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By definition, odds provide a measure of the likelihood of a particular outcome. Sometimes odds are very likely, like the fact that nothing good will come out of 2020 (and thankfully, we are almost past it!), and sometimes not so much.

But on very rare occasions, odds-defying things happen against all possible likelihood, proving that after all, this world of ours is inherently random. So this time, we’re taking the ride of a lifetime featuring this selection of nearly impossible odds as presented by the r/nevertellmetheodds subreddit.

Created in 2015, the online community has a whopping 1.7m members who are all in for bizarre and wonderful chances that shouldn’t have happened. The subreddit’s description says it’s all about “Nearly impossible feats of achievement, those with a great degree of difficulty or incredible odds,” so let’s find out what exactly all this fuss is about.

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    #2

    Many Of You Might Have Seen This . But For Those Who Haven't

    Many Of You Might Have Seen This . But For Those Who Haven't

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    Joyce Melton
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Later that same day, he was elected president of Australia and married Gal Godot.

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    #3

    Small World

    Small World

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    AzKhaleesi
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Thats crazy I wonder if the Coach / Dad ever looked at him and thought hmmm he looks a lot like me.

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    No matter what we think we know about odds-defying things, the truth is they do happen and they happen more often than we think. British statistician David J. Hand claims that even “extremely improbable events are commonplace.”

    This is due to the improbability principle that’s comprised of five laws “analogous to the four laws of thermodynamics or Newton’s three laws of motion.” David insists that “These laws, the law of inevitability, the law of truly large numbers, the law of selection, the law of the probability lever, and the law of near enough, explain exactly why we should expect to encounter highly unlikely events, and indeed why we should expect to do so on a regular, even frequent, basis.”

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    #5

    In 1990, A Panel Of The Windscreen On British Airways Flight 5390 Fell Out At 17k Feet, Causing The Cockpit To Decompress & Its Captain To Be Sucked Halfway Out Of The Aircraft. The Crew Held Onto Him For More Than 20 Minutes As The Copilot Made An Emergency Landing. The Pilot Made A Full Recovery

    In 1990, A Panel Of The Windscreen On British Airways Flight 5390 Fell Out At 17k Feet, Causing The Cockpit To Decompress & Its Captain To Be Sucked Halfway Out Of The Aircraft. The Crew Held Onto Him For More Than 20 Minutes As The Copilot Made An Emergency Landing. The Pilot Made A Full Recovery

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    This is where mathematics comes into play to define these principles and calculate what effect they have on each other. For example, the law of near enough “says that events that are sufficiently similar may be regarded as identical,” David explains.

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    In fact, this similarity is what precisely makes a dramatic difference. David adds the law of truly large numbers and the result is that “given enough opportunities, the probabilities of even very unlikely events can mount up to be almost certain.”

    Those laws raise the number of opportunities for any unlikely happening to actually happen. Read more about David’s philosophy of probability in his book “The Improbability Principle.”

    #8

    Unexpected Reunion

    Unexpected Reunion

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    Martha Meyer
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    What a lucky coincidence for them! They probably would have never found out otherwise.

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    #9

    That’s Gotta Be A First

    That’s Gotta Be A First

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    #10

    Two Strangers Sit Next To Each Other On A Flight And Meet Their Doppelganger

    Two Strangers Sit Next To Each Other On A Flight And Meet Their Doppelganger

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    #13

    Lucky Nurse

    Lucky Nurse

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    #15

    “And I Took That Personally” - Tsutomu Yamaguchi (Probably)

    “And I Took That Personally” - Tsutomu Yamaguchi (Probably)

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    #16

    Neighbor Brings Owner Identical Cat

    Neighbor Brings Owner Identical Cat

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    #17

    Saw This Photo Posted Here.. Noticed I Have The Photo The Grandmother Took That Day. (Bought At An Antique Shop Years Ago In Phx)

    Saw This Photo Posted Here.. Noticed I Have The Photo The Grandmother Took That Day. (Bought At An Antique Shop Years Ago In Phx)

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    #18

    Lightning Striking Simultaneously On Chicago's Three Tallest Buildings

    Lightning Striking Simultaneously On Chicago's Three Tallest Buildings

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    #19

    None Of Their Feet Are Touching The Floor

    None Of Their Feet Are Touching The Floor

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    #20

    The First Time My Friend Visited My Apartment She Was Mind-Blown That My Shower Curtain Looked “Exactly” Like One Of Her Shirts. I Half-Seriously Said That Her Story Sounded Made Up And Promptly Forgot About It Until She Returned The Following Week To Demonstrate. I Forever Stand Corrected

    The First Time My Friend Visited My Apartment She Was Mind-Blown That My Shower Curtain Looked “Exactly” Like One Of Her Shirts. I Half-Seriously Said That Her Story Sounded Made Up And Promptly Forgot About It Until She Returned The Following Week To Demonstrate. I Forever Stand Corrected

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    #22

    My Grandma Died On My Grandpa’s Birthday. My Grandpa Died On My Grandma’s Birthday

    My Grandma Died On My Grandpa’s Birthday. My Grandpa Died On My Grandma’s Birthday

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    Daria B
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    What a sad birthday for the one who passed away afterwards. I'd be devastated.

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    #23

    This Is A Tomato That Accidently Grew Inside Of The Fence

    This Is A Tomato That Accidently Grew Inside Of The Fence

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    #26

    Twins Married Twins To Give Birth To Another Twins

    Twins Married Twins To Give Birth To Another Twins

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    #27

    Landslide Splits Just Before Hitting A Farm In Iceland. Happened This Morning. No One Got Hurt

    Landslide Splits Just Before Hitting A Farm In Iceland. Happened This Morning. No One Got Hurt

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    #28

    Went To Take A Picture Of The Rainbow And Lightning Struck At The Same Time!

    Went To Take A Picture Of The Rainbow And Lightning Struck At The Same Time!

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    #29

    What A Close Call

    What A Close Call

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    #32

    This Is How The Newspapers Were Stacked Up At My Job

    This Is How The Newspapers Were Stacked Up At My Job

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    #33

    Beluga Whale Saves An iPhone!

    Beluga Whale Saves An iPhone!

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    #34

    We Were Seconds Away From Losing Our Home To The California Fire. Thank You To All The Firefighters That Saved Our Community!

    We Were Seconds Away From Losing Our Home To The California Fire. Thank You To All The Firefighters That Saved Our Community!

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    #36

    The Cat Knocked My Daughter’s Fish Bowl Off The Dresser

    The Cat Knocked My Daughter’s Fish Bowl Off The Dresser

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    Pan Narrans
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The perfect opportunity to get a decent size aquarium for the fish. A bowl is too small.

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    #38

    It's Gotta Be Weird To Go To The Mall One Day And Run Into... Yourself

    It's Gotta Be Weird To Go To The Mall One Day And Run Into... Yourself

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    #40

    Two Drunk Guys Imitate Connor Mcgregor As He Drives Past

    Two Drunk Guys Imitate Connor Mcgregor As He Drives Past

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    Note: this post originally had 75 images. It’s been shortened to the top 40 images based on user votes.