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!

school freind

2 years before I went to school, me and my family went to France. On the plane I met a boy who then came into the same class as me and then became my friend.

Departure Lounge

In 2004 I booked myself on a group holiday to Crete. I arranged to meet 2 other members of the group at Manchester airport (we had not known each other before this) to travel out together. Not only did one of those two people become my wife but travelling out on the same flight was someone who I had served in the TA with and hadn't seen in some 5 years.

Small Villages

My wife and I live in North Yorkshire. Some years ago my wife started a job in Catterick (some 40 miles North) and one of the friends she made there lived in a small, remote village called East Keswick. About a year later I start a new job in York and the person I am taking over from lives in ... East Keswick.

Airport Breakfast

In 2008 I, along with a number of colleagues, were made redundant from a multi-national company on somewhat dubious grounds of cost saving. Starting a new job some months later I was asked to go to Germany. On the way back at Munich Airport early one morning who should come walking toward me but the CEO of the multi-national. He clearly recognised me but I could tell he didn't know why. We had a brief chat and all the time I could tell he wasn't sure who I was. The look on his face when I asked if they had made the savings intended when making me and my colleagues redundant was an absolute picture. He muttered something about "more analysis and time required" which I took to mean "No". The multi-national is head-quartered in Munich.

Partner coincidence

I began dating my partner for 2 weeks before realising we both had the same last name* (Hargreaves), are both twins and both our fathers are called David Hargreaves. *We have checked this out - we are not related!

Of all the information booths in all the airports

In 2007 I was on a business trip to the USA (I live in York, England) where I was only supposed to be in Dallas and Chicago. Whilst I was in Dallas I was asked to go San Francisco for a couple of days. At the airport on the way back to Dallas I decided to send a post card to my then girlfriend and left the departure lounge to go and find a stamp. At the information booth just outside the departure lounge was one of dearest of friends, who also lives in York so I walk up behind her and say "Of all the infromation booths..." which led to some mirthful hysterics and disbelief of all those around. My friend was visiting her son who lives in the Bay area.

Football result win matches hotel bill

About 20 years ago I went away for a saucy weekend and stayed in a hotel in Yarm. That Saturday I placed an accumulator bet predicting football match results at the bookmakers. This was the first time that I had ever done this. I was quite surprised when my predictions had all come true and regretted only placing a £1 stake. I went back to the bookies to collect my winnings which amounted to £132.67. The next day I checked out of the hotel and was presented with a bill amounting to £132.67.

Coincidence around myself and your programme!

At the age of 39 and possibly having a mid life crisis, I have been recently considering purchasing my first ever leather jacket. My older brother had one when we were teenagers and there was always a part of my that was jealous. Last weekend I spent some time searching the internet for jackets and tried to imagine which I might look and feel good wearing. This was tricky and I gave up deciding to wait until we went to the shops. Fast forward to yesterday, I bought the Times newspaper and lo and behold there is an article on leather jackets warning the reader that it can make you look like a rock star one minute and then a gangster the next. A coincidence? perhaps, but not too strange. Anyway this morning I decided to catch up with your programme which I had missed in the week and just after the piece on this website who should pop up, but the cricketer who wrote the article on the leather jackets. This was the turning point for me getting up and posting this article.

Marissa, Stephanie, Andrew

My children's names are: Marissa, Stephanie and Andrew. While they were in primary school, they informed me that the neighbours children were also named Marissa, Stephanie and Andrew. I thought they were mistaken until I was walking down my drive way and heard an adult from the neighbour's house yelling, "Marissa, Stephanie, Andrew...". After meeting with the neighbours, I confirmed it was true. Same names, same spelling (particularly Marissa). Different birth orders. I have never checked middle names. Parental names different. Just an amusing coincidence...an a deposit in my children's "we told you so" account

Wrong number; right name

My name is Mike Hall and I live in Brighton. At the time of my step-mother's funeral, my step uncle Derek (husband of my step-mother's sister) tried to phone me in Brighton on 01273 564209, but got one digit wrong in the last six numbers (I forget which). A man answered, Derek asked to speak to Mike and the man said "Speaking." Derek said "It's Derek here, Mike." The man said "who?". "Derek from Swansea, your uncle". "I don't know anyone in Swansea." "Is that Mike Hall in Brighton?" asked Derek. "Yes" said the man...... So wrong number; right name; wrong person!

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