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!

"Harley"

I have a former friend. Let's call her "Harley." I remember having a dream and she was the main thing in this dream. It felt like a reconciliation type of dream. But the way it ended, you would think it was love. I digress. When I woke up from this dream, I turn on my phone to see what time it was. And sure enough, there was a random memory that has "Harley" all over it. It just struck me odd.

MEETING AT A WEDDING

My wife and I attended a friends wedding last year and at the dinner table after the ceremony she spoke to the man next to her. She was going to attend a music summer school in Rutland at Oakham School a few weeks later. It turned out that the man taught at Oakham School and lived a few minutes walk away. When she attended the summer school she was able to walk to his house and enjoy afternoon tea. There were about 150 people at the wedding dinner and she just happened to sit next to that man. The family had no idea about her plans when the layout was arranged.

London crime coincidence

I was looking at this gang on YouTube that is based in wood green in north London. I then go on Wikipedia and look at crime in London and the first picture I see is an anti knife crime protest or something at wood green

Stretching coincidence

I'm currently recovering from a leg injury, the process involves stretching. Because of covid, I am having remote classes, I was about to stretch after finishing my work, my teacher sent a message to the group telling us to have a 10 min break and stretch our legs.... Why does this always happen to me lol

"And it was.. Will Smith"

When I was 17 I met my best friend at high school. We had an Italian class together. Our teacher told a "friend of a friend" story where her friend was in New York and got trapped in a lift. In the story it was the friend, a man and two bodyguards. The story ends with the line.. ".. and it was Will Smith" My friend and I couldn't believe how ridiculous this story was and later found out it's a popular urban legend with the famous person inter changeable (Arnold Schwarznegger, Eddie Murphy, Sylvester Stallone etc.) Anyway.. ten years later and I hadnt thought of it since. It randomly popped into my head so I text my best friend out of the blue "...and it was... Will Smith" She then replied "I cant believe you've just said that. I listened to a podcast yesterday and someone told the story.. I couldn't stop laughing and I meant to tell you"

Uganda coincidence

I was watching a video about Uganda then my local coffee shop who roasts their own beans posted one of their blends that was from Uganda when I hopped on Facebook straight after watching the video

Climate change coincidence

I was worried about the future of the earth and how climate change is going to destroy it..... then I find a postcard at my local cafe with a picture of the earth and a text talking about climate change and how we can fix it

The Filipino girl

I was looking at a Filipino girl on YouTube then my cousin messages me saying he got a spam call from the Philippines

Strange music coincidence

I was in the car listening to bestie boys sabotage in the car driving, once I get home I hear it playing when I watch the minions 2 trailer on YouTube.... the unlikeliest of songs that could have been played.

Uncanny Pattern

My dog hit my roommates keyboard while she was in the middle of writing a paper and the dog spelled out my roommates name "Minh"

Pages