Interesting. the ability of the human to seek and locate pattern, is misused as an answer to the emotional stress that the unknown and other fears impose.

see also:
http://www.sciencefriday.com/program/archives/200810037
very interesting

<<<"People see false patterns in all types of data," says Jennifer Whitson, one of the authors of the report, "...This suggests that lacking control leads to a visceral need for order — even imaginary order.">>>

Although superstition is perhaps usually associated with weird stuff, the same process of desperation for order occurs in everyday life, for instance projecting a gross simplification of complex issues onto key individuals and identifying with them; from the latter comes the success and exploitative prowess of power groups.

True I guess. Like identifying linear patterns of cause-effects and neutralizing them doesn't solve any problems. Still we tend to do so esp. when facing elements we're already familiar with. In disregard of the things we DON'T see or know of, we often try to solve our small and big problems this way. Actually, that's a kind of superstition by itself too I think. Not willing to find or accept other possible explanations then the one(s) you already know of. Anyway, thanks for the clip. Always nice to find some more theories on this subject.