Plane-ly doubly amazing . . .

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.

In 1975 I taught in comprehensive in Rochdale and there were two sisters (Polish/English) one of whom wanted to become an air hostess . . . around 15 years later I was returning from working in Hong King on a Cathy Pacific flight and my seat was next to a woman and man with a baby. As I sat down I thought I recognised the woman and as I turned to chat, she said 'is'n't it Mr ********* ?' 'Yes and didn't I teach you in Rochdale' and within minutes she told me that 'you won't believe this but Irena is a hostess on this flight as we have been combining a trip abroad with meeting her in Hong Kong' and lo and behold Irena wanders down to see us . . . we were all totally stunned by this incredible coincidence!! But the captain treated us to a bottle of champagne to celebrate!! What is incredible is that I had no contact with the two sisters from the day I left the school in 1976 until that flight and never since . . . John
Total votes: 286
Date submitted:Sat, 14 Jan 2012 17:05:13 +0000Coincidence ID:4198