All the 8s
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.
Some friends and I once met in a bar where we sometimes converged. Being peckish, I ordered a bowl of chips and was given a wooden spoon with the order number 8 on it. The food came and the spoon was taken. A few minutes later, more friends arrived, ordered food at the bar, and came to our table with the spoon of 8.
"8s always follow me around," I declared. "I was born on the 8th of the 8th, '80, which meant I was 8 on the 8th of the 8th, '88."
"Oh yeah," retorted a cynical friend, looking at his watch. "The 23rd of June - 8s everywhere."
"No," I concurred, taking a second glance at his watch. "But it is 8 minutes past 8."
Date submitted:Tue, 20 Oct 2015 06:09:50 +0000Coincidence ID:8268
