My wife and I just had dinner with a person and his wife whom we have never met or have heard before until 4 days ago. Yet we almost lived entirely parallel lives that is a near miracle. Here is the story about Professor A, Toomre and me:

1.      Both of us studied at MIT for our undergraduate degree (EE vs Aero and physics resp) in the 1950’s

2.      Both are Professors of Applied Mathematics (Harvard and MIT resp) as their only one  lifetime jobs

3.      Both have 3 children and 6 grandchildren in their family

4.      Both have wife who are still alive

5.      Both have one son who live in California and went to Harvard (UG) and Stanford (G)

6.      Both are Guggenheim Fellows (1970 and 1969 resp)

7.      Both are elected member of the U.S. Academy of Engineering and Academy of Sciences respectively.

8.      Both are immigrants who came to US 1950 age 16 and 1949 age 13 respectively

9.      Both are me elected member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and of Engineering and the member of Estonia Academy of Sciences respectively

10. Both are retired and moved to live at Brookhaven of Lexington since 2022

11. WE HAVE NEVER MET nor Know each other (TILL10/31/2025) when our sons who met for the first time at a party in Palo Alto CA and made us aware of these remarkable facts

HOW COINCIDENTAL CAN LIVES BE!!!