A closer look
Picture a ship carved entirely of wood—even the joints—because sailors once believed iron nails carried bad luck, like a curse riding the waves. This superstition kept shipbuilders hammering away with wooden pegs long after sturdier methods existed. Only when commerce and war demanded stronger, faster ships did the myth crumble like driftwood in rough seas, and iron took its rightful place. It reminds us that progress isn’t just held back by technology, but by the stories people tell themselves. Sometimes, the bravest innovations begin by breaking the grip of old legends.
