What Are You Planning for Friday the 13th?

[196]

Educators, do you have any plans to use the upcoming Friday, June 13th to address the superstitions surrounding this day/date combination?

The school year at my high school runs until June 27. I think we can use a class or even part of a class to take a critical look at this superstition through the lens of mathematics.

[DarthFishy]

Is this an official idea or just your own initiative?

Becuase I think it could be quite a unique and useful idea. Even if one just explains the origin of the Friday the 13th "legend" I think that would be sufficient. (I'm not entirely sure what the "legend" is but I'm sure the truth is on the interwebz)

Unfortunately, (a) classes at my insitution are already over, (b) there's not a lot of scope in my classes for doing this kind of thind so (c) I will go to a Friday the 13th dress-up party instead :)

[196]

Is this an official idea or just your own initiative?This is my own initiative. I was inspired by a school administrator talking about Friday the 13th with (serious) dread and fear.

I was thinking of exploring some authentic statistics. I also like the idea of looking at the history of the superstition.

[TX50]

(c) I will go to a Friday the 13th dress-up party instead :)

Dressed as "Jason Voorhees"?

[JoeTheJuggler]

I'm not an educator per se, but whenever there's a Friday the 13th I do a show at City Museum in St. Louis. I do a brief harangue on Confirmation Bias before doing my chainsaw juggle.

This time, I might start off by talking about how when you're driving in the car and you turn your head and look right into someone else's eyes looking right at you, you think maybe you sensed their gaze. Any time it happens, you mark it down as further evidence that you can sense someone's gaze. In fact, we know that eyes only work receptively and don't shoot out any sight beams or rays or anything. When you drive, you shift your eyes hundreds of times a minute. You completely ignore the great many times you do so and fail to look right into someone's eyes. (Also, there's a confounding issue--the level of your gaze and the positions you look are often places where you're fairly likely to see another person, as with a shoulder check of the "blind spot".)

So. . if by chance when I'm juggling my chainsaw something should go wrong and I end up severing a limb and bleeding to death in front of the audience (heck--even if the paramedics get to me in time and I survive), the event would probably make international news. And every story would certainly mention that it happened on Friday the 13th. Certainly, the members of the audience will tell their friends and family about it.

If, as I hope, the bit goes off without a hitch, the audience will be somewhat entertained for a brief moment. They might mention to someone that they saw a guy juggle a chainsaw, but they probably won't mention Friday the 13th (but for my speech), and they'll most likely forget about the event before long.

So it can't do anything to count as evidence that Friday the 13th isn't unlucky (compared to other dates), but it can count as evidence for the idea that Friday the 13th is unlucky.

[Rasmus]

This is as good a time as any to remember "I, James Randi, will die today!"

As I have travel plans for the I might actually do something similar. Any ideas for a good text? I will most likely plummet to my premature death when flying home for the weekend.

Spontaneously, I like "I knew I shouldn't have set foot on a plane on a Friday 13th!"

[Ron_Tomkins]

What Are You Planning for Friday the 13th?

Oh, pretty much the usual: Wear my hockey mask, stalk random houses late at night, murder some teens...

[JEROME DA GNOME]

Assassination of the Knights Templar.

[Giraffe107]

196 you mentioned you were after statistics/news stories:
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=579414

[Alan G]

Is there a link to that journal or article?

I was away to complain to GMTV in the UK for claiming that there are more accidents and hospital admissions on Friday 13th. I think this is based on a 1993 BMJ study which compares Friday 13th to Friday 6.

[Malik7]

I went to the school whrere I tutor the children to give them some books in appreciation for them allowing me to work with them and help themk with their reading.

[JoeTheJuggler]

I didn't bleed to death on stage, so I remain an obscure, small-time entertainer. (See my earlier post in this thread.)

[XBoxWarrior]

this whole post is SSOOOOOO LASSSTTTTT WEEEEKKKKKKK.

delete it already?

[Ron_Tomkins]

this whole post is SSOOOOOO LASSSTTTTT WEEEEKKKKKKK.

delete it already?

No. We shall keep it alive until the next friday the 13th.

Final verdict.
Case closed.

[CardZeus]

I got married :)

[kavik]

Ok I know this is an old post, but for the record I was born on Friday the 13th of June,(and my name is Jason - but I came out before the movie did), and my son was born on Friday the 13 of July. We tell everyone it is a very lucky day!

[NobbyNobbs]

I spilled some salt while carring a black cat over a broken mirror under a ladder, but nothing bad has happ

...URK!

[UnrepentantSinner]

I had a really bad day... I had to work.

[autumn1971]

Oh, pretty much the usual: Wear my hockey mask, stalk random houses late at night, murder some teens...
Really? That's exactly what my mom does.

[Ron_Tomkins]

Really? That's exactly what my mom does.

I am your mom.

Now go brush your teeth. It's late. Don't make me get upset!!!!