Heard & Read Words

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.

I tend to have the TV or radio on when I'm reading a book, magazine or internet, or when I'm writing a blog for my website. For several years I've noted that just as I read (or write) a word someone will say it on the programme that's on. Context is irrelevant. Say I'm reading a Terry Pratchett novel while "listening" to NPR's "All Things Considered." As my eyes see the word, let's say "coincidence" the reporter on NPR says "coincidence". Neither sentence has anything to do with the other. The matter in the novel and in the report have nothing else in common. It happens all the time! Doesn't matter what I'm reading, doesn't matter what the background programme is, there's just this tiny synchronicity...It happens several times a week. I've often thought of documenting it except that that would seem, I don't know, a bit OCD? But when I came across an article in The Daily Mail Online I thought I'd report it.
Total votes: 222
Date submitted:Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:50:19 +0000Coincidence ID:4973