Is it a coincidence?
I'm not normally a superstitious person, but events over a period of time have made me rethink my apathy on the subject. Over recent years the number 9 has been rearing its head.
Firstly, my fiancee and I have been dating for 9 years. There is 9 years difference in age between us.
Her mother and father there is 9 years difference, also her grandmother & Grandfather.
When our daughter was born I was 39. When I was born my father was 39 and spookily enough, when my fiancee was born her father was. . . .yes, you guessed it - 39.
My brother and his wife were courting for 9 years and married on the 10th.
We are getting married next year (10th year) on Sept. 9th
The connections do not end there. I am a World War II historian and one of my specialist subjects is Barnes Wallis of the Dam Busters Raid.
Well, my fiancees grandfather used to work with Barnes Wallis at Vickers Armstrong, Weybridge. Also add to the mix my fiancees mother used to work with Elizabeth Wallis (Barnes Wallis's daughter).
Is it an omen? does anyone else have a similar experience or story? Or what do you think?
No. I could pick a number (17, say), and go and find all sorts of things that match it if I looked, whilst conveniently ignoring the numbers that don't match, to fit the theory. Statistics is a funny thing - what do you think the odds are of two people in a class of 30 having the same birthday?
One in 12 or thereabouts? And that's without taking into account variations in the birth rate over the year, which would probably shorten the odds more
plastic penguin:I'm not normally a superstitious person, but events over a period of time have made me rethink my apathy on the subject. Over recent years the number 9 has been rearing its head.
Firstly, my fiancee and I have been dating for 9 years. There is 9 years difference in age between us.
Is Revolution 9 by The Beatles going to be your first dance when you marry? Very apt lyrics...
Or anything by Nine Inch Nails?
Or Love Potion No.9. The Tygers of Pan Tang version, obviously.
Andrew Everard:One in 12 or thereabouts? And that's without taking into account variations in the birth rate over the year, which would probably shorten the odds more
70%
I dunno. I have a time related phenomena where I wake up in the middle of the night (not every night) and it's 12:34 on my clock. I check the time during the day (a number of times, obviously) but I always seem to check it at 12:34....
Another weird thing. We recently moved home. The house we bought was owned by a middle aged lady who contracted Cancer, and she died suddenly from a Cancer related brain heamorrhage(sp?) late last year.
We have oviously been chatting to the neighbours in the subsequent 4 months since moving in. I don't know how it came up, but I said my Mum works for 'Nationwide' building society. Apparently the lady who owned out house did too.
We had my parents and in-laws down for a BBQ on Father's day last Sunday. I told my Mum the name of the woman who used to own our house, to see if she knew her. My Mum was completely shocked, she knew the lady quite well through work, and didn't even know the lady had died....That was a bit odd....
JohnDuncan:70%
Don't doubt you for a moment, JD, but I'd be fascinated to see how that's calculated.
Or is it simply anecdotal?
No, hang on and I'll prove it (ie look it up on google)
JohnDuncan:No, hang on and I'll prove it (ie look it up on google)
Is there any other kind of proof?
I'm still not convinced by all these links. If it proves anything, something I do believe in, and that's certain things are meant to be.
The worrying thing is their are people making a living from obscure coincidences, even ones that are totally without foundation or any credance.
Sorry, took me a while to explain it.......
Right. Take 30 people. it is easier to calculate the odds of it not happening:
The odds that the first person does not have the same birthday as anyone else are 364 to 1 - 99.7%
The odds that the second person does not have the same birthday as anyone else are 363 to 1 (since they already don't have the same birthday as the first) - 99.4%
Keep going until you get to the 30th person - the odds are 336 to 1 (92.0%)
To get the combined odds of none of these events happening, you have to multiply the odds together 99.7% x 99.4% x.......92.0%.
Which is 29.4%.
Those are the odds of it not happening - so the odds of it happening are about 71%.
The number of people you need to raise the probability to 99% is........57. So I probably share a birthday with somebody in the office. (edit - no, this is a lie - what it means is that two people (any two people) share a birthday in my office, not necessarily me. sorry).
JohnDuncan:Sorry, took me a while to explain it.......
Right. Take 30 people. it is easier to calculate the odds of it not happening:
The odds that the first person does not have the same birthday as anyone else are 364 to 1 - 99.7%
The odds that the second person does not have the same birthday as anyone else are 363 to 1 (since they already don't have the same birthday as the first) - 99.4%
Keep going until you get to the 30th person - the odds are 336 to 1 (92.0%)
To get the combined odds of none of these events happening, you have to multiply the odds together 99.7% x 99.4% x.......92.0%.
Which is 29.4%.
Those are the odds of it not happening - so the odds of it happening are about 71%.
The number of people you need to raise the probability to 99% is........57. So I probably share a birthday with somebody in the office. (edit - no, this is a lie - what it means is that two people (any two people) share a birthday in my office, not necessarily me. sorry).
I dislike smart alex's. . .
Is this a british statistic? So for instance (purely hyperthetical) if I was going to watch England play, let's say, a team from South America, and Wembley was at full capacity, would those figures still apply?
Duncan2112:Coincidence? No, I put it to you that this is a conspiracy masterminded by non other than Prince Phillip!
(I really need to stop watching headcases)
Don't give Phil a hard time. . .he does a good enough job himself!
I reckon it's down to the Government. What's the expression? They don't know their a*** from their elbows.
Oh well, i am going to sit on my elbow and have a hot drink.
Coincidence? No, I put it to you that this is a conspiracy masterminded by non other than Prince Phillip!
(I really need to stop watching headcases)