28/01/2020

Roberto Imbuzeiro participates in a segment on Fantástico.

Foto: reprodução do Fantástico

Has something completely unusual ever happened to you that left you amazed by the coincidence? These are the stories that IMPA researcher Roberto Imbuzeiro explains, backed by mathematics, in the “É Muita Coincidência” segment of Fantástico. In the series, which premiered on Sunday (26), the probability expert proves that some everyday life events that seem absolutely improbable are, in fact, more common than we can imagine.

What are the chances of the same dozens of numbers being drawn in two consecutive lottery draws? This happened in Bulgaria in 2009 and had a major impact. In the first episode of the program, Imbuzeiro showed that, considering there are about 200 lotteries like Bulgaria's in the world, the chances of something unusual happening somewhere at some point are an impressive 8%.

Foto: reprodução do Fantástico

The love story of a Chicago couple whose fate was sealed by a $1 bill was also featured in the segment. Years before meeting her husband, Esther had vowed to marry the man who received the bill on which she had written her name. Unaware of the story, designer Paul came across the bill and used it as an excuse to ask the young woman, now his wife, to be his girlfriend. Coincidence? Destiny? Without romanticizing it, the mathematician proves that the chances of this happening were relatively high: one in 100.

If any extraordinary, unexplained coincidence has ever happened in your life, send the story to Fantástico .

Foto: reprodução do Fantástico

Watch the full segment .