As humans, we tend to like certainty and control – or at least the illusion of it. But of course, our world and our lives don't always appear to follow our expectations, so how do we handle randomness? And does our desire for control explain the universal presence of superstitions that have absolutely no scientific basis? Stuart Vyse, a behavioural scientist and professor of psychology, brings us his Perspective on our need for patterns and why irrational behaviour can persist in the face of scientific fact.