I’m sure it was just a coincidence, but it still had me scratching my head and wondering if our algorithms can predict the future.

About two weeks ago, I was fed a Reel about “how to get burn marks out of stainless-steel pots.” I didn’t think anything of it at the time. But when we got back from our trip, we discovered my son had tried making fried chicken while we were away. The chicken turned out great but he also managed to burn the stainless-steel pot he used. Instantly, I thought of that video.

Did my algorithm know this was going to happen? And if so, how?

My first theory was that maybe he googled how to clean a burnt pot and, because he was on our home network, the algorithm started feeding me related content. That seemed logical, until he told me he never searched for anything like that.

So now I’m back to square one, half-convinced something strange is going on. I’ve even caught myself scrolling, wondering which video might “predict” something next, and secretly hoping one of them includes winning Powerball numbers.