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!

Same Pin

I was recently issued a randomly assigned 4-digit PIN number that was identical to another recently assigned random PIN. They were assigned for different purposes by different companies (I.e they are not both for credit cards or banking). Even if both companies eliminate some combinations from the pool of available numbers in the same way I find it a coincidence that the same number was issued to me twice at the same time.

Birthday/anniversary coincidence

My husband was born on my parents' wedding anniversary. Exactly nine months later I was born on his parents' wedding anniversary.

Other side of the world

Stationed with the U.S. Navy at Olongapo Philippines in 1970 I was given a rare day off from duties on my harbor tug. Having nothing better to do I went to have breakfast at the base bowling alley. While eating I looked over to the shoe rental stand and saw an aquaintance from high school, with whom I'd graduated in 1969. He was there only because while he was on liberty the night before his ship got an emergency recall and left port without him. Some time later in my stay in the Philippines, while on liberty one night, I noticed a sailor from the South Vietnamese Navy, whose ship had pulled into port for a night, walking down the street. He and I had shared engineering classes at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station the year before.

Werewolves and silver

I was sitting on a late bus home during the winter months, and it was already dark and I was half asleep. I realised it was a full moon that night, and my sleepy mind wandered to werewolves. I opened my eyes, and the first thing I saw was a truck going the other way with the words "Silver Bullet" emblazoned on the front of the cabin.

Numbers & Names

In November 2013 I bought a bungalow in Eastbourne, it is number 145 in the road, the price was £145k, when I called the selling agent for an appointment to view it prior to buying I was given 1.45pm. In January 2014 I met a lady in Manila and expect to marry her in January 2015. She owns a house there, number of house in the avenue is 145. Initials to her name are LRM. My initials are LRM.

My Ex

My partner and I broke up and it was final. I left the state for a month to regroup. When I came back I started meeting him on the road everyday and usually multiple times a day. It didn't matter the time of day. No matter when I left my house, morning, noon, or night we met on the road. This went on for10 months. It was almost creepy. It has slowed down now to once or twice a week. I don't know what it all means or meant???.

Dr. Graham Hussey

My father was an acting sergeant during World War 1 in the RAMC number 1143 A quarter of a century later at the outbreak of World II, as a civilian he was given a National Identity number EKPA 1143

Fancy Meeting You Here!

I published an article about coincidences at http://tinyurl.com/qy4f5zl a few years ago. Hope this is of interest. I enjoyed the article about coincidences in the recent FOCUS magazine!

Mrs

Stoupa Coincidences For some years we have been holidaying in Stoupa, a small village in the Mani, Peloponnese. Our favourite cafe/bar, Patriko, is run by Christina (same name as me), who is also the organiser of the local volunteer Fire and Rescue Service. Last year she introduced us to an English volunteer, who invited us to the fire station, which is in the next village. In the store-room were some helmets which, we were told, were a donation from the Notts (where we live) Fire Service. Why? Because another volunteer came from there. When we met Tony, he said he had in fact grown up in Retford (our small market town). "Where do you live?" he asked. "Pennington Walk." "What number?" "Number 9." "That's my house." Spooky! His wife, Elaine, then suggested that I join the wives, who have a weekly fund-raising "Stitch and Bitch" session at Patriko.

Old colleague in small tour group

On a recent holiday in Florence my wife and I booked a visit to the Vasari Corridor, which is a narrow passageway built between the Uffizi (north of the river Arno) and the Pitti Palace (south of the river). Because it is so narrow they only groups of a dozen visitors at a time. In our group, by chance, was a former colleague with whom I had worked 17 years ago and with whom I had had no other contact.

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