Telephone wires

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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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I was painting the outside of my house and was up the ladder with my right ear just inches away from the bracket that attaches the telephone wires to the house. I was so close to it that I was being careful not to accidentally touch it. It reminded me that I hadn't spoken to my brother for about 2 months. As I was thinking that, my wife opened the front door and shouted up to say my brother was on the phone! I hadn't heard the phone ring nor heard any sound from the telephone wires but my thought of him coincided with his incoming call passing through the telephone wires inches from my head.
Total votes: 258
Date submitted:Sat, 14 Jan 2012 17:02:43 +0000Coincidence ID:4196