Life Actually As Stupid As You Suspected: Study

“Researchers have discovered that people’s elevated concerns after tempting fate can be eliminated if they engage in a ritual that involves exerting force away from themselves. They found that engaging in the physical action can help eradicate a vivid mental image of the negative event, by literally pushing it away, making it less likely to happen.”
 — Your takeaway? “Bad luck really can be reversed by rituals such as touching wood and throwing salt.”