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!

Candy dish

My mother married a real piece of work after my dad died. He loved her money and promised he wouldn't elect against her will. She wasn't dead two hours before he no longer knew me. Because of Ohio's law, one can elect against the will. (Why even have one, Ohio?) he was allowed to live in the house my dad built for one year after my mom's death. When he moved out, he took everything I didn't list by name in her assets. Apparently, 'misc' things such as pots and pans don't exist. He hated me, and when he left my parents' home, he took a lid for a Tupperware bowl, but left the bowl, and took pans, yet left the lids. My mom had an antique, three-corner cupboard that had been in our family forever. My dad bought my mom a candy dish with a lid. She would take it out of the cupboard each Christmas, and we put hard tack candies into it. He took the bottom part and left the lid. Because of the pure hatred of his black soul, I went into a deep depression; having lost so much when he stole. The candy dish meant so much to me and my mom. When I realized the hatred I had for him was weighing my own soul down, I decided to celebrate Christmas again.

Always be carful who you tell a story about

I was staying with friends on the outskirts of Manchester on a fairly large estate. We went shopping and on the way back were stuck behind a bald headed old gentlemen in a red Avenger doing about 3 miles an hour with no way to pass. After 10 minutes or so he turned off leaving us highly stressed. On arriving back I told Sue about our frustration and the old gentleman in the red Avenger, she turned round and said, Oh so you have met my father then!

Traumatic world events happen at the same place

I do not live or work in London so a visit is rare. When I was a boy I saw the news of JFK's death whilst walking across Westminster Bridge, some years later Robert Kennedy died and again I saw the news walking across Westminster bridge !

Partners and children cross multiple paths

My friend and I both married a girl from the same flat. We both have two children and all the children have a birthday on the 23rd of the month.

a dream and a sister

Last year, I was traveling with my family through a small town, which I had never visited. Looking out the window, I saw a building that looked identical to a tavern I had dreamed of earlier that week. The dream was so vivid and my recollection matched the place we were driving through perfectly. I sat perplexed and in awe, but only for a moment. Because just then my sister, who is staring out the window at a distant field says "Do you ever see a place in real life that you have seen before in a dream?"<br /> Not only was my answer "YES!" but the timing of her asking coincided perfectly.<br /> Not to mention, she was only asking because it had just happened to her. "I've dreamed of that field. I'm almost positive". </p> <p>Is this place somehow special? I'm still not sure.<br /> Had we perhaps been there as children? My mom says no.<br /> Can my sister read my mind? Maybe....

You know my grandpa?

Sometimes a wedding is the only thing that can bring together estranged family members and old friends. This was the case for my grandfather and my husbands grandfather. As soon as they saw each other at the ceremony, they realized they had worked together (across the country) in the early 60's, and hadn't seen each other since.

Variety of coincidence

My wife and I grew up in the same area but went to different schools. We met by being introduced by friends when we were aged 23. The first coincidence is that we were both randomly selected by our schools to sing in the school choir and then ended up singing at the royal festival hall in London on the same night. We know this because both of our mothers still have the program's with our names on it. Secondly, When I was about 8 years my mother took my sister and I shopping. While my mum was browsing at some dresses just inside the shop door I put my arm through the hinged side of the door, my sister pushed the door shut causing my arm to get trapped. My terrified mother tried to open the door but could not. Suddenly a man comes running to help me, 25 years later I was telling this story to my wife's grandfather, turns out he was the man that come to help me and called the ambulance. Finally ( and this is the mad one ), my wife and I now have two children they are born one day apart with a four year gap. The last six digits of our home phone number are 712829 my birthday is on the 1st my wife's on 7th our son on the 28th and our daughter on the 29th.

Weird Pie

I had bought a pie for PI Day, which I was celebrating at school on 3/8/13 and not 3/14/13, because 3/14/13 is on spring break, and PI is about 3.14, so PI Day is on 3/14, but at home I found out the expiration date was 3/14/13, PI Day.

Pinball Wizard

I get in my Jacuzzi tub most nights to unwind and usually find myself humming or singing the refrains to a popular song over and over. One night it was "Pinball Wizard" from The Who. I got out of the tub, walked into the bedroom and turned on the TV. It was a show about the world's only known pinball savant. He was often referred to as the pinball wizard. I often feel strong coincidences are signs from a higher power. I was shaken.

Dogs Name

After the birth of my daughter my wife and I could not decide on a name for her. Eventually after a few days we decided on Ruby after looking through a baby name book. My wife and Ruby were in hospital at the time due to some complications following the birth and I went outside for some fresh air after choosing the name. Directly outside the hospital was a woman and a lovely husky dog. I was drawn to the dog immediately and went over to stroke it. This is unusual for me as I dont own a dog and have a slight fear of larger dogs. I also dont usually talk to dog owners but on this occasion I said what a lovely dog it is and what was its name? Yes you guessed it - Ruby.

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