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!

I once met a professor of the public understanding of risk

A few years ago I went to a meeting in Cambridge. On the last evening I was dragged (willingly) to a talk about how J.S. Bach tuned his harpsichord. By some amazing coincidence I bumped into Prof. Spiegelhalter, who is now asking about coincidences. (in context this is more remarkable than it sounds, although not really much more)

Seats at Twickenham

We met some old friends in Leicester at a party and were very envious to hear they had tickets to a concert there when we hadn't managed to secure any. Anyway as part of our 40th birthday treats my husband promised to go on ebay and see if he could find any tickets being resold for the same day as their tickets. They gave him the number of the stand/block they were going to be in but not the actual seat details. We eventually found some tickets on ebay in the same stand and on the day, when we met up together, we realised we were actually sitting right next to them. Not too sure how many seats there are at Twickenham or seats on a block but it did seem to be a bit of an odd coincidence! Great concert too.

Have you listened to the radiolab story about the balloon?

The radiolab podcast (www.radiolab.org) had an episode called Stochasticity (I may have spelt that wrong) Had a story about a girl called Laura Buxton, who lived in Staffordshire, who let a balloon go with a note asking whoever found it to send it back to her. It was found by a girl the same age who was also called Laura Buxton. It's a great coincidence story - give it a listen if you're interested http://www.radiolab.org/2009/jun/15/ The main guy behind radiolab is on twitter: @jadabumrad if you want to get in touch with him

The Coindcidental Call

I started a job in a call centre. The very first day that I worked there, in fact within the first hour, a call came through from someone who lived in the town where my Granfather lives and where I had my Christening...I mentioned in passing that my Grandfather lived near him and he asked who my Grandfather was Low and behold he had been a friend and colleague of my Grandad & he had been at my Christening - 25 years previously

meeting neighbour

This happened three years ago. (sorry I can not be more specific with dates) I was visiting the Treck Cliff Cavern, Blue Jon mine in Hope Valley, Derbyshire on business. After the business was concluded I was taken down the mine and cavern by one of the guids. We (the guide and I) were in a bit of the mine not normally open to the public when a party of tourists passed on its way out from the cavern. In that party were a neighbour and his wife. I was so surprised I could not even speak and they passed by oblivious to my presence. To put this in context. Hope Valley is not a through road so has to be a specific destination. I live on the Black Isle, some 400 miles away, and we were 300 feet underground. I am tempted to say "beat that" but no doubt somebody can.

Chance meetings

I live in Durham, was staying in Edinburgh with wife, crowded restaraunt, asked to share table with two women - mother and daughter from NW Scotland mother was cousin of my ex's wife, daughter went to school with ex's children. On another occasion I parked my bike in an office doorway in Kinlochbervie to shelter from rain and sort out a problem withbike, it was a Sunday so didn't think it was a problem, it turned out to office of same ex-girlfriend's husband. Ended up having dinner at their house.

Encounter with a star

Visited the National Portrait Gallery and there was an exhibition of photos of English actors and actresses from the 1950s and 1960s. My wife and I for some reason stopped at the picture of Rita Tushingham and both reflected that we never seem to hear of her these days or see her. Next day we went to Euston Station and, having treated ourselves to first class tickets, were waiting in the first class lounge. Standing in a corner and talking on her mobile phone was . . . Rita Tushingham.

Brother's girlfriend

When I was first working in London as an 18 year old in 1974 I was invited to the opening of a new "disco" called Anthea's in Carnaby Street. It was very 70's, plush seating, waitresses on roller skates - just the thing to impress a spotty 18 year old like me ! Started to speak to a very glam waitress and commented that her accent sounded really nice - she told me she was from South Africa and her name was Eva and she had only been in the uk for a few months. I mentioned that my older brother lived in Jo'burg. "thats where I lived" said Eva, "where abouts does your brother live"? - I told her ihe lived in Hillbrow, "me to" said Eva. "what is his name, i might have met him"? - I told her it was Tony Randall, her face turned to thunder, she turned on her heels and she disappeared never to be seen again !!!!!!!!!! When I phoned my brother later that week I told him what had happened when I "met" the lovely Eva. He asked me to describe her and then confessed that he and Eva were having a very hot fling and when he "dumped" her she decided to go to the UK.

Met Wife's ex + coincidental firstborn

I was working at a Backpackers in Brighton in late 90's with a plan to go travelling to OZ and NZ late in 98 with 2 friends. I was 25 at the time. Whilst there a couple came to stay at the backpackers - Michelle & Charlie (they had been there before) . Michelle's younger sister Vicki was herself travelling at that time in Oz. Before I left in the September of '97 for Oz Michelle suggested I try and meet up with Vicki and her boyfriend etc - so wrote down a PO box number and thought no more of it, as Oz was such a massive place. Though Vicki had sent a couple of pictures of her trails in Oz and I must admit to remarking to myself that she looked a 'beautiful girl'. So then off we went to Oz - had a great time down the East Coast, as three 25 year old british 'lads' would have. When we got to Townsville we decided to take a couple of days out on Magnetic Island - 'Maggie Island' as the Oz's called it from memory.

Family Births

My Father is the middle of 3 brothers, My Dads older brother has all daughters (2) My Dad had 3 sons (i'm the middle brother) My Dads Younger Brother has all Girls (2) My Older Brother has has all girls (2) I as the middle brother has all Boys (2) My Younger brother and his partner have just given birth to a baby girl My wife and i had a miscarrige 4 years ago, my mother is conviced that as middle brother we can't have girls and that the miscarridge was due to the fact that my wife was carrying a girl (unsubstantiated), I explained to her it was a coincidence but she is obsessed and my little brother having a baby girl last week fuels the fire. What are the odds!

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