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.

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Well I Never!

Professor David Spiegelhalter of Cambridge University wants to know about your coincidences!

Star sign coincidence

I was skiing in Italy with a group of about fifty or sixty, staying in a lodge. One morning it was minus 24 degrees, so cold that no one wanted to go out skiing. Only four of us, three men and one woman, insisted - we did not want to waste a day's prepaid skipass. Grumbling, our busdriver had to build a fire under the diesel engine of the bus to get it started, while our friends told us we were mad to go up the mountain in that freezing weather, but we stood our ground. As we stood shivering in the cabin skilift taking us up the mountain, we chatted about possible explanations for our stubborn attitude. That's when it transpired that all four of us were born under the star sign Aries. Traditionally "aryans" are independent and assertive. I never believed in astrology, but after that experience began to wonder....

Completing a set

At a flea market I suddenly felt compelled to buy an old-fashioned tall mug featuring a drawing of a Lanchester car. When I took it home, my daughter grabbed it, saying that her friend collected these mugs! It turned out that the Lanchester mug was the exact one he needed to complete the set and he'd been after it for years. 50p well spent!

Twins

My identical sister and I both gave birth to our first children , both girls in April but three years apart. We then both had sons in October, two and a half years after our daughters. We did not plan to do this! My grandparents both died on the same day, 21st October 1996 having been married for over sixty years. Grandma died at 5.45 a.m in one hospital and Grandad died at 12.45 p.m in a nursing home. They were 92 and 93 years old and had a double funeral. They had known each other all their lives as their parents were friends.

Lady and son Dartmouth

My daughter was 3 years old and her father and I took her to the zoo while holidaying in Darthmouth, we sat facing a lady with a child who wore a helmet, even got half a photo of her on the same small train ride. We never spoke. The next day we drove the whole other side of the country and I went to the park, the same lady came on the park and sat next to me, I told her we shared the train ride at the zoo the previous day, we chatted and she told me she was a nurse, we talked about her child, she had four, and the one with the helmet had epilepsey and special needs, I asked her lots of questions about how she coped, how did she have the patients with him. We said goodbye and laughted about meeting up the next day, we didn't, but a year later I gave birth to a child with special needs, the chat I had with that lady was invaluable, coincidence or someone making this happen to help me latter in life. My friends, I have two Elly smarts, with a son called Daniel, I had two friends called Jeanette with their husband called Andy, I have two friends called Rosemary with two daughters, one called Sally!! .

Dartmouth lady

My daughter was 3 years old and her father and I took her to the zoo wile holidaying in Darthmouth, we sat facing a lady with a child who wore a helmet, even got half a photo of her on the same small train ride. We never spoke. The next day we drove the whole other side of the country and I went to the park, the same lady came on the park and sat next to me, I told her we shared the train ride at the zoo the previous day, we chatted and she told me she was a nurse, we talked about her child, she had four, and the one with the helmet had epilepsey and special needs, I asked her lots of questions about how she coped, how did she have the patients with him. We said goodbye and laughted about meeting up the next day, we didn't, but a year later I gave birth to a child with special needs, the chat I had with that lady was invaluable, coincidence or someone making this happen to help me latter in life. My friends, I have two Elly smarts, with a son called Daniel, I had two friends called Jeanette with their husband called Andy, I have two friends called Rosemary with two daughters, one called Sally!!

THAT blue sequin top

in 1998 my Husband and our friends travelled to Florida and joined a week - long cruise to the Eastern Caribbean. There were many Americans on board and on the night of the Captains Dinner we were in a queue to have our photograph taken with him before entering the Restaurant for the 2nd sitting. To my horror there was a lady wearing the exact same peacock blue sequinned top that I was wearing. I had purchased mine from a Dress Agency in Northampton the previous week and the label read "exclusive design by ... ......Paris,France" . I dashed back to our cabin and changed into a different outfit. Later that evening my Husband got talking to the other lady passenger and explained what had happened. She was as amazed as me because:- A. she lived in Houston , Texas B. had never cruised before, C. had visited family in Boston the week previously and bought the only peacock blue sequinned top available in an exclusive boutique she had never been in previously. we had a laugh about the situation and I got to wear mine a couple of nights later

Dad's death.

Went to brussels for a few nights at Christmas. somehow managed to get the only eurostar back to london for a few days after snow meant they were cancelled. Managed to get back home to sheffield. Left the house for a days shopping on the 27th waving goodbye to my dad who was recovering from a cold. 5:10 pm on the way back from shopping 2 options: 1) go out for dinner or 2) get takeaway dinner with friend thus arriving home at approx 5:20. Chose to go out for dinner, passing my house on the way. 10 mins past my house, stopped off at shop ont he way for dinner. Rang home to tell mum a plant we had purchased was not half price. whilst on the phone (20 secs into phone call), my dad collapses and dies of undiagnosed dialated cardiomyopathy, my mother screaming down the phone. with friend I rush home (I would already have been home had I chosen 'takeaway' option). Arrive home about 8 minutes after his collapse. Chances of me a) getting home for christmas/to be around for dad's death due to eurostar snow chaos? b) being with a medcally trained friend? slim. Dreams: had 5 dreams about him dying in the year leading up to his death.

Birthday co-incidence

Half-listened to the interview on Radio 4 on Saturday, the co-indence that I have is that my brother, eldest and youngest sisters all have the same birthday, coincidentally this week, 20th January.

My Mother and father

My mother died on 23 January 1977<br /> My father died on 23 January 1981

"Get off my train"

A few years ago I visted New York for the first time with friends. We went on the subway to Grand Central Station and commented it was like a scene from the film "Ghost" when PAtrick Swayze meets a slightly mad ghost who berates people to "get off my train". We arrived at out destination and left the subway. Guess who was walking towards us - the actor who played the mad ghost - I still don't know his name to this day!! Later that evening we went to a speakeasy bar in Greenwich Village and were discussing how bizarre this event had been. Guess how walked into the bar - the same actor who played the mad ghost. I've never quite got over the coincidences of this day!!

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