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What are the odds? 2015 OFA | The Old Farmer's Almanac

What Are The Odds?

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Hardly a day goes by when we do not consider the likelihood, or chance, of an event happening. Here are some calculated real odds in a variety of categories. Some may surprise you, some will tickle your funny bone, and others may make you scratch your head. Some may make you say “I’ve beaten those odds!”

Fears
• Of being arachnophobic (afraid of spiders): 1 in 4
• Of being ariophobic (afraid of flying): 1 in 5
• Of being cynophobic (afraid of dogs): 1 in 9
• Of being iatrophobic (afraid of doctors): 1 in 11
• Of being mysophobic (afraid of germs): 1 in 4

Natural Disasters
• Of a tsunami impacting the West Coast of North America: 1 in 2
• That if a tornado develops, it occurs in the United States: 3 in 4
• Of an asteroid hitting Earth: 1 in 100,000,000

Birth
• Of being left-handed: 1 in 10
• Of being born an identical twin: 1 in 285

Injury
• Of contracting food poisoning: 1 in 6
• Of hospitalization for an injury incurred on an amusement park ride: 1 in 7,000,000
• Of injury while handling fireworks: 3 in 100,000

Personal Habits/Behaviors
• Of an adult biting his or her fingernails: 1 in 6
• Of being a compulsive shopper: 1 in 16
• Of having a tattoo: 1 in 5

Sports
• Of becoming a professional athlete: 1 in 22,000
• Of bowling a perfect 300 game: 1 in 11,500
• Of winning an Olympic gold medal: 1 in 660,000

Want to read more “What Are the Odds?” calculations? Find them in The 2015 Old Farmer’s Almanac!

About The Author

Carol Connare

As the 14th editor of The Old Farmer’s Almanac, Carol Connare works with writers and other editors to develop “new, useful, and entertaining matter” for the annual Almanac as well as books, calendars, and other publications. Read More from Carol Connare

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