Coincidences—unexpected confluences of events that seemingly defy probability—captivate people across cultures and ages. New research published in Cognition sheds light on the cognitive mechanisms underpinning the recognition of coincidences and how these mechanisms evolve as we grow older. The cognitive mechanisms involved in representing coincidences are thought to be part of broader causal reasoning processes. Research suggests that even preschool-aged children demonstrate flexible causal reasoning abilities, adjusting their inferences based on how data is generated and exploring more when …