Crazy Odds That Will Surprise You

As the world grows increasingly strange, it seems like anything can happen. But what are the odds that out of the ordinary stuff will actually happen? This list looks at the weird statistics that silently govern our lives as we try to beat the odds to become millionaires and date supermodels. Some of the crazy odds that you’ll soon read are probably going to give you the heebie jeebies, especially if you’re worried about drunk airplane pilots or being possessed. But if you just relax and go with the flow, you’ll be able to contextualize these outlandish odds into what they really are: a series of misfortunes that are definitely going to happen to you.

Look, odds and percentages are weird and confusing. For instance, if the odds of accidentally setting your house on fire was 1 in 17, does that mean that every 17th person you know is going to accidentally set their house on fire? Probably not, but just to be safe you should probably buy an extra fire extinguisher to keep around the house. It goes without saying that you shouldn’t let these strange statistics impact your life beyond having a few chuckles (you can’t go around breathalyzing every 117th pilot that you meet, after all), but you can use these odds you won't believe to sound super smart and impress your friends.