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!

Password Coincidence

I use a 6 digit and 2 letter password as my general password I use for all of my logins, e.g. 664544TJ Today creating an account with a company for the first time. I was calling from Australia and the phone operator was in the Philippians and she randomly generated a password for my new account. It was exactly the same as my general password 664544TJ.

Two men killed together in WWII, their grandchildren date the same girl.

My grandfather, a Sergeant, was killed April 13, 1945 in Germany. Their platoon was ambushed by the Germans while on a scouting mission. He and his Captain took cover in a ditch and returned fire while most of the other troops were able to escape. One other soldier was killed and some were taken prisoner. My Grandfather and his Captain stood up and sprayed machine gun fire to cover the platoon, knowing they had no chance of escape. They were found the next day dead, embracing eachother.<br /> My brother dated a girl in High School in 1987 in New York who was from the Philippines. She later moved to Des Moines, Iowa, and my brother once went to visit her there. The survivors and family members of my Granfathers unit later formed a group that meets annually. We had gotten in contact with the son of the Captain who also lived in Des Moines, and my brother mentioned that he had visited an old friend, "Mia" there. The Captain's son told him that his son dated a "Mia" and it was the same girl.

Father hears son's trauma 1,200 miles away

One day I got a phone call from my girlfriend. Her dog had bit her on the mouth, and she was at the hospital. With difficulty, in a distorted voice, she described the disfiguring, bloody injury to her lips. I was shocked and saddened. I drove to the hospital and then comforted her while a plastic surgeon repaired her mangled lips. The injury was terrible, but fortunately the surgeon was able to repair most of the damage while I sat next to my girlfriend's stretcher in the emergency room. This was many years ago, and I recall that the following coincidence happened on the same day, either as I was about to leave for the hospital, or after I returned home: My phone rang; I answered, and my father, 1,200 miles away, was on the line. He immediately asked me if I was all right. I told him I was fine, and I did not mention my girlfriend's injury. Again he asked me, with a worried tone in his voice, if everything was all right, and I said yes. I pretended things were fine, because I did not want to talk about what had just happened to my girlfriend. (Such was the nature of my relationship with my father.) Then I asked my father why he was so concerned.

Funny test resualt

I learn at a special math program . last year I have done an important test and after I did it I felt that I am going to get a 100(perfect score in Israel) . When i got the results I was surprised to see that I got a low grade , when I looked well I saw my name on the grade but I noticed that the ID number did not match my. After I talked with the secretary I discoverd that there is another kid named just like me and has a similar ID number that what has caused the test mixing. I am shore the other kid was upset to know that his grade was quite lower.

Many coincidences

Currently going through a divorce i met my new partner and the following coincidences have been found...............is this unusual? I share the same christian name as partners deceased wife. Partner has same christian name as my son. Partners son and my ex husband have exactly the same birthday My house has been on the market for two years and legally completed on the anniversary of partners wifes death My surname has 5 letters my partners has 4 of which 3 of these letters match

Printed email address

Over the years I lost touch with a dear friend , I tried the internet with no luck. One day I sent out a printer to be repaired and when I got it back, it had on the paper tray, a couple of sheets of recycled paper the technician probably used to test it out. On one of those I found the email address of my long lost friend.

Pope Bergoglio's name

Just before the election of the last Pope, my husband asked me information about how the Popes choose their names. I answered him: "A Pope can choose the name he wants, for exemple Francesco". Just a few minutes later the name of the new Pope was announced : "Francesco".

Meetings at Mainz and Manchester

On the platform at Mainz station in Germany I had a brief chat with a stranger; a week later I was registered at Manchester University, and there he was registering next to me.

The same birthday

My birthday is the same as my partner's father's, 50 years apart.

A chance meeting 12,000 miles from home

I was visiting the UK from New Zealand, intending to telephone a friend from school, who lived in Gloucestershire. Before I phoned him, while in London I was going down the escalator at Waterloo tube station, and saw him riding up it.

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