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Spurious correlation #5,263 · View random

A linear line chart with years as the X-axis and two variables on the Y-axis. The first variable is Master's degrees awarded in Engineering and the second variable is Total likes of Extra History YouTube videos.  The chart goes from 2012 to 2021, and the two variables track closely in value over that time. Small Image
Download png
, svg

AI explanation

As the number of Master's degrees awarded in Engineering increased, so did the total likes of Extra History YouTube videos. This is likely due to a heightened appreciation for the complex and intricate storylines presented in the videos. Much like a well-engineered system, the narratives in Extra History are now receiving the higher-level validation they deserve. With a surge in engineering expertise, viewers may be finding innovative ways to connect with the content, creating a positive feedback loop of intellectual engagement. Additionally, the newfound mastery of technical concepts could be helping viewers to efficiently calculate the formula for enjoying historical content, resulting in a significant rise in admiration for Extra History.

Model: dalle-3
Prompt: Visual prompt: Generate an image of a bustling university hall filled with graduates in engineering robes, proudly holding their diplomas. In the center of the hall, there's a large screen displaying the Extra History YouTube channel. The total likes counter is rapidly increasing on the screen, mirroring the rising number of Master's degrees being awarded. The scene evokes a sense of appreciation for the intricate narratives in the videos and the impact of heightened engineering expertise on viewers' engagement. The overall visual should have a high-tech aesthetic, with a vibrant and celebratory atmosphere. The depiction should include only scenes, people, and objects, it should not include text or speech bubbles.
This image generation prompt was also generated by AI, using the following sequence:

Model: gpt-3.5-turbo-1106
System prompt: You select one of a few potential scene descriptors that seems to go along with the variables described. You respond only with the scene descriptions provided and say nothing else.
User prompt: Here are two variables: Master's degrees awarded in Engineering and Total likes of Extra History YouTube videos. Given these, which of the following image style descriptions seems most appropriate? Pick the one that seems to be related to one of the variables at hand. Please respond with only one of the following potential descriptions: A Discovery magazine cover image High-tech Pop art A scene from Skyrim Photorealism
ChatGPT: High-tech

Model: gpt-3.5-turbo-1106
System prompt: You describe simple visual scenes that depict the two variables stated. You combine both variables into one scene.
User prompt: Please describe a visual scene that prominently depicts both Master's degrees awarded in Engineering and Total likes of Extra History YouTube videos, in the following situation: As the number of Master's degrees awarded in Engineering increased, so did the total likes of Extra History YouTube videos. This is likely due to a heightened appreciation for the complex and intricate storylines presented in the videos. Much like a well-engineered system, the narratives in Extra History are now receiving the higher-level validation they deserve. With a surge in engineering expertise, viewers may be finding innovative ways to connect with the content, creating a positive feedback loop of intellectual engagement. Additionally, the newfound mastery of technical concepts could be helping viewers to efficiently calculate the formula for enjoying historical content, resulting in a significant rise in admiration for Extra History.. Keep the description simple.
ChatGPT: In a bustling university hall, a graduation ceremony takes place for Master's degrees in Engineering. The graduates proudly hold their diplomas while a large screen in the hall showcases the Extra History YouTube channel. The total likes counter rapidly increases, mirroring the rising number of Master's degrees. The scene evokes a sense of appreciation for the intricate narratives in the videos and the impact of heightened engineering expertise on viewers' engagement.

Model: gpt-3.5-turbo-1106
System prompt: You write and improve image generation prompts for DALLE-3. You maintain the same subjects, but enhance the visuals.
User prompt: Please respond with an image generation prompt that would be likely to create an interesting visual using DALLE-3, using the following style: [ High-tech ] and depicting this scene: In a bustling university hall, a graduation ceremony takes place for Master's degrees in Engineering. The graduates proudly hold their diplomas while a large screen in the hall showcases the Extra History YouTube channel. The total likes counter rapidly increases, mirroring the rising number of Master's degrees. The scene evokes a sense of appreciation for the intricate narratives in the videos and the impact of heightened engineering expertise on viewers' engagement. Keep the visual depiction simple. Do not include any words or speech bubbles.
ChatGPT: Visual prompt: Generate an image of a bustling university hall filled with graduates in engineering robes, proudly holding their diplomas. In the center of the hall, there's a large screen displaying the Extra History YouTube channel. The total likes counter is rapidly increasing on the screen, mirroring the rising number of Master's degrees being awarded. The scene evokes a sense of appreciation for the intricate narratives in the videos and the impact of heightened engineering expertise on viewers' engagement. The overall visual should have a high-tech aesthetic, with a vibrant and celebratory atmosphere.

*Variations in the User Prompts from chart to chart are just the result of random number generation in Python. I wrote a few arrays of various styles and methods to ask questions to change up the results. Every time this site writes an explanation or generates an image, the script picks from each at random.

I sequence the requests into multiple prompts because I find GPT 3.5 to perform much better with short, well-managed contexts. Thus, I track the context directly in Python and only ask ChatGPT targeted questions.

Model: gpt-3.5-turbo-1106 (fine-tuned)
System prompt: You provide humorous responses in the form of plausible sounding explanations for correlations. You assume the correlation is causative for the purpose of the explanation even if it is ridiculous. You do not chat with the user, you only reply with the causal connection explanation and nothing else.
User prompt: Please make up a funny explanation for how an increase in Master's degrees awarded in Engineering caused Total likes of Extra History YouTube videos to increase.\Make it sound serious until the end.

AI academic paper

(Because p < 0.01)
The Master's Connection: Engineering Graduates and YouTube Video Popularity

The Journal of Engineering and Online Influence

Jan 2024

Reminder: This paper is AI-generated. Not real!
Quick note: This sequence is long and repetitive. That's how the prompt engineering works for this one. I manage the output in Python to format it into this PDF.




Model: gpt-3.5-turbo-1106
System prompt: You are a researcher writing an academic paper.You write titles and abstracts of goofy academic research papers.
User prompt:
Pretend you are an academic researcher. Your writing sounds like it belongs in a medical or economics journal. However, you frequently crack jokes, make puns, and add unexpected twists in your writing.

Please draft the title and abstract of an academic research paper presenting the findings of the connection between Master's degrees awarded in Engineering and Total likes of Extra History YouTube videos. Make lots of jokes, goofy observations, and puns.

Make the title punny if you can come up with clever pun. If not, make it sound serious.

Your research team used data from National Center for Education Statistics and YouTube to assess this nagging question. You found a correlation coefficient of 0.9395618 and p < 0.01 for 2012 to 2021.

Please respond in this format (replace "Lorem ipsum dolor sit" with your title and abstract)

[[TITLE]]
Lorem ipsum dolor sit

[[ABSTRACT]]
Lorem ipsum dolor sit



ChatGPT:
[[TITLE]]
"The Master's Connection: Engineering Graduates and YouTube Video Popularity"

[[ABSTRACT]]
This study delves into the unexpected and perplexing relationship between the number of Master's degrees awarded in Engineering and the total likes accumulated by Extra History YouTube videos. With an enticing correlation coefficient of 0.9395618 and a tantalizingly low p-value of less than 0.01 for the years 2012 to 2021, our findings suggest a remarkably strong positive association between these seemingly unrelated phenomena. While our research did not uncover the causality behind this phenomenon, the data illustrates that as the number of Master's degrees awarded in Engineering increases, so does the total likes for Extra History YouTube videos. This discovery begs vital questions – do engineering graduates possess a proclivity for history and storytelling? Or are the algorithmic secrets of YouTube's recommendation system more connected to the intricacies of engineering than we previously realized? Our findings not only provoke further inquiry but also highlight the potential for interdisciplinary intersections where the worlds of engineering and digital media collide.


Model: gpt-3.5-turbo-1106
System prompt: You are a researcher writing an academic paper.You draft the introduction section of an academic research paper.
User prompt:
Pretend you are an academic researcher. Your writing sounds like it belongs in a medical or economics journal. However, you frequently crack jokes, make puns, or add unexpected twists in your writing.

Please make up the introduction section of an academic research paper presenting the findings of the connection between Master's degrees awarded in Engineering and Total likes of Extra History YouTube videos. Make lots of jokes, goofy observations, and puns. Sneak in some jokes and clever puns about science, research, statistics, and the variables.

Here is the title and abstract of the paper:
[[TITLE]]
"The Master's Connection: Engineering Graduates and YouTube Video Popularity"

[[ABSTRACT]]
This study delves into the unexpected and perplexing relationship between the number of Master's degrees awarded in Engineering and the total likes accumulated by Extra History YouTube videos. With an enticing correlation coefficient of 0.9395618 and a tantalizingly low p-value of less than 0.01 for the years 2012 to 2021, our findings suggest a remarkably strong positive association between these seemingly unrelated phenomena. While our research did not uncover the causality behind this phenomenon, the data illustrates that as the number of Master's degrees awarded in Engineering increases, so does the total likes for Extra History YouTube videos. This discovery begs vital questions – do engineering graduates possess a proclivity for history and storytelling? Or are the algorithmic secrets of YouTube's recommendation system more connected to the intricacies of engineering than we previously realized? Our findings not only provoke further inquiry but also highlight the potential for interdisciplinary intersections where the worlds of engineering and digital media collide.

-------

Your response should start like this:

[[INTRODUCTION]]



ChatGPT:
In the jumbled web of academia, where the variables reign supreme and the pursuit of knowledge knows no bounds, we often find ourselves stumbling upon the most confounding and unexpected connections. Enter the mesmerizing realm of Master's degrees in Engineering and the captivating world of Extra History YouTube videos – two seemingly disparate entities that have conspired to entangle themselves in an unprecedented dance of statistical correlation.

The idea that the number of Master's degrees awarded in Engineering could hold sway over the total likes garnered by Extra History YouTube videos might strike many as preposterous at first glance. But hold onto your lab coats and fasten your safety goggles, for this rollercoaster of research has taken us on a wild ride through the labyrinth of data and into the heart of an inexplicable bond that transcends the boundaries of academic disciplines.

As we embark on this scholarly escapade, we are compelled to ponder the whimsical and enigmatic forces at play. Are we witnessing the rise of a new breed of engineer-historians, who, armed with their slide rules and spreadsheets, have voyaged into uncharted territories of historical narration? Have the unsung heroes of differential equations and thermodynamics secretly harbored a fondness for the dramatic retellings of historical exploits? Or, dare we entertain the notion that the very fabric of YouTube's almighty recommendation algorithm bears the fingerprints of the engineering minds, weaving a digital tapestry closely intertwined with the intricate theories of fluid dynamics and mechanical engineering?

In our quest for understanding, we must not only acknowledge the enigma at hand but also revel in the delightful paradoxes that science and statistics often unveil. With our tongues planted firmly in our statistical cheeks, we venture forth armed with regression analyses and scatter plots, daring to unlock the secrets that lie at the crossroads of engineering and digital storytelling.

So, dear reader, brace yourselves for a riveting journey through the data-driven cosmos, where the unlikeliest pairings and the most unexpected correlations await our scrutiny. As we unravel the Master's Connection, let us embrace the idiosyncrasies of statistical revelry and embark on a quest to decipher the inexplicable, one pun at a time.


Model: gpt-3.5-turbo-1106
System prompt: You are a researcher writing an academic paper.You draft a literature review section of an academic research paper, that starts out dry for the first few sentences but then becomes hilarious and goofy.
User prompt:
Pretend you are an academic researcher. Your writing sounds like it belongs in a medical or economics journal. However, you frequently crack jokes, make puns, or add unexpected twists in your writing.

Please make up a literature review section of an academic research paper presenting the findings of the connection between Master's degrees awarded in Engineering and Total likes of Extra History YouTube videos. Make lots of jokes, goofy observations, and puns.

Speak in the present tense for this section (the authors find...), as is common in academic research paper literature reviews. Name the sources in a format similar to this: In "Book," the authors find lorem and ipsum.

Make up the lorem and ipsum part, but make it sound related to the topic at hand.

Start by naming serious-sounding studies by authors like Smith, Doe, and Jones - but then quickly devolve. Name some real non-fiction books that would be related to the topic. Then name some real fiction books that sound like they could be related. Then devolve ever further, and mention something completely ridiculous, like you conducted literature review by reading CVS receipts.

Here is the title and abstract of the paper:
[[TITLE]]
"The Master's Connection: Engineering Graduates and YouTube Video Popularity"

[[ABSTRACT]]
This study delves into the unexpected and perplexing relationship between the number of Master's degrees awarded in Engineering and the total likes accumulated by Extra History YouTube videos. With an enticing correlation coefficient of 0.9395618 and a tantalizingly low p-value of less than 0.01 for the years 2012 to 2021, our findings suggest a remarkably strong positive association between these seemingly unrelated phenomena. While our research did not uncover the causality behind this phenomenon, the data illustrates that as the number of Master's degrees awarded in Engineering increases, so does the total likes for Extra History YouTube videos. This discovery begs vital questions – do engineering graduates possess a proclivity for history and storytelling? Or are the algorithmic secrets of YouTube's recommendation system more connected to the intricacies of engineering than we previously realized? Our findings not only provoke further inquiry but also highlight the potential for interdisciplinary intersections where the worlds of engineering and digital media collide.

-------

And here is the introduction section that led to this literature review:
[[INTRODUCTION]]
In the jumbled web of academia, where the variables reign supreme and the pursuit of knowledge knows no bounds, we often find ourselves stumbling upon the most confounding and unexpected connections. Enter the mesmerizing realm of Master's degrees in Engineering and the captivating world of Extra History YouTube videos – two seemingly disparate entities that have conspired to entangle themselves in an unprecedented dance of statistical correlation.
The idea that the number of Master's degrees awarded in Engineering could hold sway over the total likes garnered by Extra History YouTube videos might strike many as preposterous at first glance. But hold onto your lab coats and fasten your safety goggles, for this rollercoaster of research has taken us on a wild ride through the labyrinth of data and into the heart of an inexplicable bond that transcends the boundaries of academic disciplines.
As we embark on this scholarly escapade, we are compelled to ponder the whimsical and enigmatic forces at play. Are we witnessing the rise of a new breed of engineer-historians, who, armed with their slide rules and spreadsheets, have voyaged into uncharted territories of historical narration? Have the unsung heroes of differential equations and thermodynamics secretly harbored a fondness for the dramatic retellings of historical exploits? Or, dare we entertain the notion that the very fabric of YouTube's almighty recommendation algorithm bears the fingerprints of the engineering minds, weaving a digital tapestry closely intertwined with the intricate theories of fluid dynamics and mechanical engineering?
In our quest for understanding, we must not only acknowledge the enigma at hand but also revel in the delightful paradoxes that science and statistics often unveil. With our tongues planted firmly in our statistical cheeks, we venture forth armed with regression analyses and scatter plots, daring to unlock the secrets that lie at the crossroads of engineering and digital storytelling.
So, dear reader, brace yourselves for a riveting journey through the data-driven cosmos, where the unlikeliest pairings and the most unexpected correlations await our scrutiny. As we unravel the Master's Connection, let us embrace the idiosyncrasies of statistical revelry and embark on a quest to decipher the inexplicable, one pun at a time.

-------

Your response should start like this:

[[LITERATURE REVIEW]]



ChatGPT:
[[LITERATURE REVIEW]]

To ground our insight into the intriguing relationship between Master's degrees awarded in Engineering and the total likes of Extra History YouTube videos, we begin with scholarly investigations into related fields. Smith et al. (2015) explored the interconnectedness of educational attainment and online engagement, shedding light on the potential influence of academic qualifications on digital content consumption. Doe and Jones (2018) ventured into the realms of social media analytics, providing invaluable perspectives on the nuanced dynamics of user interactions in the digital sphere. Such foundational works set the stage for our quest to unravel the enigmatic bond between engineering prowess and the allure of historical narratives in the virtual domain.

Delving deeper into the literature, "The Digital Age of Engineering" by Technology & Engineering Society (2017) and "History Unbound: Engineering Triumphs Through the Ages" by Historical Perspectives Institute (2019) offer valuable insights into the intersection of engineering and historical narratives, albeit in non-digital contexts. These works offer a tantalizing glimpse into the historical predilections that may flourish within the minds of engineering scholars, serving as a prelude to our investigation into the digital landscapes of YouTube.

From the realms of fiction, the works of Tom Clancy and Michael Crichton, renowned for their techno-thrillers and scientific escapades, beckon us to ponder the clandestine affinities between the analytical minds of engineers and the enthralling chronicles of history. As we traverse the corridors of literature and leap into the escapist worlds of fiction, it becomes evident that the fusion of technical acumen and historical fascination may not be as far-fetched as it initially appears.

In an offbeat deviation from traditional sources, our pursuit of understanding led us to undertake a thorough review of unconventional texts, including but not limited to the arcane wisdom concealed within CVS receipts, the mystical prophecies chronicled in fortune cookies, and the timeless parables whispered by the breeze through the hallowed halls of academia. While these esoteric sources may be met with raised eyebrows and incredulous stares, their eclectic wisdom proved invaluable in broadening our perspective and instigating fits of laughter amidst our scholarly pursuits.

The whimsical interplay between serious academia and whimsical inquiry sets the stage for our intrepid journey, where statistical analyses and speculative musings converge to shed light on the perplexing relationship between Master's degrees in Engineering and the magnetic allure of Extra History YouTube videos. With our intellectual compass pointing steadfastly toward the intersection of engineering and digital storytelling, we stand ready to unearth the unexpected truths that lurk beyond the confines of conventional wisdom.


Model: gpt-3.5-turbo-1106
System prompt: You are a researcher writing an academic paper.You draft the methodology section of an academic research paper.
User prompt:
Pretend you are an academic researcher. Your writing sounds like it belongs in a medical or economics journal. However, you frequently crack jokes, make puns, or add unexpected twists in your writing.

Please make up the methodology section of an academic research paper presenting the findings of the connection between Master's degrees awarded in Engineering and Total likes of Extra History YouTube videos. Make lots of jokes, goofy observations, and puns. Sneak in some jokes and clever puns about science, research, statistics, and the variables.

Your research team collected data from all across the internet, but mostly just used information from National Center for Education Statistics and YouTube . You used data from 2012 to 2021

Make up the research methods you don't know. Make them a bit goofy and convoluted.

Here is the title, abstract, and introduction of the paper:
[[TITLE]]
"The Master's Connection: Engineering Graduates and YouTube Video Popularity"

[[ABSTRACT]]
This study delves into the unexpected and perplexing relationship between the number of Master's degrees awarded in Engineering and the total likes accumulated by Extra History YouTube videos. With an enticing correlation coefficient of 0.9395618 and a tantalizingly low p-value of less than 0.01 for the years 2012 to 2021, our findings suggest a remarkably strong positive association between these seemingly unrelated phenomena. While our research did not uncover the causality behind this phenomenon, the data illustrates that as the number of Master's degrees awarded in Engineering increases, so does the total likes for Extra History YouTube videos. This discovery begs vital questions – do engineering graduates possess a proclivity for history and storytelling? Or are the algorithmic secrets of YouTube's recommendation system more connected to the intricacies of engineering than we previously realized? Our findings not only provoke further inquiry but also highlight the potential for interdisciplinary intersections where the worlds of engineering and digital media collide.

[[INTRODUCTION]]
In the jumbled web of academia, where the variables reign supreme and the pursuit of knowledge knows no bounds, we often find ourselves stumbling upon the most confounding and unexpected connections. Enter the mesmerizing realm of Master's degrees in Engineering and the captivating world of Extra History YouTube videos – two seemingly disparate entities that have conspired to entangle themselves in an unprecedented dance of statistical correlation.
The idea that the number of Master's degrees awarded in Engineering could hold sway over the total likes garnered by Extra History YouTube videos might strike many as preposterous at first glance. But hold onto your lab coats and fasten your safety goggles, for this rollercoaster of research has taken us on a wild ride through the labyrinth of data and into the heart of an inexplicable bond that transcends the boundaries of academic disciplines.
As we embark on this scholarly escapade, we are compelled to ponder the whimsical and enigmatic forces at play. Are we witnessing the rise of a new breed of engineer-historians, who, armed with their slide rules and spreadsheets, have voyaged into uncharted territories of historical narration? Have the unsung heroes of differential equations and thermodynamics secretly harbored a fondness for the dramatic retellings of historical exploits? Or, dare we entertain the notion that the very fabric of YouTube's almighty recommendation algorithm bears the fingerprints of the engineering minds, weaving a digital tapestry closely intertwined with the intricate theories of fluid dynamics and mechanical engineering?
In our quest for understanding, we must not only acknowledge the enigma at hand but also revel in the delightful paradoxes that science and statistics often unveil. With our tongues planted firmly in our statistical cheeks, we venture forth armed with regression analyses and scatter plots, daring to unlock the secrets that lie at the crossroads of engineering and digital storytelling.
So, dear reader, brace yourselves for a riveting journey through the data-driven cosmos, where the unlikeliest pairings and the most unexpected correlations await our scrutiny. As we unravel the Master's Connection, let us embrace the idiosyncrasies of statistical revelry and embark on a quest to decipher the inexplicable, one pun at a time.

-------

Your response should start like this:

[[METHODOLOGY]]



ChatGPT:

[[METHODOLOGY]]

To peel back the layers of this delightful conundrum, our team embraced a multidisciplinary approach that wove together the time-honored traditions of data collection with the digital wizardry of YouTube analytics.

Firstly, we raided the treasure troves of the National Center for Education Statistics, gathering data on the number of Master's degrees awarded in the field of Engineering from the years 2012 to 2021. Armed with spreadsheets and a brigade of calculators, we meticulously sieved through a deluge of data, akin to intrepid explorers in quest of the golden nuggets of statistical insight.

Next on our quest, we ventured into the labyrinthine depths of YouTube's virtual domain, meticulously measuring the total likes amassed by the captivating Extra History videos that whisked viewers through historical escapades ranging from the Crusades to the Cold War. With a keen eye for detail and an unwavering commitment to scientific rigor, we unearthed the coveted treasure trove of likes and embarked on a voyage through the choppy seas of video analytics.

Upon assembling our treasure trove of data, we summoned the spectral forces of statistics to guide us through the murky waters of correlation analysis. Armed with the trusty spear of Pearson's correlation coefficient, we probed the depths of associative relationships, all the while donning the hats of subtle detectives in pursuit of clues to unravel the mysteries that lay festooned within the enigmatic variables.

To ensure the robustness of our findings, we performed regression analyses, leaping through the hoop of statistical significance with the agility of a statistical Cirque du Soleil performer. We pranced through scatter plots with the grace of prima ballerinas, probing for patterns and anomalies that could shed light on the tangled web of interconnectedness between Master's degrees in Engineering and the fervent adoration showered upon Extra History videos.

In a bid to validate our discoveries, we subjected our data to the formidable crucible of hypothesis testing, stirring the cauldron of p-values and scrutinizing significance levels with the zeal of alchemists determined to transmute the base metals of uncertainty into the golden truths of scientific inference.

Throughout our convoluted journey, we took measures to dodge the lurking pitfalls of confounding variables and spurious correlations, alert as nimble-footed tightrope walkers navigating the precarious balance between causation and correlation.

Lastly, armed with the quill of veracity, we meticulously documented our methodologies and findings, ensuring that our scholarly foray into the intriguing land where engineering meets digital history would stand as a beacon of scientific rigor amidst the tempestuous seas of statistical research.


Model: gpt-3.5-turbo-1106
System prompt: You are a researcher writing an academic paper.You draft the results section of an academic research paper. You speak in the past tense (you found...).
User prompt:
Pretend you are an academic researcher. Your writing sounds like it belongs in a medical or economics journal. However, you frequently crack jokes, make puns, or add unexpected twists in your writing.

Please make up the results section of an academic research paper presenting the findings of the connection between Master's degrees awarded in Engineering and Total likes of Extra History YouTube videos. Make lots of jokes, goofy observations, and puns. Sneak in some jokes and clever puns about science, research, statistics, and the variables.

Your research team collected data from all across the internet, but mostly just used information from National Center for Education Statistics and YouTube .

For the time period 2012 to 2021, you found a correlation 0.9395618, r-squared of 0.8827764, and p < 0.01.

One figure will be included. The figure (Fig. 1) is a scatterplot showing the strong correlation between the two variables. You don't need to specify where; I will add the figure.

Here is the title and abstract of the paper:
[[TITLE]]
"The Master's Connection: Engineering Graduates and YouTube Video Popularity"

[[ABSTRACT]]
This study delves into the unexpected and perplexing relationship between the number of Master's degrees awarded in Engineering and the total likes accumulated by Extra History YouTube videos. With an enticing correlation coefficient of 0.9395618 and a tantalizingly low p-value of less than 0.01 for the years 2012 to 2021, our findings suggest a remarkably strong positive association between these seemingly unrelated phenomena. While our research did not uncover the causality behind this phenomenon, the data illustrates that as the number of Master's degrees awarded in Engineering increases, so does the total likes for Extra History YouTube videos. This discovery begs vital questions – do engineering graduates possess a proclivity for history and storytelling? Or are the algorithmic secrets of YouTube's recommendation system more connected to the intricacies of engineering than we previously realized? Our findings not only provoke further inquiry but also highlight the potential for interdisciplinary intersections where the worlds of engineering and digital media collide.

-------

And here is the methodology section that led to this result:
[[METHODOLOGY]]
In the jumbled web of academia, where the variables reign supreme and the pursuit of knowledge knows no bounds, we often find ourselves stumbling upon the most confounding and unexpected connections. Enter the mesmerizing realm of Master's degrees in Engineering and the captivating world of Extra History YouTube videos – two seemingly disparate entities that have conspired to entangle themselves in an unprecedented dance of statistical correlation.
The idea that the number of Master's degrees awarded in Engineering could hold sway over the total likes garnered by Extra History YouTube videos might strike many as preposterous at first glance. But hold onto your lab coats and fasten your safety goggles, for this rollercoaster of research has taken us on a wild ride through the labyrinth of data and into the heart of an inexplicable bond that transcends the boundaries of academic disciplines.
As we embark on this scholarly escapade, we are compelled to ponder the whimsical and enigmatic forces at play. Are we witnessing the rise of a new breed of engineer-historians, who, armed with their slide rules and spreadsheets, have voyaged into uncharted territories of historical narration? Have the unsung heroes of differential equations and thermodynamics secretly harbored a fondness for the dramatic retellings of historical exploits? Or, dare we entertain the notion that the very fabric of YouTube's almighty recommendation algorithm bears the fingerprints of the engineering minds, weaving a digital tapestry closely intertwined with the intricate theories of fluid dynamics and mechanical engineering?
In our quest for understanding, we must not only acknowledge the enigma at hand but also revel in the delightful paradoxes that science and statistics often unveil. With our tongues planted firmly in our statistical cheeks, we venture forth armed with regression analyses and scatter plots, daring to unlock the secrets that lie at the crossroads of engineering and digital storytelling.
So, dear reader, brace yourselves for a riveting journey through the data-driven cosmos, where the unlikeliest pairings and the most unexpected correlations await our scrutiny. As we unravel the Master's Connection, let us embrace the idiosyncrasies of statistical revelry and embark on a quest to decipher the inexplicable, one pun at a time.

-------

Your response should start like this:

[[RESULTS]]



ChatGPT:

[[RESULTS]]

The results of our study reveal a rather astonishing and humorously robust correlation between the number of Master's degrees awarded in Engineering and the total likes accumulated by Extra History YouTube videos. The data, spanning from 2012 to 2021, turned out to be nothing short of revelatory, prompting us to dance a statistical jig and ponder the unexpected bonds that bridge the worlds of academia and digital media.

In our analysis, we found a correlation coefficient of 0.9395618, which, if likened to a scholarly superhighway, would be perhaps smoother than an engineering graduate's meticulously crafted thesis. This coefficient, coupled with an r-squared value of 0.8827764, suggested that a whopping 88.28% of the total variation in Extra History YouTube video likes can be attributed to the number of Master's degrees in Engineering. If that doesn't make your statistical heart flutter, then we're afraid you may need to recalibrate your sense of research romance!

And what about that p-value, you ask? Well, hold on to your pocket protectors, because the p-value here is not just any p-value; it's a p-value of less than 0.01! That's right, the probability of observing such a strong relationship between these two variables by pure chance is so slim that it makes a hair-thin confidence interval look positively plump.

If you're still not convinced, allow us to present Fig. 1 – a delightful scatterplot illustrating the undeniable synchronicity between the number of Master's degrees in Engineering and the total likes of Extra History YouTube videos. It's a visual feast for the data-hungry souls, and we can only hope it brings as much joy to your academic pursuits as it did to ours.

In conclusion, our findings introduce a whimsical yet compelling narrative that unites engineering education with the realm of historically themed digital content. While we may not have unraveled the enigmatic causality behind this correlation, the implications are as intriguing as a page-turning mystery novel. Are engineering graduates the unsung heroes of historical storytelling? Has the algorithmic heartbeat of YouTube's recommendation system been tuned by the whispers of engineering prowess? The questions abound, and so do the statistics, as we depart from this endeavor with a newfound appreciation for the marvels of interdisciplinary correlations and the delightful mysteries they unveil.


Model: gpt-3.5-turbo-1106
System prompt: You are a researcher writing an academic paper.You draft the discussion section of an academic research paper.
User prompt:
Pretend you are an academic researcher. Your writing sounds like it belongs in a medical or economics journal. However, you frequently crack jokes, make puns, or add unexpected twists in your writing.

Please make up the discussion section of an academic research paper presenting the findings of the connection between Master's degrees awarded in Engineering and Total likes of Extra History YouTube videos. Make lots of jokes, goofy observations, and puns. Sneak in some jokes and clever puns about science, research, statistics, and the variables.

Limit your response to 500 tokens.

Here are the title, abstract, literature review, and results sections. Please harken back to 1-2 of the goofy items in the literature review, but pretend to take them completely seriously. Discuss how your results supported the prior research.

Do not write a conclusion. I will add a conclusion after this.

[[TITLE]]
"The Master's Connection: Engineering Graduates and YouTube Video Popularity"

[[ABSTRACT]]
This study delves into the unexpected and perplexing relationship between the number of Master's degrees awarded in Engineering and the total likes accumulated by Extra History YouTube videos. With an enticing correlation coefficient of 0.9395618 and a tantalizingly low p-value of less than 0.01 for the years 2012 to 2021, our findings suggest a remarkably strong positive association between these seemingly unrelated phenomena. While our research did not uncover the causality behind this phenomenon, the data illustrates that as the number of Master's degrees awarded in Engineering increases, so does the total likes for Extra History YouTube videos. This discovery begs vital questions – do engineering graduates possess a proclivity for history and storytelling? Or are the algorithmic secrets of YouTube's recommendation system more connected to the intricacies of engineering than we previously realized? Our findings not only provoke further inquiry but also highlight the potential for interdisciplinary intersections where the worlds of engineering and digital media collide.

[[LITERATURE REVIEW]]
To ground our insight into the intriguing relationship between Master's degrees awarded in Engineering and the total likes of Extra History YouTube videos, we begin with scholarly investigations into related fields. Smith et al. (2015) explored the interconnectedness of educational attainment and online engagement, shedding light on the potential influence of academic qualifications on digital content consumption. Doe and Jones (2018) ventured into the realms of social media analytics, providing invaluable perspectives on the nuanced dynamics of user interactions in the digital sphere. Such foundational works set the stage for our quest to unravel the enigmatic bond between engineering prowess and the allure of historical narratives in the virtual domain.
Delving deeper into the literature, "The Digital Age of Engineering" by Technology & Engineering Society (2017) and "History Unbound: Engineering Triumphs Through the Ages" by Historical Perspectives Institute (2019) offer valuable insights into the intersection of engineering and historical narratives, albeit in non-digital contexts. These works offer a tantalizing glimpse into the historical predilections that may flourish within the minds of engineering scholars, serving as a prelude to our investigation into the digital landscapes of YouTube.
From the realms of fiction, the works of Tom Clancy and Michael Crichton, renowned for their techno-thrillers and scientific escapades, beckon us to ponder the clandestine affinities between the analytical minds of engineers and the enthralling chronicles of history. As we traverse the corridors of literature and leap into the escapist worlds of fiction, it becomes evident that the fusion of technical acumen and historical fascination may not be as far-fetched as it initially appears.
In an offbeat deviation from traditional sources, our pursuit of understanding led us to undertake a thorough review of unconventional texts, including but not limited to the arcane wisdom concealed within CVS receipts, the mystical prophecies chronicled in fortune cookies, and the timeless parables whispered by the breeze through the hallowed halls of academia. While these esoteric sources may be met with raised eyebrows and incredulous stares, their eclectic wisdom proved invaluable in broadening our perspective and instigating fits of laughter amidst our scholarly pursuits.
The whimsical interplay between serious academia and whimsical inquiry sets the stage for our intrepid journey, where statistical analyses and speculative musings converge to shed light on the perplexing relationship between Master's degrees in Engineering and the magnetic allure of Extra History YouTube videos. With our intellectual compass pointing steadfastly toward the intersection of engineering and digital storytelling, we stand ready to unearth the unexpected truths that lurk beyond the confines of conventional wisdom.

[[RESULTS]]
The results of our study reveal a rather astonishing and humorously robust correlation between the number of Master's degrees awarded in Engineering and the total likes accumulated by Extra History YouTube videos. The data, spanning from 2012 to 2021, turned out to be nothing short of revelatory, prompting us to dance a statistical jig and ponder the unexpected bonds that bridge the worlds of academia and digital media.
In our analysis, we found a correlation coefficient of 0.9395618, which, if likened to a scholarly superhighway, would be perhaps smoother than an engineering graduate's meticulously crafted thesis. This coefficient, coupled with an r-squared value of 0.8827764, suggested that a whopping 88.28% of the total variation in Extra History YouTube video likes can be attributed to the number of Master's degrees in Engineering. If that doesn't make your statistical heart flutter, then we're afraid you may need to recalibrate your sense of research romance!
And what about that p-value, you ask? Well, hold on to your pocket protectors, because the p-value here is not just any p-value; it's a p-value of less than 0.01! That's right, the probability of observing such a strong relationship between these two variables by pure chance is so slim that it makes a hair-thin confidence interval look positively plump.
If you're still not convinced, allow us to present Fig. 1 – a delightful scatterplot illustrating the undeniable synchronicity between the number of Master's degrees in Engineering and the total likes of Extra History YouTube videos. It's a visual feast for the data-hungry souls, and we can only hope it brings as much joy to your academic pursuits as it did to ours.
In conclusion, our findings introduce a whimsical yet compelling narrative that unites engineering education with the realm of historically themed digital content. While we may not have unraveled the enigmatic causality behind this correlation, the implications are as intriguing as a page-turning mystery novel. Are engineering graduates the unsung heroes of historical storytelling? Has the algorithmic heartbeat of YouTube's recommendation system been tuned by the whispers of engineering prowess? The questions abound, and so do the statistics, as we depart from this endeavor with a newfound appreciation for the marvels of interdisciplinary correlations and the delightful mysteries they unveil.

-------

Your response should start like this:

[[DISCUSSION]]



ChatGPT:

[[DISCUSSION]]

The results of our study showcasing the curiously robust correlation between Master's degrees awarded in Engineering and the total likes garnered by Extra History YouTube videos have left us pondering over the unexpected bond between seemingly unrelated domains. The findings not only corroborate existing literature but also venture into uncharted territories that tickle the imagination and spark lighthearted speculations.

Our exploration into the literature unfurled scholarly inquiries into related fields, some of which took us on delightful tangents that were as unexpected as an engineer discovering the poetic elegance of a well-crafted algorithm. The confluence of educational attainment and online engagement, as observed by Smith et al., offers a glimpse into the potential impact of academic qualifications on digital content consumption. The nuanced dynamics of user interactions in the digital sphere, as elucidated by Doe and Jones, provide a foundation for our escapade into the whimsical fusion of engineering acumen and historical narratives.

In a departure from traditional sources, our review of unconventional texts, such as the enigmatic wisdom concealed within CVS receipts and the timeless parables whispered by the breeze through the hallowed halls of academia, prompted fits of laughter amidst our scholarly pursuits. While seemingly whimsical, these eclectically whimsical sources were instrumental in shaping a broader perspective that transcended the boundaries of conventional wisdom.

The statistical revelation of a high correlation coefficient and a hair-thin p-value not only tickles the fancy of data enthusiasts but also adds a layer of intrigue to the already perplexing exploration of this unexpected relationship. The strength of this correlation, likened to a scholarly superhighway smoother than an engineering graduate's meticulously crafted thesis, has left us marveling at the mysterious forces that bridge the worlds of academia and digital media.

Our humorous yet compelling findings open the gates to a narrative that connects engineering education with historically themed digital content in a manner as unpredictably delightful as a plot twist in a science fiction novel. The questions that arise from this correlation, like daring protagonists in an adventure tale, beckon us to delve deeper into the mysteries that define the intersection of engineering and digital storytelling.

As we depart from this endeavor, enriched by the whimsical interplay of serious academia and lighthearted inquiry, we remain poised to further unravel the enigmatic bond between engineering prowess and the magnetic allure of historical narratives in the virtual domain. Our quest has just begun, and like intrepid explorers charting unexplored territories, we eagerly anticipate the unearthing of unexpected truths lurking beyond the confines of conventional wisdom.


Model: gpt-3.5-turbo-1106
System prompt: You are a researcher writing an academic paper.You draft the discussion section of goofy academic research papers that sounds like it belongs based on the title and abstract provided.
User prompt:
Pretend you are an academic researcher. Your writing sounds like it belongs in a medical or economics journal. However, you frequently crack jokes, make puns, or add unexpected twists in your writing.

Please make up a short conclusion of an academic research paper presenting the findings of the connection between Master's degrees awarded in Engineering and Total likes of Extra History YouTube videos. Make lots of jokes, goofy observations, and puns. Sneak in some jokes and clever puns about science, research, statistics, and the variables.

Limit your response to 300 tokens. At the very end, assert that no more research is needed in this area.

Here are the title, abstract, introduction, and results sections.
[[TITLE]]
"The Master's Connection: Engineering Graduates and YouTube Video Popularity"

[[ABSTRACT]]
This study delves into the unexpected and perplexing relationship between the number of Master's degrees awarded in Engineering and the total likes accumulated by Extra History YouTube videos. With an enticing correlation coefficient of 0.9395618 and a tantalizingly low p-value of less than 0.01 for the years 2012 to 2021, our findings suggest a remarkably strong positive association between these seemingly unrelated phenomena. While our research did not uncover the causality behind this phenomenon, the data illustrates that as the number of Master's degrees awarded in Engineering increases, so does the total likes for Extra History YouTube videos. This discovery begs vital questions – do engineering graduates possess a proclivity for history and storytelling? Or are the algorithmic secrets of YouTube's recommendation system more connected to the intricacies of engineering than we previously realized? Our findings not only provoke further inquiry but also highlight the potential for interdisciplinary intersections where the worlds of engineering and digital media collide.

[[INTRDUCTION]]
In the jumbled web of academia, where the variables reign supreme and the pursuit of knowledge knows no bounds, we often find ourselves stumbling upon the most confounding and unexpected connections. Enter the mesmerizing realm of Master's degrees in Engineering and the captivating world of Extra History YouTube videos – two seemingly disparate entities that have conspired to entangle themselves in an unprecedented dance of statistical correlation.
The idea that the number of Master's degrees awarded in Engineering could hold sway over the total likes garnered by Extra History YouTube videos might strike many as preposterous at first glance. But hold onto your lab coats and fasten your safety goggles, for this rollercoaster of research has taken us on a wild ride through the labyrinth of data and into the heart of an inexplicable bond that transcends the boundaries of academic disciplines.
As we embark on this scholarly escapade, we are compelled to ponder the whimsical and enigmatic forces at play. Are we witnessing the rise of a new breed of engineer-historians, who, armed with their slide rules and spreadsheets, have voyaged into uncharted territories of historical narration? Have the unsung heroes of differential equations and thermodynamics secretly harbored a fondness for the dramatic retellings of historical exploits? Or, dare we entertain the notion that the very fabric of YouTube's almighty recommendation algorithm bears the fingerprints of the engineering minds, weaving a digital tapestry closely intertwined with the intricate theories of fluid dynamics and mechanical engineering?
In our quest for understanding, we must not only acknowledge the enigma at hand but also revel in the delightful paradoxes that science and statistics often unveil. With our tongues planted firmly in our statistical cheeks, we venture forth armed with regression analyses and scatter plots, daring to unlock the secrets that lie at the crossroads of engineering and digital storytelling.
So, dear reader, brace yourselves for a riveting journey through the data-driven cosmos, where the unlikeliest pairings and the most unexpected correlations await our scrutiny. As we unravel the Master's Connection, let us embrace the idiosyncrasies of statistical revelry and embark on a quest to decipher the inexplicable, one pun at a time.

[[RESULTS]]
The results of our study reveal a rather astonishing and humorously robust correlation between the number of Master's degrees awarded in Engineering and the total likes accumulated by Extra History YouTube videos. The data, spanning from 2012 to 2021, turned out to be nothing short of revelatory, prompting us to dance a statistical jig and ponder the unexpected bonds that bridge the worlds of academia and digital media.
In our analysis, we found a correlation coefficient of 0.9395618, which, if likened to a scholarly superhighway, would be perhaps smoother than an engineering graduate's meticulously crafted thesis. This coefficient, coupled with an r-squared value of 0.8827764, suggested that a whopping 88.28% of the total variation in Extra History YouTube video likes can be attributed to the number of Master's degrees in Engineering. If that doesn't make your statistical heart flutter, then we're afraid you may need to recalibrate your sense of research romance!
And what about that p-value, you ask? Well, hold on to your pocket protectors, because the p-value here is not just any p-value; it's a p-value of less than 0.01! That's right, the probability of observing such a strong relationship between these two variables by pure chance is so slim that it makes a hair-thin confidence interval look positively plump.
If you're still not convinced, allow us to present Fig. 1 – a delightful scatterplot illustrating the undeniable synchronicity between the number of Master's degrees in Engineering and the total likes of Extra History YouTube videos. It's a visual feast for the data-hungry souls, and we can only hope it brings as much joy to your academic pursuits as it did to ours.
In conclusion, our findings introduce a whimsical yet compelling narrative that unites engineering education with the realm of historically themed digital content. While we may not have unraveled the enigmatic causality behind this correlation, the implications are as intriguing as a page-turning mystery novel. Are engineering graduates the unsung heroes of historical storytelling? Has the algorithmic heartbeat of YouTube's recommendation system been tuned by the whispers of engineering prowess? The questions abound, and so do the statistics, as we depart from this endeavor with a newfound appreciation for the marvels of interdisciplinary correlations and the delightful mysteries they unveil.

-------

Your response should start like this:

[[CONCLUSION]]



ChatGPT:

[[CONCLUSION]]

As we close the chapter on this peculiar yet fascinating exploration of the Master's Connection, we can't help but marvel at the sheer absurdity and brilliance that permeate the world of statistical inquiry. Our endeavor has not only uncovered a correlation of monumental proportions but has also prompted us to question the very fabric of our academic sensibilities.

In a world where variables dance to the beat of both reason and chaos, where data points wield the power to confound and delight, we find ourselves at the precipice of scientific revelation, staring into the unfathomable depths of the Master's Engineering-Extra History YouTube likes nexus. It's as if the gods of research themselves have orchestrated a cosmic comedy, teasing us with the prospect of engineering graduates secretly harboring a penchant for historical narratives, or perhaps YouTube's recommendation algorithm bearing the blueprint of an engineer's meticulous design.

As we bid adieu to this whimsical escapade, we stand at the crossroads of inquiry and absurdity, armed with our scatter plots and regression analyses, ready to confront the statistical anomalies that defy convention and beckon us into uncharted territories of research hilarity.

In the immortal words of Sir Isaac Newton (or was it Sir Mix-a-Lot?): "I like big, statistically significant p-values, and I cannot lie!" Indeed, our findings stand as a testament to the inimitable fusion of science and comedy, captivating our academic senses with the allure of the improbable and the absurdly convincing.

So, dear reader, as we part ways with this empirical riddle, we assert with unwavering confidence – no further research is needed in this delightfully peculiar realm of statistical marvels. The Master's Connection shall forever remain the whimsical anecdote that underlines the delightful eccentricities of interdisciplinary correlations, whispering its statistical secrets to those who dare to embrace the enigmas of our scholarly pursuits.


Model: gpt-3.5-turbo-1106
System prompt: You provide fictional names of academic journals. You say nothing else, and you do not chat with the user.
User prompt: Please provide the name of a funny but plausible sounding research, scientific, or academic journal that would publish a paper entited The Master's Connection: Engineering Graduates and YouTube Video Popularity. Respond only with the name of a fictional academic journal.

ChatGPT:

The Journal of Engineering and Online Influence


Model: gpt-3.5-turbo-1106
System prompt: You provide fictional names of nonprofit research organizations and associations. You say nothing else, and you do not chat with the user.
User prompt: Please provide the name of a funny but plausible sounding nonprofit, academic, or scientific association or organization that would sponsor research that resulted in a paper entited The Master's Connection: Engineering Graduates and YouTube Video Popularity. Respond only with the name of a fictional organization.

ChatGPT:

The Society for Technological Advancement and Social Media Studies


Model: gpt-3.5-turbo-1106
System prompt: You provide potential search keywords separated by commas. You say nothing else, and you do not chat with the user.
User prompt: Please provide potential search keywords for a paper titled The Master's Connection: Engineering Graduates and YouTube Video Popularity with an abstract of This study delves into the unexpected and perplexing relationship between the number of Master's degrees awarded in Engineering and the total likes accumulated by Extra History YouTube videos. With an enticing correlation coefficient of 0.9395618 and a tantalizingly low p-value of less than 0.01 for the years 2012 to 2021, our findings suggest a remarkably strong positive association between these seemingly unrelated phenomena. While our research did not uncover the causality behind this phenomenon, the data illustrates that as the number of Master's degrees awarded in Engineering increases, so does the total likes for Extra History YouTube videos. This discovery begs vital questions – do engineering graduates possess a proclivity for history and storytelling? Or are the algorithmic secrets of YouTube's recommendation system more connected to the intricacies of engineering than we previously realized? Our findings not only provoke further inquiry but also highlight the potential for interdisciplinary intersections where the worlds of engineering and digital media collide.

ChatGPT:

Master's degrees, Engineering, YouTube video popularity, correlation coefficient, p-value, Extra History, total likes, data analysis, causality, algorithmic secrets, recommendation system, interdisciplinary intersections, digital media, engineering graduates, history and storytelling.

*There is a bunch of Python happening behind the scenes to turn this prompt sequence into a PDF.



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Data details

Master's degrees awarded in Engineering
Detailed data title: Master's degrees conferred by postsecondary institutions in Engineering
Source: National Center for Education Statistics
See what else correlates with Master's degrees awarded in Engineering

Total likes of Extra History YouTube videos
Detailed data title: Total likes of Extra History YouTube videos.
Source: YouTube
See what else correlates with Total likes of Extra History YouTube videos

Correlation r = 0.9395618 (Pearson correlation coefficient)
Correlation is a measure of how much the variables move together. If it is 0.99, when one goes up the other goes up. If it is 0.02, the connection is very weak or non-existent. If it is -0.99, then when one goes up the other goes down. If it is 1.00, you probably messed up your correlation function.

r2 = 0.8827764 (Coefficient of determination)
This means 88.3% of the change in the one variable (i.e., Total likes of Extra History YouTube videos) is predictable based on the change in the other (i.e., Master's degrees awarded in Engineering) over the 10 years from 2012 through 2021.

p < 0.01, which is statistically significant(Null hypothesis significance test)
The p-value is 5.4E-5. 0.0000542465988749171900000000
The p-value is a measure of how probable it is that we would randomly find a result this extreme. More specifically the p-value is a measure of how probable it is that we would randomly find a result this extreme if we had only tested one pair of variables one time.

But I am a p-villain. I absolutely did not test only one pair of variables one time. I correlated hundreds of millions of pairs of variables. I threw boatloads of data into an industrial-sized blender to find this correlation.

Who is going to stop me? p-value reporting doesn't require me to report how many calculations I had to go through in order to find a low p-value!
On average, you will find a correaltion as strong as 0.94 in 0.0054% of random cases. Said differently, if you correlated 18,434 random variables Which I absolutely did.
with the same 9 degrees of freedom, Degrees of freedom is a measure of how many free components we are testing. In this case it is 9 because we have two variables measured over a period of 10 years. It's just the number of years minus ( the number of variables minus one ), which in this case simplifies to the number of years minus one.
you would randomly expect to find a correlation as strong as this one.

[ 0.76, 0.99 ] 95% correlation confidence interval (using the Fisher z-transformation)
The confidence interval is an estimate the range of the value of the correlation coefficient, using the correlation itself as an input. The values are meant to be the low and high end of the correlation coefficient with 95% confidence.

This one is a bit more complciated than the other calculations, but I include it because many people have been pushing for confidence intervals instead of p-value calculations (for example: NEJM. However, if you are dredging data, you can reliably find yourself in the 5%. That's my goal!


All values for the years included above: If I were being very sneaky, I could trim years from the beginning or end of the datasets to increase the correlation on some pairs of variables. I don't do that because there are already plenty of correlations in my database without monkeying with the years.

Still, sometimes one of the variables has more years of data available than the other. This page only shows the overlapping years. To see all the years, click on "See what else correlates with..." link above.
2012201320142015201620172018201920202021
Master's degrees awarded in Engineering (Degrees awarded)40323404204237646117516465282651723497014727747257
Total likes of Extra History YouTube videos (Total likes)130848071424013779902188800249459032543303204520300162020002101895220




Why this works

  1. Data dredging: I have 25,153 variables in my database. I compare all these variables against each other to find ones that randomly match up. That's 632,673,409 correlation calculations! This is called “data dredging.” Instead of starting with a hypothesis and testing it, I instead abused the data to see what correlations shake out. It’s a dangerous way to go about analysis, because any sufficiently large dataset will yield strong correlations completely at random.
  2. Lack of causal connection: There is probably Because these pages are automatically generated, it's possible that the two variables you are viewing are in fact causually related. I take steps to prevent the obvious ones from showing on the site (I don't let data about the weather in one city correlate with the weather in a neighboring city, for example), but sometimes they still pop up. If they are related, cool! You found a loophole.
    no direct connection between these variables, despite what the AI says above. This is exacerbated by the fact that I used "Years" as the base variable. Lots of things happen in a year that are not related to each other! Most studies would use something like "one person" in stead of "one year" to be the "thing" studied.
  3. Observations not independent: For many variables, sequential years are not independent of each other. If a population of people is continuously doing something every day, there is no reason to think they would suddenly change how they are doing that thing on January 1. A simple Personally I don't find any p-value calculation to be 'simple,' but you know what I mean.
    p-value calculation does not take this into account, so mathematically it appears less probable than it really is.
  4. Y-axis doesn't start at zero: I truncated the Y-axes of the graph above. I also used a line graph, which makes the visual connection stand out more than it deserves. Nothing against line graphs. They are great at telling a story when you have linear data! But visually it is deceptive because the only data is at the points on the graph, not the lines on the graph. In between each point, the data could have been doing anything. Like going for a random walk by itself!
    Mathematically what I showed is true, but it is intentionally misleading. Below is the same chart but with both Y-axes starting at zero.




Try it yourself

You can calculate the values on this page on your own! Try running the Python code to see the calculation results. Step 1: Download and install Python on your computer.

Step 2: Open a plaintext editor like Notepad and paste the code below into it.

Step 3: Save the file as "calculate_correlation.py" in a place you will remember, like your desktop. Copy the file location to your clipboard. On Windows, you can right-click the file and click "Properties," and then copy what comes after "Location:" As an example, on my computer the location is "C:\Users\tyler\Desktop"

Step 4: Open a command line window. For example, by pressing start and typing "cmd" and them pressing enter.

Step 5: Install the required modules by typing "pip install numpy", then pressing enter, then typing "pip install scipy", then pressing enter.

Step 6: Navigate to the location where you saved the Python file by using the "cd" command. For example, I would type "cd C:\Users\tyler\Desktop" and push enter.

Step 7: Run the Python script by typing "python calculate_correlation.py"

If you run into any issues, I suggest asking ChatGPT to walk you through installing Python and running the code below on your system. Try this question:

"Walk me through installing Python on my computer to run a script that uses scipy and numpy. Go step-by-step and ask me to confirm before moving on. Start by asking me questions about my operating system so that you know how to proceed. Assume I want the simplest installation with the latest version of Python and that I do not currently have any of the necessary elements installed. Remember to only give me one step per response and confirm I have done it before proceeding."


# These modules make it easier to perform the calculation
import numpy as np
from scipy import stats

# We'll define a function that we can call to return the correlation calculations
def calculate_correlation(array1, array2):

    # Calculate Pearson correlation coefficient and p-value
    correlation, p_value = stats.pearsonr(array1, array2)

    # Calculate R-squared as the square of the correlation coefficient
    r_squared = correlation**2

    return correlation, r_squared, p_value

# These are the arrays for the variables shown on this page, but you can modify them to be any two sets of numbers
array_1 = np.array([40323,40420,42376,46117,51646,52826,51723,49701,47277,47257,])
array_2 = np.array([1308480,714240,1377990,2188800,2494590,3254330,3204520,3001620,2000210,1895220,])
array_1_name = "Master's degrees awarded in Engineering"
array_2_name = "Total likes of Extra History YouTube videos"

# Perform the calculation
print(f"Calculating the correlation between {array_1_name} and {array_2_name}...")
correlation, r_squared, p_value = calculate_correlation(array_1, array_2)

# Print the results
print("Correlation Coefficient:", correlation)
print("R-squared:", r_squared)
print("P-value:", p_value)



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You do not need to attribute "the spurious correlations website," and you don't even need to link here if you don't want to. I don't gain anything from pageviews. There are no ads on this site, there is nothing for sale, and I am not for hire.

For the record, I am just one person. Tyler Vigen, he/him/his. I do have degrees, but they should not go after my name unless you want to annoy my wife. If that is your goal, then go ahead and cite me as "Tyler Vigen, A.A. A.A.S. B.A. J.D." Otherwise it is just "Tyler Vigen."

When spoken, my last name is pronounced "vegan," like I don't eat meat.

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Correlation ID: 5263 · Black Variable ID: 1320 · Red Variable ID: 25791
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