Cambridge Coincidences Collection

As of the 23rd May 2022 this website is archived and will receive no further updates.

understandinguncertainty.org was produced by the Winton programme for the public understanding of risk based in the Statistical Laboratory in the University of Cambridge. The aim was to help improve the way that uncertainty and risk are discussed in society, and show how probability and statistics can be both useful and entertaining.

Many of the animations were produced using Flash and will no longer work.

Well I Never!

Professor David Spiegelhalter of Cambridge University wants to know about your coincidences!

Mercury Poisoning

I had just read a Facebook posting about the Japanese PM supporting dolphin slaughter. One comment read ' I hope they die of Mercury poisoning'. I then moved the post beneath it which was from New Scientist concerning the NASA Messenger Spacecraft crashing into Mercury. A comment read "Messenger has died from Mercury poisoning"......!

Just seen on TV

I watched D Spiegelhalter's TV programme and enjoyed it. The very next time I went for a run (along Riverside, Cambridge, a few days later), there he was. I really wish I had stopped and asked him, in all seriousness, 'What are the chances of that?' Not a great one (we both live in Cambridge, after all), but true.

The Sweeney

Was just watching 'citizen smith' where Harry says to Smithy that he fully expected him to be caught by 'The Sweeney'. Whilst checking IMDB it turns out that the character 'speed' is played by George Sweeney and actress Cheryl Hall who plays Smithy's girlfriend has appeared in 'The Sweeney' tv series..... as has George Sweeney!

Glasses

It took over a year to find my prescription glasses neatly sitting in their "house" in a drawer I rarely used. meanwhile I had ordered another set after having wiated quite some time as I could not imagine having them lost outside the house... I was right, but at some expenses...So why did I put them in that drawer in the first place? and menawhile my eyes have changed, so I keep them just for emergency...

3 Brothers and 3 Other Brothers Birthdays and Deathdays

Two separate family's never knew each other. One family was very famous in fact one boy was President JFK. A first born male in his family. First born male in un-famous family was borne one day after JFK assassination. Second born male in famous family Bobby Kennedy. Second born male in same un-famous family fell one day after Bobby Kennedy assassination. Third born male in famous family Ted Kennedy passed away August 25. Third born male in same un-famous family has birthday 3 days before Ted's death day. Just seems all 3 sets of boys had a very strange relationship.

smith coincedence

I was eating smiths chips in a bus and in front of the bus was a smith chip truck and I was listening to sam smith's song, lay me down. later, the song stopped, and the truck turned away. back to just eating smith's!

Me a man 1 year later in the same place as the year before...and that's not all.

I was on holiday in Tenerife, sitting on the beach. I saw a man eating a hamburger and thought I would like one, so I asked him where he bought it. As he told me I recognised him from meeting him a year before in the same hotel where we used to stay and meet in the bar in the evening. At the end of the week we exchanged names and mobile phone numbers. My surname is Lobl and his is Lobley. We have the same mobile phone models. We got talking about cars and we have the same make, model and colour.

Flying coincidence

Flying from San Francisco to Denver on March 23, 2015. Denver is my home. I sat next to a woman on a United flight. I helped her with her overhead carry on. We didn't chat other than her saying thank you. Fast forward 9 days later on April 1, 2015. I arrive at the airport in denver for a flight to Tulsa. After getting through checkpoint I'm on the escalator to get to concourse B. Who is in front of me? The exact same woman from the San Francisco to denver flight. She was wearing the same Native Shaul/overcoat and red bag. I was stunned! I didn't say anything, just took note. Stuff like this happens to me OFTEN. Thanks for reading.

Old friend

Every where i go i see the same friend and we repeat the same dialouge for an hours

Parents die 5 years apart on the same day.

Parents die 5 years apart on the same day. Both of them died on april 27. Very odd.

Pages