Superstition Case

Seems most of you don't believe in superstition. Right? And even aren't inclined to see anything worthy for considering. I wouldn't say I myself believe in any and every one of them. But... I read once a biography of one of our great scientists (Russian). He mastered many scientific fields. He was geologist, paleontologist, biologist, writer, just to name a few. Worked in mid 19xx. He was a captain of a geology parties in the desolate regions of Russia (former Soviet Union) and wrote much about this. These plunges into uninhabited regions were dangerous in those times. Just image a few man in taiga in Siberia or in a desert in Mongolia, alone, without any means of communication, no help, no medicine, for many hundreds of miles around. The smallest mistake of the leader (he was a leader) would mean death for all of them. And he (the academician, the renowned scientist world wide known mind you!) says. "You who live in the cities, who have phones, ambulance ready, shops with food, weather forecasts, warm houses and public transport may laugh at us who believe in superstition as you care to call them. But we, whose life depends only on us and our our decisions would not throw away none of the bits of knowledge which would allow us to survive." I guess the meaning is clear. Can anyone say he knows everything about a particular superstition? Why people have got a custom to believe in it? Can we be sure that there's no hidden meaning in it, still unknown to the science? If not and under the dangerous circumstances we'd better think twice.