Is Friday the 13th really unlucky? What the research says
A magazine explainer on a famous superstition, checked claim by claim.
47
claims in 28 statements
- 20 confirmed
- 22 need review
- 5 need re-check
Published by the Pikaan team. This review is read-only, and reading it uses no credits.
Claims and sources
Every claim in the source, in order. The summary under each claim is written by AI from its sources; open the sources to check it.
Claim 1 of 47Confirmed
Factual claim · Statement 1 of 28 · 97% confidence
Why this answer
Several independent sources listing the year's Friday the 13ths — including EarthSky, Florida Today (citing Time and Date), and CBS Austin — confirm that 2026 has three such dates: February 13, March 13, and November 13, 2026. The math is straightforward: a common year starting on Thursday makes February, March, and November begin on Sunday, so each contains a Friday the 13th.
Matching passages4earthsky.org · floridatoday.com · cbsaustin.com
- 2026 has 3 Friday the 13ths. What are the odds?earthsky.org(opens in a new tab)
- How many Friday the 13ths are there in 2026? About the unlucky daywww.floridatoday.com(opens in a new tab)
- Why is Friday the 13th unlucky? - CBS Austincbsaustin.com(opens in a new tab)
- There Will Be 3 Friday the 13ths in 2026—The First Time in Over a Decadewww.marthastewart.com(opens in a new tab)
Factual claim · Statement 2 of 28 · 96% confidence
AI summary
The University of Chicago Booth School of Business faculty directory lists Jane L. Risen as a professor of behavioral science there, and the University of Chicago online directory lists her department as Chicago Booth School of Business with the title Professor of Behavioral Science. A 2018 Journal of the Association for Consumer Research article also gives her affiliation as professor of behavioral science at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Saved source links2chicagobooth.edu · directory.uchicago.edu
Factual claim · 92% confidence
Statement 2 of 28
Jane Risen is a behavioral scientist at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
AI summary
Independent sources confirm Risen's research: the APA describes her argument that superstitious beliefs are maintained even by people who know they are untrue, Vox quotes her conclusion that even smart, educated, emotionally stable adults believe superstitions they recognize as irrational, and Chicago Booth Review states that all people are susceptible to superstition and can hold beliefs they explicitly recognize as illogical.
Factual claim · Statement 3 of 28
AI summary
Risen's research does support the substantive finding: a Risen-authored piece reposted on Studocu says research finds people, superstitious or not, tend to believe negative outcomes are more likely after they jinx themselves, and Vox, the Chicago Booth Review and Trebuchet Magazine describe the same jinx effect. However, the timing label is imprecise — the jinx experiments by Risen, Zhang and Hosey are described as forthcoming in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General (published 2014), while Risen's 2016 Psychological Review paper is a theoretical review of acquiescence rather than that empirical jinx study.
These links belong to the claim, but no exact sentence was found on their pages. Review the sources before relying on this result.
Saved source links4nationalgeographic.com · apa.org · trebuchet-magazine.com
- Why is Friday the 13th unlucky? Origins of the superstitious ...www.nationalgeographic.com(opens in a new tab)
- Believing Superstitions That You Know Aren't Truewww.apa.org(opens in a new tab)
- Avoid Bad Luck with Science - Trebuchet Magazinewww.trebuchet-magazine.com(opens in a new tab)
- Superstitious–magical imaginingsacademic.oup.com(opens in a new tab)
Factual claim · Statement 4 of 28
AI summary
National Geographic's article on Friday the 13th superstitions describes the 2016 study by Jane Risen in which superstitious and non-superstitious people alike believe a bad outcome becomes more likely after a jinx, explicitly using the example of stating one definitely won't get into a car accident. Risen's own research paper on tempting fate independently describes studies in which people induced to claim they definitely wouldn't get into a car accident came to see the outcome as more likely.
These links belong to the claim, but no exact sentence was found on their pages. Review the sources before relying on this result.
Saved source links1sci-hub.box
Quote · Statement 5 of 28
AI summary
The National Geographic article directly quotes Jane Risen explaining that the effect occurs because the bad outcome springs to mind and is imagined more clearly following the jinx. Independent peer-reviewed research by Risen and colleagues corroborates that after a jinx, negative outcomes come to mind more easily and are imagined more clearly, increasing their perceived likelihood.
These links belong to the claim, but no exact sentence was found on their pages. Review the sources before relying on this result.
Saved source links1pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Factual claim · Statement 6 of 28 · 90% confidence
AI summary
ScienceDaily, NPR and Nautilus all report peer-reviewed work by Jane Risen of University of Chicago Booth showing that rituals like knocking on wood and throwing salt (avoidant actions) reduce people's anticipated negative consequences after a jinx, published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. This confirms that her research finds such rituals have real, measurable effects.
Saved source links4sciencedaily.com · npr.org · nautil.us
- Bad luck? Knocking on wood can undo perceived jinx ...www.sciencedaily.com(opens in a new tab)
- Knocking Wood Could Help Avoid Troublewww.npr.org(opens in a new tab)
- The Rituals That Ward Off Bad Luck Aren't Arbitrarynautil.us(opens in a new tab)
- Surprising Benefits of Superstitions - Business Insiderwww.businessinsider.com(opens in a new tab)
Factual claim · Statement 7 of 28
AI summary
The claim comes from the National Geographic article, but independent academic sources do not confirm a 2014 study by Jane Risen with these findings. Risen's 2014 publication is on a different topic, and her related work references a 2015 survey and a 2016 review, so the specific 2014 study and its reported results cannot be independently verified.
These links belong to the claim, but no exact sentence was found on their pages. Review the sources before relying on this result.
Saved source links1faculty.chicagobooth.edu
Quote · Statement 8 of 28
AI summary
The National Geographic article contains the exact quote attributed to Jane Risen, and the underlying 2014 study abstract by Zhang, Risen, and Hosey independently reports that participants who knocked downward away from themselves rated a jinxed negative outcome as less likely. This supports both the attribution and the substance of the quoted finding.
These links belong to the claim, but no exact sentence was found on their pages. Review the sources before relying on this result.
Saved source links2pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · nautil.us
Reported claim · Statement 9 of 28
Pikaan is not showing a result or sources for this claim until it is checked again.
Sources unavailable
No source links were published for this claim.
Factual claim · Statement 10 of 28
AI summary
National Geographic's coverage quotes Rebecca Borah, a professor of English at the University of Cincinnati, saying Friday the 13th's mental benefits can include a sense of order and that it 'can offer structure in a world where random and uncontrollable worries range from school shootings to extreme weather.' This directly corroborates the attribution and substance of the claim.
These links belong to the claim, but no exact sentence was found on their pages. Review the sources before relying on this result.
Quote · Statement 11 of 28
AI summary
National Geographic's June 14, 2014 article on Friday the 13th superstitions quotes Rebecca Borah, a University of Cincinnati English professor, saying "When you have rules and you know how to play by them, it always seems a lot easier." A later National Geographic piece independently repeats the same 2014 quote, confirming both the wording and the attribution and year.
These links belong to the claim, but no exact sentence was found on their pages. Review the sources before relying on this result.
Saved source links1nationalgeographic.com
Factual claim · Statement 12 of 28 · 72% confidence
AI summary
The words are a direct quote from the 2014 National Geographic coverage of Friday the 13th superstition, where a researcher described the cautious, low-risk behavior associated with the day. Independent sources, including a Cleveland Clinic piece (2026) reporting that studies show people tend to avoid travel, stay home, and delay important decisions on Friday the 13th, support the behavioral characterization.
Saved source links3nationalgeographic.com · newsroom.clevelandclinic.org
- Why is Friday the 13th unlucky? Origins of the superstitious ...www.nationalgeographic.com(opens in a new tab)
- Why Does Friday the 13th Scare Us So Much? | National Geographicwww.nationalgeographic.com(opens in a new tab)
- What Makes Friday the 13th So Unsettlingnewsroom.clevelandclinic.org(opens in a new tab)
Factual claim · Statement 13 of 28 · 90% confidence
AI summary
National Geographic quotes that 'Some people may even stay at home' on Friday the 13th, and independent outlets corroborate the behavior: a Cleveland Clinic psychologist says studies show people 'avoid travel, stay at home and delay important decisions' on that date, and Patch notes the fear 'can cause them to stay at home from work.'
Saved source links5nationalgeographic.com · newsroom.clevelandclinic.org · patch.com
- Why is Friday the 13th unlucky? Origins of the superstitious ...www.nationalgeographic.com(opens in a new tab)
- Where Our Fear of Friday the 13th Came Fromwww.nationalgeographic.com(opens in a new tab)
- Why Does Friday the 13th Scare Us So Much? | National Geographicwww.nationalgeographic.com(opens in a new tab)
- What Makes Friday the 13th So Unsettlingnewsroom.clevelandclinic.org(opens in a new tab)
- Friday the 13th Bad Luck—Myth or Fact? | Laguna Niguel, CA Patchpatch.com(opens in a new tab)
Factual claim
Statement 13 of 28
Some people may even stay at home on Friday the 13th.
AI summary
Injury statistics broadly show the home is the most common single location for accidents, but they do not uniformly show a majority: German federal data (RKI/GBE) put accidents at home at 36% of the total, behind 'traffic plus leisure plus work' combined, while Finnish and U.S. Figures reach or exceed half only when home is combined with leisure-time settings or when counting only preventable injury deaths. The statement is therefore true as a rough generalisation but misleading if read as a strict statistical majority of all accidents everywhere.
These links belong to the claim, but no exact sentence was found on their pages. Review the sources before relying on this result.
Saved source links4edoc.rki.de · pelastustoimi.fi · gbe.rki.de
- 06/2026 | Accidents among adultsedoc.rki.de(opens in a new tab)
- Accident risks at homepelastustoimi.fi(opens in a new tab)
- www.gbe.rki.de · EN · TopicsGBE - Accidental injuries (from 18 years)www.gbe.rki.de(opens in a new tab)
- Home Accidents, Deaths and Injuries: Statistics and Factswww.moneygeek.com(opens in a new tab)
Factual claim · Statement 14 of 28 · 90% confidence
AI summary
Vyse's own academic CV lists Connecticut College professorships from 1987 through 2015 and his current work as a writer, and Wikipedia states he taught at Connecticut College from 1987 to 2015, while an OUP blog bio places the college in New London, Connecticut. This confirms both his authorship and his status as a former psychology professor at Connecticut College in New London.
Saved source links3stuartvyse.com · en.wikipedia.org · blog.oup.com
Quote
Statement 14 of 28
Stuart Vyse is an author and former professor of psychology at Connecticut College in New London.
Pikaan is not showing a result or sources for this claim until it is checked again.
Sources unavailable
No source links were published for this claim.
Underlying fact
Statement 14 of 28
Stuart Vyse is an author and former professor of psychology at Connecticut College in New London.
Pikaan is not showing a result or sources for this claim until it is checked again.
Sources unavailable
No source links were published for this claim.
Reported claim
Statement 14 of 28
Stuart Vyse is an author and former professor of psychology at Connecticut College in New London.
AI summary
Britannica's biography of Judas Iscariot states he 'was one of the Twelve Apostles' and is 'notorious for betraying Jesus,' and the BBC's profile likewise says 'Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus' twelve apostles, betrayed his master to the authorities.' The Catholic Answers Encyclopedia also calls him 'the Apostle who betrayed his Divine Master,' so the claim is well supported by independent reference sources.
These links belong to the claim, but no exact sentence was found on their pages. Review the sources before relying on this result.
Saved source links3britannica.com · bbc.co.uk · catholic.com
Factual claim · 93% confidence
Statement 14 of 28
Stuart Vyse is an author and former professor of psychology at Connecticut College in New London.
AI summary
Several independent sources — BBC Newsround, NPR, Metro, Dictionary.com and the Evening Standard — all report that Friday was once known as "Hangman's Day" in Britain because people condemned to death were typically hanged on Fridays. The claim matches this historical usage.
Saved source links5bbc.co.uk · npr.org · metro.co.uk
- It's Friday 13th! But why is it believed to be unlucky?www.bbc.co.uk(opens in a new tab)
- Who's Afraid Of Friday The 13th? - NPRwww.npr.org(opens in a new tab)
- Friday 13th: The other days deemed unlucky around the worldmetro.co.uk(opens in a new tab)
- Why Is Friday the 13th Unlucky?www.dictionary.com(opens in a new tab)
- www.standard.co.uk · news · ukWhy is Friday the 13th considered unlucky? The origins of the ...www.standard.co.uk(opens in a new tab)
Quote · Statement 15 of 28
AI summary
The available sources were not specific enough for a confident result.
No source links were saved with this assessment. Treat this answer as limited until it is checked again.
Sources unavailable
No source links were published for this claim.
Reported claim · Statement 16 of 28
AI summary
The available sources were not specific enough for a confident result.
These links belong to the claim, but no exact sentence was found on their pages. Review the sources before relying on this result.
Saved source links5nationalgeographic.com · dogonews.com
- www.nationalgeographic.com › culture › articleFriday the 13th Superstitions Rooted in Bible and Morewww.nationalgeographic.com(opens in a new tab)
- Friday the 13th Superstitions Rooted in Bible and Morewww.nationalgeographic.com(opens in a new tab)
- Why Does Friday the 13th Scare Us So Much?www.nationalgeographic.com(opens in a new tab)
- Friday the 13th: Why We Fear It; Why It Can't Strike Again in 2012www.nationalgeographic.com(opens in a new tab)
- Friday The 13th: The Superstition That Refuses To Diewww.dogonews.com(opens in a new tab)
Reported claim
Statement 16 of 28
Some biblical scholars believe Eve tempted Adam with the forbidden fruit on a Friday.
AI summary
National Geographic's articles on the Friday the 13th superstition (including the 2018 piece 'Why is Friday the 13th unlucky?' and the 2012 and 2010 versions) and an EBSCO research starter on the superstition all report that some biblical scholars hold the belief that Cain slew Abel on Friday the 13th. This matches the claim's attribution of the belief to certain biblical scholars.
These links belong to the claim, but no exact sentence was found on their pages. Review the sources before relying on this result.
Saved source links4nationalgeographic.com · ebsco.com
- Friday the 13th: Why We Fear It; Why It Can't Strike Again in 2012www.nationalgeographic.com(opens in a new tab)
- Why is Friday the 13th unlucky? Origins of the superstitious ...www.nationalgeographic.com(opens in a new tab)
- Friday the 13th Superstitions Rooted in Bible and Morewww.nationalgeographic.com(opens in a new tab)
- Friday the 13th (superstition) | Social Sciences and ... - EBSCOwww.ebsco.com(opens in a new tab)
Factual claim · Statement 17 of 28 · 90% confidence
AI summary
Independent sources, including Murcia Today and iNMSOL, confirm that in Spain the feared day is Tuesday the 13th ("martes 13"), not Friday the 13th, so Spain did not adopt the number-and-day pairing feared in the U.S. And U.K. Multiple sources also note the Spanish proverb "En martes, ni te cases ni te embarques" tied to Tuesday the 13th.
Saved source links3murciatoday.com · inmsol.com · polska-costa.com
Factual claim · 90% confidence
Statement 17 of 28
Spain appears to have escaped this malevolent marriage of number and day.
AI summary
Britannica states that in Spain and Greece Tuesday the 13th is considered unlucky, while Friday the 13th is the feared date in many Western cultures. National Geographic and the Olive Press likewise report that Spain's superstitious date is Tuesday the 13th, so Friday the 13th is not a day of alarm there.
Saved source links5nationalgeographic.com · britannica.com · topuniversities.com
- Why is Friday the 13th unlucky? Origins of the superstitious ...www.nationalgeographic.com(opens in a new tab)
- Friday the 13th | Superstition, History, Religion, Mythology ...www.britannica.com(opens in a new tab)
- Friday 13th: Superstitions from Around the World | TopUniversitieswww.topuniversities.com(opens in a new tab)
- SUPERSTITIOUS MINDS: Collection of Spain's strangest superstitions - Olive Press News Spainwww.theolivepress.es(opens in a new tab)
- Ancient guests and bakers' dozens: Why we fear Friday the ...www.mprnews.org(opens in a new tab)
Factual claim · 85% confidence
Statement 17 of 28
Spain appears to have escaped this malevolent marriage of number and day.
AI summary
Multiple sources on Spanish superstition state that in Spain the feared date is Tuesday the 13th, not Friday the 13th, calling it the country's unluckiest day. Murcia Today notes 'Tuesday 13th is an unlucky day in Spain, and not Friday 13th,' and The Olive Press describes it as 'the ominous date of Tuesday the 13th' that is Spain's equivalent of Friday the 13th.
Saved source links3murciatoday.com · theolivepress.es · blog.spanishcourseinspain.com
Factual claim · Statement 18 of 28
AI summary
Wikipedia and Britannica define triskaidekaphobia as fear or avoidance of the number 13 and give the more specific name paraskevidekatriaphobia (or friggatriskaidekaphobia) for fear of Friday the 13th; Smithsonian, AARP, ABC News and NPR likewise describe triskaidekaphobia as fear of the number 13. However, some outlets, including Rutgers University and the National Geographic article itself, use triskaidekaphobia loosely to mean fear of Friday the 13th, so naming it 'the scientific name' for that fear is a usage some sources endorse and more authoritative ones dispute.
These links belong to the claim, but no exact sentence was found on their pages. Review the sources before relying on this result.
Saved source links5en.wikipedia.org · britannica.com · smithsonianmag.com
- Triskaidekaphobia - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org(opens in a new tab)
- Friday the 13th | Superstition, History, Religion, Mythology ...www.britannica.com(opens in a new tab)
- Why Are We So Scared of Friday the 13th?www.smithsonianmag.com(opens in a new tab)
- Are You Superstitious About The Number 13? - AARPwww.aarp.org(opens in a new tab)
- Do You Suffer from Triskaidekaphobia? - Rutgers Universitywww.rutgers.edu(opens in a new tab)
Reported claim
Statement 18 of 28
Triskaidekaphobia is the scientific name for the fear of Friday the 13th.
AI summary
Merriam-Webster notes that some trace the superstition back to ancient Hindu beliefs or Norse mythology, and Study.com says some sources put triskaidekaphobia's origins even earlier, citing the Code of Hammurabi's omission of the number 13. Wikipedia confirms that several authors claim it is an older belief, though it adds that no such evidence has been documented — which is consistent with the claim that experts merely suspect older roots.
These links belong to the claim, but no exact sentence was found on their pages. Review the sources before relying on this result.
Saved source links3merriam-webster.com · study.com · en.wikipedia.org
Factual claim · Statement 19 of 28
AI summary
Multiple independent National Geographic articles (2010–2015) describe Thomas Fernsler as an associate policy scientist in the Mathematics and Science Education Resource Center at the University of Delaware in Newark, and University of Delaware pages confirm he is an associate policy scientist in that center (also referred to as the Mathematics and Science Education Resource Center) at the university's Newark campus.
These links belong to the claim, but no exact sentence was found on their pages. Review the sources before relying on this result.
Saved source links2www1.udel.edu
Quote
Statement 19 of 28
Thomas Fernsler is an associate policy scientist in the Mathematics and Science Education Resource Center at the University of Delaware in Newark.
AI summary
The University of Delaware's Messenger quotes Fernsler directly saying that "13 suffers from its position after 12, which numerologists consider a complete number," and National Geographic, Live Science and other outlets repeat the same attributed statement. The attribution is consistent across sources spanning 2000 to 2015.
These links belong to the claim, but no exact sentence was found on their pages. Review the sources before relying on this result.
Saved source links2www1.udel.edu · livescience.com
Factual claim · Statement 20 of 28 · 98% confidence
AI summary
Time and Date states that a year is divided into 12 months in the modern-day Gregorian calendar, listing January through December, and Math is Fun and the Netmath lexicon likewise state there are twelve months in a year. This is a basic, stable convention of the calendar and is consistent across the cited sources.
Saved source links2timeanddate.com · mathsisfun.com
Factual claim · 95% confidence
Statement 20 of 28
There are 12 months in a year.
AI summary
Wikipedia states the zodiac is divided along the ecliptic into 12 equal parts called signs, and Astrology.com, The Old Farmer's Almanac and Time and Date each list the same 12 signs from Aries to Pisces. Astronomy sources note the Sun also crosses a 13th constellation, Ophiuchus, but the zodiac itself is conventionally defined as 12 signs, so the statement holds as written.
Saved source links4en.wikipedia.org · astrology.com · almanac.com
- Zodiac - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org(opens in a new tab)
- 12 Zodiac Signs: All You Need to Know - Astrology.comwww.astrology.com(opens in a new tab)
- 12 Astrological Zodiac Signs: Symbols, Dates, Traits & Elementswww.almanac.com(opens in a new tab)
- A Brief Guide to the Zodiac - Time and Datewww.timeanddate.com(opens in a new tab)
Factual claim · 90% confidence
Statement 20 of 28
There are 12 months in a year.
AI summary
Britannica states the Greek pantheon consists of 12 deities said to reside on Mount Olympus, and Wikipedia's Twelve Olympians article says the canonical number of Olympian gods was twelve. World History Encyclopedia likewise lists a standard 12, noting the roster varied (Hestia or Dionysus in the twelfth spot).
Saved source links2britannica.com · worldhistory.org
Factual claim · 97% confidence
Statement 20 of 28
There are 12 months in a year.
AI summary
Britannica's entry on the Labours of Hercules describes them as 'the 12 labours, or tasks, assigned to the Greco-Roman legendary hero Hercules (Heracles) by King Eurystheus,' and both Wikipedia and Perseus list all twelve tasks ending with the capture of Cerberus. The canonical mythic cycle is consistently numbered at twelve, though the sources note Eurystheus originally set ten tasks and added two more.
Saved source links4britannica.com · en.wikipedia.org · static.perseus.tufts.edu
- Labours of Hercules | Tasks, Summary, & Facts - Britannicawww.britannica.com(opens in a new tab)
- Labours of Hercules - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org(opens in a new tab)
- The Labors of Hercules - static.perseus.tufts.edustatic.perseus.tufts.edu(opens in a new tab)
- The Life of Hercules in Myth & Legendwww.worldhistory.org(opens in a new tab)
Factual claim · 88% confidence
Statement 20 of 28
There are 12 months in a year.
AI summary
Reference works including Wikipedia, Britannica, and Encyclopedia.com all describe the traditional division of Israel into twelve tribes descended from Jacob's sons and grandsons, and Chabad lists the twelve by name. Some scholars argue the number twelve was symbolic rather than a fixed historical reality, but that debate does not contradict the standard account of twelve tribes.
Saved source links3en.wikipedia.org · britannica.com · encyclopedia.com
Factual claim · 97% confidence
Statement 20 of 28
There are 12 months in a year.
AI summary
Britannica's list of the Twelve Apostles and Wikipedia's article on the apostles both state that Jesus personally chose twelve disciples as apostles, and Bible Gateway and Jesus.net give the same twelve names from Matthew 10, Mark 3, and Luke 6. The New Testament consistently describes the group as "the Twelve."
Saved source links4britannica.com · en.wikipedia.org · biblegateway.com
- List of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus: Names & Facts - Britannicawww.britannica.com(opens in a new tab)
- Apostles in the New Testament - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org(opens in a new tab)
- Who Were the 12 Apostles in the Bible? What Happened to Them ...www.biblegateway.com(opens in a new tab)
- jesus.net › articles › the-12-apostlesWho are the 12 Apostles of Jesus? - Jesus.netjesus.net(opens in a new tab)
Quote · Statement 21 of 28
AI summary
Live Science and National Geographic quote Thomas Fernsler of the University of Delaware saying that 13's bad-luck association 'has to do with just being a little beyond completeness' and that 'the number becomes restless or squirmy,' and the University of Delaware's own Messenger page records the same explanation, confirming the attribution.
These links belong to the claim, but no exact sentence was found on their pages. Review the sources before relying on this result.
Saved source links1www1.udel.edu
Factual claim · Statement 22 of 28 · 92% confidence
AI summary
Multiple independent sources, including The Local Italy, Wikipedia, and Britannica, state that in Italian culture Friday the 17th rather than Friday the 13th is considered the unlucky date, with the number 13 often regarded as lucky. The claim accurately reflects this well-documented cultural distinction.
Saved source links4thelocal.it · en.wikipedia.org · britannica.com
- Why there's nothing unlucky about Friday the 13th in Italywww.thelocal.it(opens in a new tab)
- Friday the 13then.wikipedia.org(opens in a new tab)
- Friday the 13th | Superstition, History, Religion, Mythology ...www.britannica.com(opens in a new tab)
- Unlucky Friday 17th - and 12 other Italian superstitions to beware ofwww.thelocal.it(opens in a new tab)
Factual claim · Statement 23 of 28
AI summary
The available sources were not specific enough for a confident result.
No source links were saved with this assessment. Treat this answer as limited until it is checked again.
Sources unavailable
No source links were published for this claim.
Factual claim
Statement 23 of 28
The Roman numeral XVII can be rearranged to spell "VIXI".
AI summary
Several outlets (National Geographic, the Mirror) do render VIXI loosely as "my life is over," matching the claim's wording. But other sources make clear the literal Latin translation is "I have lived" (the perfect tense of vivere), with "my life is over" only the implied, idiomatic meaning — for example Calendar-Australia.com: VIXI "in the Latin language translates to 'I lived', the perfect implying 'My life is over.'"
No source links were saved with this assessment. Treat this answer as limited until it is checked again.
Sources unavailable
No source links were published for this claim.
Factual claim · Statement 24 of 28 · 97% confidence
AI summary
Cornell University's own Department of Psychology page lists Thomas D. Gilovich as the Irene Blecker Rosenfeld Professor of Psychology, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences profile places him as Professor of Psychology at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. A National Geographic article likewise quotes him as "a professor of psychology at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York."
Saved source links2psychology.cornell.edu · amacad.org
Quote
Statement 24 of 28
Thomas Gilovich is a professor of psychology at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.
AI summary
National Geographic's article published September 13, 2013 quotes Thomas Gilovich, a Cornell psychology professor, saying that "once they are in the culture, we tend to honor them," and PBS NewsHour's coverage from the same date repeats the same quotation, confirming both the wording and the 2013 timing.
These links belong to the claim, but no exact sentence was found on their pages. Review the sources before relying on this result.
Saved source links1nationalgeographic.com
Factual claim · Statement 25 of 28
Pikaan is not showing a result or sources for this claim until it is checked again.
Sources unavailable
No source links were published for this claim.
Reported claim · Statement 26 of 28
AI summary
A 2011 German study published in the World Journal of Surgery (Schuld et al.) concluded that Friday the 13th had no influence on surgical blood loss or emergency frequency, with the authors writing that such beliefs are 'myths far beyond reality.' The National Geographic article accurately summarizes this finding.
These links belong to the claim, but no exact sentence was found on their pages. Review the sources before relying on this result.
Saved source links2pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · desmoinesregister.com
Reported claim
Statement 26 of 28
A German study in 2011 found that there is no reason to fear surgery on Friday the 13th.
AI summary
National Geographic reports that a 2011 German study found no reason to fear surgery on Friday the 13th, with frequency and outcomes no different than any other day. Independent accounts from Provereno.Media and the Des Moines Register confirm that the German study analyzed thousands of operations and found no correlation between Friday the 13th and adverse surgical results.
These links belong to the claim, but no exact sentence was found on their pages. Review the sources before relying on this result.
Saved source links2nationalgeographic.com · desmoinesregister.com
Factual claim · Statement 27 of 28
Pikaan is not showing a result or sources for this claim until it is checked again.
Sources unavailable
No source links were published for this claim.
Factual claim · Statement 28 of 28 · 82% confidence
AI summary
Independent market data supports the claim: Barron's reports that since 1980 the S&P 500 has averaged a 0.3% gain on Friday the 13th versus 0.04% for other days, and Long Finance finds Friday the 13th returns (0.88%) more than double the 0.34% average of trading days generally. Sources like ai-cio and Medical Economics reach the same conclusion that the day is no worse—on average better—for stocks, though isolated crashes such as October 13, 1989 do occur.
Saved source links5barrons.com · longfinance.net · ai-cio.com
- Friday the 13th is Tomorrow. Wall Street Shouldn’t Be Scared.www.barrons.com(opens in a new tab)
- Friday 13th And Financial Marketswww.longfinance.net(opens in a new tab)
- Friday the 13th Turns Out to Be a Pretty Lucky Day for Stockswww.ai-cio.com(opens in a new tab)
- Friday the 13th – Not So Unluckywww.medicaleconomics.com(opens in a new tab)
- 13 Fascinating Facts About Friday the 13th - Mental Flosswww.mentalfloss.com › holidays › weird-holidays › facts-about-friday-13thwww.mentalfloss.com(opens in a new tab)
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