HIS TONGUE.

MANY PEOPLE TOOK THAT TO MEAN

THAT NOSTRADAMUS HAD, IN FACT,

PREDICTED THE RISE OF ADOLF

HITLER.

HITLER WAS KNOWN FOR BEING A

CHARISMATIC SPEAKER AND SEDUCING

CROWDS AND GETTING PEOPLE RILED

UP.

IT'S A PERFECT FIT.

HOW DID NOSTRADAMUS

PREDICT THE RISE OF BOTH

NAPOLEON AND ADOLF HITLER?

DID HE POSSESS PARANORMAL

POWERS?

IS IT POSSIBLE TO SEE INTO THE

FUTURE?

SOME SAY IT IS.

AND IT IS MUCH EASIER TO PREDICT

IF YOU ALREADY KNOW THE ANSWER.

OUR MAGICIAN EKATERINA

DABROKATOVA HAS DEVISED A TRICK

THAT WILL LET HER SEE INTO THE

FUTURE, EVEN IF ONLY A MINUTE

OR TWO INTO THE FUTURE.

DO YOU BELIEVE ME IF I TELL

YOU THAT I CAN PREDICT WHAT

YOU'RE GOING TO DO ONE MINUTE

INTO THE FUTURE?

YES. I KINDA DO.

YEAH? ALRIGHT.

SO THAT'S A GOOD START FOR ME.

EKATERINA LAYS OUT

SIX CARDS ON A TABLE, FIVE WITH

PICTURES OF CELEBRITIES AND ONE

WITH A PICTURE OF HERSELF.

BY LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE,

EKATERINA SAYS SHE CAN PREDICT

WHICH CARD A PERSON WILL PICK.

AND I HAVE MY PREDICTION

RIGHT HERE IN THE ENVELOPE.

I'M GOING TO PLACE IT ON THE

TABLE, SO IT'S IN PLAIN VIEW THE

WHOLE TIME.

YEP.

I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT A

NUMBER BETWEEN 1 AND 6.

I DON'T WANT YOU TO BE

INFLUENCED BY ANYTHING.

NAME IT RIGHT NOW.

FOUR.

NUMBER FOUR, PERFECT.

YOU'RE CONFIDENT WITH YOUR

DECISION?

I AM.

AND I COMMITTED MYSELF AS

WELL...

OKAY.

WITH THIS PREDICTION.

EVERY CARD HAS A NUMBER.

SO I AM ACTUALLY NUMBER 3.

YOU DIDN'T PICK ME.

I'M SORRY.

BEYONCé IS NUMBER 5.

ALRIGHT.

JULIA ROBERTS IS NUMBER 2.

LADY GAGA IS NUMBER 1.

ALRIGHT.

SO YOU'VE PICKED ANGELINA

JOLIE, WHICH IS NUMBER 4.

THIS IS THE ENVELOPE.

I HAVEN'T TOUCHED IT.

OH, LORD. ALRIGHT.

OKAY, I'M STRESSED RIGHT NOW.

GO AHEAD, PICK IT UP.

MY BUSINESS CARD CONTAINS ON THE

BACK THE NAME WRITTEN BY MY

HAND.

SHUT UP!

WHAT DOES IT SAY?

WHAT DOES IT SAY?

CAN YOU TELL EVERYONE?

ANGELINA JOLIE!

OH, MY GOD, THAT'S CRAZY!

AND IT'S NUMBER 4.

DOES EKATERINA

REALLY HAVE THE PARANORMAL POWER

TO PREDICT WHAT PEOPLE WILL

CHOOSE?

NOT EXACTLY.

THIS IS A CLASSIC TRICK.

IT'S CALLED CARD FORCING.

NO MATTER WHAT

NUMBER A PERSON CHOOSES,

EKATERINA WILL ALWAYS GET THE

ANSWER RIGHT.

THAT'S BECAUSE THERE ARE ONLY

TWO POSSIBLE ANSWERS: ANGELINA

JOLIE OR EKATERINA HERSELF.

IT JUST DEPENDS ON HOW EKATERINA

DECIDES TO COUNT OUT YOUR

NUMBER.

WHATEVER YOUR CHOICE IS,

EKATERINA CAN USE YOUR NUMBER TO

COUNT THE SIX CARDS IN ANY

DIRECTION SHE LIKES, ALL IN

ORDER TO ARRIVE AT EITHER

HER BUSINESS CARD OR ANGELINA

JOLIE'S NAME ON THE BUSINESS

CARD.

NAME THE NUMBER.

SIX.

NUMBER SIX.

3, 4, 5, 6.

NOW IN THIS ENVELOPE, I HAVE THE

BUSINESS CARD OF THAT CELEBRITY.

SO RIGHT HERE, I HAVE MY

BUSINESS CARD.

AND THERE IS NO OTHER BUSINESS

CARD IN THE ENVELOPE.

OH! THAT'S PRETTY COOL!

I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU DID THAT.

I MEAN, I COULD'VE PICKED TWO.

BY STACKING THE

DECK AND MANIPULATING THE

NUMBERS, EKATERINA APPEARS TO

PULL OFF THE IMPOSSIBLE.

CARD FORCING HELPS ME TO

PREDICT THE OUTCOME.

I THINK YOU PREDICTED IT.

YEAH?

YEAH, I THINK YOU DID.

I DON'T THINK IT WAS A

COINCIDENCE.

I DEFINITELY BELIEVE THAT

PEOPLE HAVE PSYCHIC ABILITY AND

ABILITY TO PREDICT THE FUTURE.

I MEAN, YOU JUST DID IT.

THIS BLEW ME AWAY AND CONFIRMED

EVERYTHING I THOUGHT BEFORE.

THAT IT WAS WRITTEN DOWN BEFORE,

I ACTUALLY THINK THAT MADE IT

SO MUCH MORE REAL FOR ME.

THIS CARD TRICK

MAKES PREDICTING THE FUTURE SEEM

POSSIBLE.

BUT AS WITH NOSTRADAMUS,

BELIEVING IN THESE PREDICTIONS

DEPENDS ON HOW SOMEONE WANTS TO

INTERPRET THESE PREDICTIONS.

NOSTRADAMUS' WRITINGS

SHOULDN'T BE CONSIDERED

PREDICTIONS.

THEY'RE POST-DICTIONS.

THE IDEA IS THAT YOU'RE STARTING

WITH THE ANSWER AND YOU'RE

WORKING BACKWARDS.

PSYCHOLOGISTS CALL

THIS PHENOMENON HINDSIGHT BIAS,

MEANING AFTER THE UNPREDICTABLE

HAPPENS, YOU THINK YOU KNEW WHAT

WAS GOING TO HAPPEN ALL ALONG.

THIS HAPPENS TO US IN EVERYDAY

LIFE WHEN A SPORTS TEAM WINS,

AND WE SAY, "I KNEW THAT WAS

GOING TO HAPPEN."

HINDSIGHT BIAS OCCURS EVEN WHEN

THE ANTICIPATED EVENT WAS

TOTALLY UNPREDICTABLE AT THE

TIME.

YOU WERE GOING TO PICK

ANGELINA JOLIE RIGHT OFF?

I WOULD HAVE.

WEIRD.

AND THIS

PSYCHOLOGICAL PHENOMENON HAPPENS

ALL THE TIME WHEN WE LOOK BACK

ON HISTORY AND ANALYZE EVENTS.

SOME BELIEVE AUTHOR MORGAN

ROBERTSON PREDICTED THE SINKING

OF THE TITANIC IN HIS NOVEL

"FUTILITY" BECAUSE IT FORETOLD

THE SINKING OF A MASSIVE LINER

CALLED THE TITAN IN THE NORTH

ATLANTIC 14 YEARS BEFORE THE

ACTUAL TITANIC SANK.

BUT THIS WAS JUST AN INCREDIBLE

COINCIDENCE.

AND FOR THAT REASON, WE SHOULD

LOOK AT NOSTRADAMUS' PROPHECIES

WITH A LITTLE MORE SCRUTINY.

THE STORY ABOUT NAPOLEON, FOR

EXAMPLE, IS INCREDIBLY VAGUE.

IT COULD APPLY TO JUST ABOUT

ANYBODY.

CAN IT APPLY TO NAPOLEON?

YES.

COULD IT ALSO APPLY TO ANY

NUMBER OF OTHER LEADERS?

ABSOLUTELY.

AND AS FOR HIS

SECOND ANTICHRIST...

OF COURSE MANY PEOPLE TOOK

"HISTER" TO REFER TO HITLER, BUT

IT DOESN'T.

IT'S ACTUALLY THE LATIN NAME OF

THE DANUBE RIVER.

HINDSIGHT BIAS IS A

TOOL USED BY YOUR BRAIN.

BY BELIEVING YOU KNEW WHAT WAS

GOING TO HAPPEN, YOUR BRAIN IS

HELPING BRING ORDER TO A CHAOTIC

WORLD AROUND YOU.

IT'S JUST ANOTHER FEATURE OF THE

BLEEPED-UP BRAIN.

WHAT WE BELIEVE IS ALL A PART OF

OUR SUPERSTITIOUS MIND.

HAVE YOU EVER TRIED

TO WARD OFF AN EVIL SPIRIT?

WEAR GARLIC AROUND YOUR NECK OR

PERHAPS CARRY A LUCKY CHARM?

THESE ARE SUPERSTITIONS, THE

BRAIN'S WAY OF PROTECTING US

FROM CHAOS.

WE'VE CREATED SUPERSTITIONS FOR

VIRTUALLY EVERY SITUATION.

ONE TOPIC IN PARTICULAR HAS

ALWAYS BEEN SHROUDED IN

SUPERSTITION...

DEATH.

THE ENGLISH ONCE CUT OFF THE

FEET OF THEIR DEAD SO THEY

COULDN'T LEAVE THEIR GRAVES TO

HAUNT THE LIVING.

TOMBSTONES ARE MADE OF HEAVY

GRANITE OR MARBLE TO WEIGH DOWN

THE SPIRITS WHO MIGHT TRY AND

RISE.

AND ONE MISINTERPRETATION OF

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER DEATH CREATED

A MONSTER HUNT ACROSS EUROPE.

PEOPLE HAVE A TOTAL MORBID, I

WOULD SAY, FASCINATION WITH

VAMPIRES.

BUT BEING A VAMPIRE

WASN'T ALWAYS SO COOL.

RECENTLY, ARCHEOLOGISTS

UNEARTHED SOME ENTOMBED

SKELETONS IN BULGARIA.

THE SKELETONS THEMSELVES WERE

UNREMARKABLE, BUT WHAT REALLY

WAS STRANGE WAS THAT THEIR TEETH

HAD BEEN PULLED OUT, THEY WERE

UNDERNEATH A CHURCH, AND THEY

HAD IRON RODS RAMMED THROUGH

THEIR CHESTS.

WHY DID THESE REAL

VAMPIRES COME TO SUCH A VIOLENT

END?

THIS ALL HAPPENED IN THE

CONTEXT OF THE BUBONIC PLAGUE.

THE BUBONIC PLAGUE

INSPIRED FEAR ACROSS EUROPE.

BUT THERE WERE SOME WHO BRUSHED

SHOULDERS WITH DEATH MORE THAN

OTHERS.

GRAVEDIGGERS ACTUALLY HAD A

HARD TIME DISPOSING OF ALL THE

BODIES THAT WERE TAKEN BY THE

PLAGUE.

THEY HAD TO OPEN UP EXISTING

GRAVES AND THEN PUT IN NEW

BODIES ON TOP OF ALREADY

DECOMPOSING BODIES.

IN THIS GRUESOME

ENDEAVOR, THE GRAVEDIGGERS

ENCOUNTERED THE INEXPLICABLE.

THEY SAW SOMETHING THEY HAD

NEVER SEEN BEFORE.

THESE BODIES HAD APPARENTLY

GROWN IN SIZE.

THEIR FACES WERE FLUSHED, AND

THEY APPEARED TO HAVE BLOOD

RUNNING DOWN THEIR FACES OUT OF

THEIR MOUTHS.

IN THIS AGE BEFORE

MODERN SCIENCE, THE GRAVEDIGGERS

DECIDED THERE WAS ONLY ONE

LOGICAL CONCLUSION.

THEY THOUGHT THAT THESE

CORPSES HAD ACTUALLY RISEN UP,

GONE OUT AND CONSUMED HUMAN

BLOOD.

AND THEY THOUGHT THAT THESE WERE

VAMPIRES.

THE MIDDLE AGES

WERE A LETHAL TIME IN HISTORY,

AND THAT EXPOSURE BRED THE FEAR

OF DEATH AND THE UNDEAD INTO

THE LIVING.

AND THAT FEAR LED OUR ANCESTORS

TO BELIEVE IN VAMPIRES.

AND OUR BRAINS AREN'T SO

DIFFERENT TODAY.

THEY WILL ALWAYS FIND A WAY TO

EXPLAIN WHAT THEY SEE.

TO PROVE IT, SCIENCE JOURNALIST

JEFF WISE WANTS YOU TO TELL US

WHAT YOU SEE IN THIS IMAGE.

GO ON.

WHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE?

LET'S SEE WHAT OTHERS THINK.

JUST TELL ME WHAT YOU SEE.

DEAD ANIMAL.

ROAD KILL.

ROAD KILL.

COULD BE A LEAF.

UP CLOSE, THIS WOULD BE THE

STEM.

OKAY.

I SAW A DEAD FOX.

JUST THE IMAGE OF A FOX JUMPED

OUT AT ME.

HMM, I'M GONNA GO FOR DRAGON.

SO THIS IS THE HEAD.

IT'S GOT SOME HORNS HERE, SOME

EARS.

IT COULD BE A FUTURISTIC

SPACECRAFT?

THAT'S THE RETRO-ROCKET AT THE

BACK, WHICH PROPELS THEM IN THIS

DIRECTION.

I SEE.

THIS IS THE COMMAND MODULE AT

THE TOP HERE.

IT LOOKS LIKE SQUASHED

INSECT.

SOMEBODY STOOD ON IT, SPLATTERED

IT OUT ALL OVER THE GROUND

DO YOU GUYS OFTEN SEE THINGS

DIFFERENTLY?

WE'VE ONLY BEEN MARRIED FOR

44 YEARS, AND YES, WE SEE THINGS

DIFFERENTLY.

OF COURSE, WE ALL

SEE THINGS VERY DIFFERENTLY.

AND IN 1921, SWISS PSYCHIATRIST

HERMMAN RORSCHACH DESIGNED A

TEST THAT SHED LIGHT ON HOW AND

WHY PEOPLE INTERPRET WHAT THEY

SEE SO DIFFERENTLY--

THE RORSCHACH TEST.

THE RORSCHACH TEST IS A

CLASSIC PSYCHOLOGICAL TOOL.

IT'S JUST A RANDOM BLOB OF INK.

THOUGH THIS IMAGE

IS JUST AN INK BLOT, NO ONE

COULD SEE THE IMAGE AS WHAT IT

ACTUALLY IS.

THIS IS REALLY NOTHING MORE

THAN JUST A BLOB OF INK ON

PAPER.

A BLOB OF INK.

THAT'S CRAZY.

IT DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING.

IT'S JUST RANDOM.

AND YET YOU WERE ABLE TO SEE ALL

THESE DIFFERENT THINGS IN THAT

RANDOMNESS.

WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT TELLS YOU

ABOUT YOUR BRAIN?

I THINK IT TELLS ME THAT IT'S

DESPERATE TO IMPOSE ORDER ON

EVERYTHING IT SEES.

I THINK THAT CHAOS IS A REALLY

HARD CONCEPT TO DEAL WITH FOR

MOST OF US.

ALSO, IT LIKES DRAGONS.

OUR SUPERSTITIOUS

BRAIN PREDISPOSES US TO MAKE

MEANING OUT OF THESE RANDOM INK

BLOTS AND CREATE PATTERNS WHERE

THEY DON'T EXIST.

THE REASON A RORSCHACH TEST

IS SO INTERESTING IS THAT IT

SHOWS THAT OUR BRAINS ARE

MEANING-MAKING MACHINES.

WHY DO YOU THINK THE BRAIN IS

ABLE TO FIND SO MANY DIFFERENT

MEANINGS IN THIS ONE IMAGE?

OH, FROM YOUR LIFETIME

EXPERIENCES, I GUESS.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT SOMETHING LIKE

THAT, YOU JUST DRAW ON ALL THAT,

AND OUT IT COMES.

SO WHEN THE

GRAVEDIGGERS IN THE MIDDLE AGES

ENCOUNTERED THESE SEEMINGLY

RE-ANIMATED CORPSES, THEY ALSO

DREW THEIR CONCLUSIONS FROM A

LIFETIME OF HEARING VAMPIRE

STORIES.

YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THAT IN AN

EFFORT TO MAKE SENSE OF THIS

APPARENTLY UNBELIEVABLE EVENT,

THE GRAVEDIGGERS CREATED THIS

NARRATIVE OF, "THIS IS THE

UNDEAD," RIGHT?

"THESE ARE VAMPIRES RISING UP

OUT OF THE GRAVE."

AND PEOPLE BELIEVED THAT WOULD

KEEP THEM PINNED TO THEIR

GRAVES AT NIGHT.

FROM HISTORY'S

STRANGEST EVENTS TO LEGENDARY

MONSTERS, SUPERSTITIONS HAVE

IMPACTED OUR LIVES FOR THOUSANDS

OF YEARS.

WE CROSS OUR FINGERS,

SOMETHING GOOD HAPPENS, AND WE

THINK SOMEHOW THE SUPERSTITIOUS

RITUAL CAUSED THE POSITIVE

EVENT.

IT'S THE PRICE YOU PAY FOR

BEING SO SUCCESSFUL AND BECAUSE

OF THAT, WE ALL TEND TO HARBOR

SUPERSTITIOUS BELIEFS, BELIEFS

THAT SIMPLY AREN'T TRUE.

BUT JUST IN CASE

SUPERSTITIONS ARE TRUE, DON'T

FORGET TO WEAR YOUR LUCKY HAT TO

THE NEXT GAME, AND WATCH OUT FOR

BLACK CATS CROSSING YOUR PATH.

BECAUSE NO MATTER HOW ODD

SUPERSTITIONS MAY SEEM, THEY

MAKE PERFECT SENSE TO YOUR

BLEEPED-UP BRAIN.