The Science of the Hot Streak

For the last couple weeks, many of my NY friends have been extremely psyched about their Amazin' Jets: a run-of-the-mill NFL team that suddenly, mysteriously started beating more talented teams, and which now stands one victory away from reaching the promised land of the Super Bowl.

It's a great story, because we can relate. We've all been part of groups, in school or sports or business or music, that suddenly inhabit some magical zone of high performance — and then just as suddenly fall out o...