“Jinx!” – The Science of Freaky Coincidences (Prof. Chris French)

PubSci, London

Join the author of "The Science of Weird Sh!t" in exploring how crazy coincidences happen - and why they feel so darn spooky!

The Old Kings Head

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Why do we say "Jinx!" when two people say the same thing at the same time? Are coincidences as unlikely as we think? And why do some coincidences feel so spooky?Numerous well documented coincidences seem so unlikely that something more than blind probability appears to be at work. Paranormal explanations are often invoked for apparently precognitive dreams. Conspiracy theorists and charlatans can play on our ignorance of causality, probability, and even what randomness really looks like, in order to make us think certain events have meaningful, perhaps sinister, connections. Some people make a career out of it. Even innocent coincidences can feel special to us. But why is this? And is it reasonable for sceptics to explain away such things as nothing more than “mere coincidences”.Professor Chris French is an expert on all things weird and freaky: how we experience them, why we believe in them, and what's really behind them. In fact, he's literally written the book on them, so Chris is the ideal person to help us understand how things can happen in ways that seem too wild, too random, and too unlikely to just be chance events.<a href="https://linktr.ee/pubsci" title="https://linktr.ee/pubsci" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">PubSci</a> is delighted to welcome the author of The Science of Weird Shit to explore the science and psychology underlying those unlikely moments when things just seem too darn freaky to be “just a coincidence”.Come to July's event to discover the truth behind "too-good-to-be-true" coincidences! Copies of Chris' book will be available after the talk.Places for this talk are very limited. Book now for an evening of weirdness and wonder in the name of science.

Join us upstairs at the Old King’s Head on 17th July. Doors open at 6.30pm for a 7pm start. Please consider adding a donation when you book, as PubSci receives no other income. More information at the bottom of this page.Talks run for ~45 minutes and are followed by a Q&amp;A session. The Old King's Head has a happy hour before 7 and the kitchen serves excellent pub grub. The nearest tube is London Bridge (Borough High Street exit).[ Continues below]

About the SpeakerChris French is Emeritus Professor and Head of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit in the Psychology Department at Goldsmiths, University of London. He is a Fellow of the British Psychological Society and of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and a Patron of UK Humanists.He has published well over 150 articles and chapters covering a wide range of topics. His main current area of research is the psychology of paranormal beliefs and anomalous experiences.Chris frequently appears on radio and television casting a sceptical eye over paranormal claims as well as writing for the Guardian and the Skeptic magazine.His academic reference book Anomalistic Psychology: Exploring Paranormal Belief and Experience was published with Anna Stone, and his latest book The Science of Weird Shit: Why Our Minds Conjure the Paranormal was published by MIT press earlier this year.<a href="https://pubsci.info/" title="https://pubsci.info/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">PubSci</a> is delighted to welcome Chris to the latest in our series of monthly talks.

<h3>About PubSci</h3>PubSci is funded entirely from attendee contributions but we don’t charge an entry fee to our regular talks. Instead, we run events on a Pay-What-You-Can basis, no questions asked. We take a cash collection on the night to help cover expenses, and you can contribute <a href="https://tr.ee/V2-riVrD0A" title="https://tr.ee/V2-riVrD0A" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">digitally</a> at any time. Best of all, you can make a contribution when you book with Eventbrite.To contribute via Eventbrite, select Reserve a Spot and scroll to "Attend PubSci with optional donation". This reserves one spot. If you wish to make one donation for several attendees, make sure to reserve enough free places as well.By making a donation with your ticket, you make it possible for PubSci to put on events like this. PubSci has no other source of funding.Note: We aim to keep PubSci accessible for all, but it is unsuitable for under 18s as we meet in the upstairs room of a pub. Regrettably, there is no wheelchair access.Check out our <a href="https://pubsci.info/pubsci-events-calendar/" title="https://pubsci.info/pubsci-events-calendar/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Future Events</a> page where you can also subscribe to our Google Calendar. PubSci events will then automatically appear in your own iCal compatible calendar.You can learn more about PubSci via our <a href="https://linktr.ee/pubsci" title="https://linktr.ee/pubsci" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">LinkTree</a>.

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The Old King's Head

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“Jinx!” – The Science of Freaky Coincidences (Prof. Chris French)

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“Jinx!” – The Science of Freaky Coincidences (Prof. Chris French)

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