spurious correlations
random · discover · next page →
don't miss spurious scholar,
where each of these is an academic paper
View details about correlation #1,765
As the number of bachelor's degrees awarded in Engineering technologies increased, there was a corresponding surge in knowledge about the intricate engineering principles behind tire construction. This led to a sudden influx of overqualified individuals entering the tire repair and changing industry in Utah, all vying to design the most advanced, high-tech tire repair methods the world has ever seen. It's a wheel-y competitive market out there now!
View details about correlation #4,112
Parents naming their kids Aubrey are investing more in fancy cars, leading to an increase in gas consumption and therefore, an uptick in demand for Exxon Mobil's products. Looks like the name Aubrey is driving more than just social media popularity!
What else correlates?
Popularity of the first name Aubrey · all first names
Exxon Mobil's stock price (XOM) · all stocks
Popularity of the first name Aubrey · all first names
Exxon Mobil's stock price (XOM) · all stocks
View details about correlation #2,848
As households spent less on processed fruits, there was a decrease in fruit sticker production. This led to a nationwide sticker shortage. To fill the sticker gap, cotton in Louisiana was genetically modified to produce sticker-like tags, but it unexpectedly led to a decrease in GMO use in cotton.
What else correlates?
US household spending on processed fruits · all weird & wacky
GMO use in cotton in Louisiana · all food
US household spending on processed fruits · all weird & wacky
GMO use in cotton in Louisiana · all food
View details about correlation #2,461
As the air cleared in Des Moines, it seems the postmasters weren't the only ones feeling a bit "un-stationed." It's possible that with cleaner air, postal workers and machinery were operating more efficiently, leading to a reduced need for postmasters statewide. It's a classic case of smog being the only thing propping up those postage-oriented job positions!
What else correlates?
Air pollution in Des Moines · all weather
The number of postmasters in Iowa · all cccupations
Air pollution in Des Moines · all weather
The number of postmasters in Iowa · all cccupations
View details about correlation #1,705
The avocado trees were loving the sustainable energy vibes and producing extra delicious avocados for the toast!
What else correlates?
Biomass power generated in Philippines · all energy
Google searches for 'avocado toast' · all google searches
Biomass power generated in Philippines · all energy
Google searches for 'avocado toast' · all google searches
View details about correlation #5,912
As the name Alix fell out of favor, there were fewer people inadvertently summoning cars with their mere presence. This led to a decrease in opportunities for carjackings across the country.
What else correlates?
Popularity of the first name Alix · all first names
Carjackings in the US · all weird & wacky
Popularity of the first name Alix · all first names
Carjackings in the US · all weird & wacky
View details about correlation #1,339
As the gap widened, Saturn started to exude a new gravitational pull on Earth, leading to a rise in fortune for Baidu. It seems the farther Saturn shined, the more Baidu's stock aligned. This celestial separation somehow cosmically boosted Baidu's performance, proving that even in the stock market, space matters.
What else correlates?
The distance between Saturn and the Sun · all planets
Baidu's stock price (BIDU) · all stocks
The distance between Saturn and the Sun · all planets
Baidu's stock price (BIDU) · all stocks
View details about correlation #5,208
The 'red pill blue pill' meme led to heated debates and late-night pondering, prompting people to stay up and overthink their life choices. Now they're realizing that the real struggle isn't choosing a pill, but finding the energy to get through the day. Remember, sometimes the meme chooses you!
What else correlates?
Popularity of the 'red pill blue pill' meme · all memes
Google searches for 'i am tired' · all google searches
Popularity of the 'red pill blue pill' meme · all memes
Google searches for 'i am tired' · all google searches
View details about correlation #2,018
Fewer people were pronouncing the hard "G" in his name, leading to a reduction in gas emissions during speech.
What else correlates?
Popularity of the first name Gerard · all first names
Air pollution in Anchorage · all weather
Popularity of the first name Gerard · all first names
Air pollution in Anchorage · all weather
View details about correlation #1,268
As the number of forest and conservation workers in New Jersey decreases, there are fewer people available to stop the spread of invasive financial weed species, leading to a decrease in natural stock value and ultimately causing Barclays' stock price (BCS) to decrease.
What else correlates?
The number of forest and conservation workers in New Jersey · all cccupations
Barclays' stock price (BCS) · all stocks
The number of forest and conservation workers in New Jersey · all cccupations
Barclays' stock price (BCS) · all stocks
View details about correlation #5,207
Fewer diesel fumes meant less air pollution, leading to clearer thinking. With clearer thinking, people realized that the Willy Wonka meme was overused and not as funny as they once thought.
What else correlates?
Highway diesel consumption in US · all weird & wacky
Popularity of the 'willy wonka' meme · all memes
Highway diesel consumption in US · all weird & wacky
Popularity of the 'willy wonka' meme · all memes
View details about correlation #2,605
As the GMO soybeans in Iowa flourished, they unknowingly formed a vast underground network, inadvertently connecting with the extensive root systems of Russian dandelions. This unprecedented transcontinental plant communication created a synergy that boosted geothermal power production in Russia. Essentially, it was a case of soy-powered dandelion technology, proving once and for all that when life gives you GMO soybeans, you also get a whole new way to generate energy, brought to you by the collaborative efforts of international flora.
What else correlates?
GMO use in soybeans in Iowa · all food
Geothermal power generated in Russia · all energy
GMO use in soybeans in Iowa · all food
Geothermal power generated in Russia · all energy
View details about correlation #4,240
Fewer Saras were available to serenade with "Despacito," leading to a nationwide decrease in Spanish language inspiration. The lack of Sarahs to impress with basic Spanish phrases like "Hola" and "¿Cómo estás?" meant that the motivation to learn Spanish dwindled. Without a Sarah to woo with their limited Spanish skills, people just didn't see the point in mastering the language. It seems like Sarah had unknowingly become the unofficial ambassador for Spanish language enthusiasts everywhere!
What else correlates?
Popularity of the first name Sarah · all first names
Google searches for 'learn spanish' · all google searches
Popularity of the first name Sarah · all first names
Google searches for 'learn spanish' · all google searches
View details about correlation #1,033
As Neptune moved closer, it got too close for comfort, creating gravitational budget cuts at NASA. The astronomical expenses simply couldn't be kept afloat, sinking their funding to new depths. It seems even in space, the budget has no limit - it's truly out of this world!
View details about correlation #4,987
As the 'not sure if' meme gained popularity, it inadvertently transmitted cryptic signals into outer space, piquing the curiosity of extraterrestrial beings. These aliens, mistaking the memes for a form of human communication, decided to investigate the source of these perplexing messages, leading to an unusual surge in UFO sightings in Alaska. The 'not sure if' meme: Confusing humans and aliens alike.
What else correlates?
Popularity of the 'not sure if' meme · all memes
UFO sightings in Alaska · all random state specific
Popularity of the 'not sure if' meme · all memes
UFO sightings in Alaska · all random state specific
View details about correlation #5,874
Every time Don Cheadle is in a movie, the Chargers' opponents can't help but be starstruck, leading to a dramatic decrease in their ability to score points. It's like the Chargers' defense is the real Avengers, and Don Cheadle's on-screen presence is their secret weapon against the opposing offense! It's a blockbuster success for the Chargers' defense every time Don Cheadle graces the silver screen.
What else correlates?
The number of movies Don Cheadle appeared in · all films & actors
Points allowed by the Los Angeles Chargers · all sports
The number of movies Don Cheadle appeared in · all films & actors
Points allowed by the Los Angeles Chargers · all sports
View details about correlation #5,920
Perhaps as people used less margarine, they became less slippery in their relationships. The lack of artificial spread may have kept the couples from buttering each other up, leading to a decrease in overall marital strife. That's the reality when you can't believe it's not butter - it's a recipe for marital success. Alternatively, it could be that as the margarine consumption decreased, so did the overall slickness in the state, leading to fewer instances of partners feeling like they couldn't grip the marriage.
What else correlates?
Per capita consumption of margarine · all food
The divorce rate in Maine · all random state specific
Per capita consumption of margarine · all food
The divorce rate in Maine · all random state specific
Why this works
- Data dredging: I have 25,237 variables in my database. I compare all these variables against each other to find ones that randomly match up. That's 636,906,169 correlation calculations! This is called “data dredging.”
Fun fact: the chart used on the wikipedia page to demonstrate data dredging is also from me. I've been being naughty with data since 2014.
Instead of starting with a hypothesis and testing it, I instead tossed a bunch of data in a blender to see what correlations would shake out. It’s a dangerous way to go about analysis, because any sufficiently large dataset will yield strong correlations completely at random. - Lack of causal connection: There is probably no direct connection between these variables, despite what the AI says above.
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.
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. - Observations not independent: For many variables, sequential years are not independent of each other. You will often see trend-lines form. 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 naive p-value calculation does not take this into account.
You will calculate a lower chance of "randomly" achieving the result than represents reality.
To be more specific: p-value tests are probability values, where you are calculating the probability of achieving a result at least as extreme as you found completely by chance. When calculating a p-value, you need to assert how many "degrees of freedom" your variable has. I count each year (minus one) as a "degree of freedom," but this is misleading for continuous variables.
This kind of thing can creep up on you pretty easily when using p-values, which is why it's best to take it as "one of many" inputs that help you assess the results of your analysis.
- Y-axes doesn't start at zero: I truncated the Y-axes of the graphs 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. If you click on any of the charts that abuse this, you can scroll down to see a version that starts at zero. - Confounding variable: Confounding variables (like global pandemics) will cause two variables to look connected when in fact a "sneaky third" variable is influencing both of them behind the scenes.
- Outliers: Some datasets here have outliers which drag up the correlation.
In concept, "outlier" just means "way different than the rest of your dataset." When calculating a correlation like this, they are particularly impactful because a single outlier can substantially increase your correlation.
Because this page is automatically generated, I don't know whether any of the charts displayed on it have outliers. I'm just a footnote. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I intentionally mishandeled outliers, which makes the correlation look extra strong. - Low n: There are not many data points included in some of these charts.
You can do analyses with low ns! But you shouldn't data dredge with a low n.
Even if the p-value is high, we should be suspicious of using so few datapoints in a correlation.
Pro-tip: click on any correlation to see:
- Detailed data sources
- Prompts for the AI-generated content
- Explanations of each of the calculations (correlation, p-value)
- Python code to calculate it yourself
