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Spurious correlation #1,866 · View random

A linear line chart with years as the X-axis and two variables on the Y-axis. The first variable is Butter consumption and the second variable is Ticket sales for Washington Nationals games.  The chart goes from 1990 to 2019, and the two variables track closely in value over that time. Small Image
Download png
, svg

AI explanation

As butter consumption rose, so did the number of buttered popcorn sales at Nationals games. This led to an increase in overall concession revenue, prompting the team to invest more in marketing and player recruitment. Ultimately, the improved team performance and fan experience at the games boosted ticket sales. So, in a roundabout way, you could say that butter was quite the 'spread' for the Nationals' success!

Model: dalle-3
Prompt: Generate an image of a woodblock painting that captures the joyous atmosphere at a Washington Nationals game. Show a stadium filled with fans watching the game, their faces animated with excitement. Some are holding bags of buttery popcorn and hot buttered pretzels purchased from the concessions. The sound of cheers and the crack of the bat should fill the air, creating a sense of the lively game day experience in a traditional woodblock painting style. 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: Butter consumption and Ticket sales for Washington Nationals games. 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: Cyber folk Steampunk Minimalism Celtic art Woodblock painting
ChatGPT: Woodblock painting

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 Butter consumption and Ticket sales for Washington Nationals games together. Keep the description simple.
ChatGPT: A group of fans enjoying a Washington Nationals game at the stadium, while snacking on buttery popcorn and hot buttered pretzels purchased from the concessions. The sound of cheering and the crack of the bat fill the air as the crowd watches the game and enjoys their buttery treats.

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: [ Woodblock painting ] and depicting this scene: A group of fans enjoying a Washington Nationals game at the stadium, while snacking on buttery popcorn and hot buttered pretzels purchased from the concessions. The sound of cheering and the crack of the bat fill the air as the crowd watches the game and enjoys their buttery treats. Keep the visual depiction simple. Do not include any words or speech bubbles.
ChatGPT: Generate an image of a woodblock painting that captures the joyous atmosphere at a Washington Nationals game. Show a stadium filled with fans watching the game, their faces animated with excitement. Some are holding bags of buttery popcorn and hot buttered pretzels purchased from the concessions. The sound of cheers and the crack of the bat should fill the air, creating a sense of the lively game day experience in a traditional woodblock painting style.

*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 Butter consumption caused Ticket sales for Washington Nationals games to increase. Make it feel plausible.

AI academic paper

(Because p < 0.01)
Spreading the Love: The Butter Effect on Washington Nationals Ticket Sales

The Journal of Sports Economics and Fan Behavior

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 Butter consumption and Ticket sales for Washington Nationals games. Make lots of jokes, goofy observations, and puns.

Make the title a clever pun.

Your research team used data from USDA and Baseball-Reference.com to assess this nagging question. You found a correlation coefficient of 0.7423353 and p < 0.01 for 1990 to 2019.

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]]
Spreading the Love: The Butter Effect on Washington Nationals Ticket Sales

[[ABSTRACT]]
In this paper, we delve into a topic that is as rich and creamy as butter itself – the surprising relationship between butter consumption and ticket sales for Washington Nationals games. Our research team set out to butter up the field of sports economics by utilizing USDA data on butter consumption and Baseball-Reference.com statistics on Washington Nationals ticket sales from 1990 to 2019. After churning through the numbers, we discovered a correlation coefficient of 0.7423353 and a p-value of less than 0.01, highlighting a statistically significant association that may just leave you churned up. Join us as we unravel this unlikely connection and spread some laughter and insights along the way. After all, sometimes the best research is just a little bit "butter" than the rest!


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 Butter consumption and Ticket sales for Washington Nationals games. 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]]
Spreading the Love: The Butter Effect on Washington Nationals Ticket Sales

[[ABSTRACT]]
In this paper, we delve into a topic that is as rich and creamy as butter itself – the surprising relationship between butter consumption and ticket sales for Washington Nationals games. Our research team set out to butter up the field of sports economics by utilizing USDA data on butter consumption and Baseball-Reference.com statistics on Washington Nationals ticket sales from 1990 to 2019. After churning through the numbers, we discovered a correlation coefficient of 0.7423353 and a p-value of less than 0.01, highlighting a statistically significant association that may just leave you churned up. Join us as we unravel this unlikely connection and spread some laughter and insights along the way. After all, sometimes the best research is just a little bit "butter" than the rest!

-------

Your response should start like this:

[[INTRODUCTION]]



ChatGPT:
[[INTRODUCTION]]

Ladies and gentlemen, and esteemed colleagues, prepare to be buttered up as we embark on a journey through the melting pot of baseball economics and dairy delight. In the world of research, we often seek correlations that are as clear as a pat of butter on a hot griddle - but who would have guessed that butter consumption could spread its influence all the way to the ticket sales for Washington Nationals games?

This study was not churned out of thin air - it was whipped up by a team of researchers with a passion for uncovering the unexpected and a knack for delivering a sprinkling of scientific humor. We couldn't resist the opportunity to spread some cheer and maybe a butter pun or two while delving into the relationship between butter consumption and ticket sales.

So, as we dive into the depths of statistics and the cream of the crop in baseball data, let us remember that even the most unconventional topics can yield enlightening results. After all, isn't it the butter, sorry, better, to be surprised by the richness and complexity of our world? Let's spread those research wings and take flight into the land of that golden goodness - butter up and join us for a journey that's anything but margarine-al!


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 Butter consumption and Ticket sales for Washington Nationals games. 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 name a few real TV shows that sound like they might be relevant to the topic that you watched as research.

Here is the title and abstract of the paper:
[[TITLE]]
Spreading the Love: The Butter Effect on Washington Nationals Ticket Sales

[[ABSTRACT]]
In this paper, we delve into a topic that is as rich and creamy as butter itself – the surprising relationship between butter consumption and ticket sales for Washington Nationals games. Our research team set out to butter up the field of sports economics by utilizing USDA data on butter consumption and Baseball-Reference.com statistics on Washington Nationals ticket sales from 1990 to 2019. After churning through the numbers, we discovered a correlation coefficient of 0.7423353 and a p-value of less than 0.01, highlighting a statistically significant association that may just leave you churned up. Join us as we unravel this unlikely connection and spread some laughter and insights along the way. After all, sometimes the best research is just a little bit "butter" than the rest!

-------

And here is the introduction section that led to this literature review:
[[INTRODUCTION]]
Ladies and gentlemen, and esteemed colleagues, prepare to be buttered up as we embark on a journey through the melting pot of baseball economics and dairy delight. In the world of research, we often seek correlations that are as clear as a pat of butter on a hot griddle - but who would have guessed that butter consumption could spread its influence all the way to the ticket sales for Washington Nationals games?
This study was not churned out of thin air - it was whipped up by a team of researchers with a passion for uncovering the unexpected and a knack for delivering a sprinkling of scientific humor. We couldn't resist the opportunity to spread some cheer and maybe a butter pun or two while delving into the relationship between butter consumption and ticket sales.
So, as we dive into the depths of statistics and the cream of the crop in baseball data, let us remember that even the most unconventional topics can yield enlightening results. After all, isn't it the butter, sorry, better, to be surprised by the richness and complexity of our world? Let's spread those research wings and take flight into the land of that golden goodness - butter up and join us for a journey that's anything but margarine-al!

-------

Your response should start like this:

[[LITERATURE REVIEW]]



ChatGPT:
[[LITERATURE REVIEW]]

Our quest to untangle the enigmatic relationship between butter consumption and ticket sales for Washington Nationals games led us through a labyrinth of scholarly works and unprecedented revelations. As we sifted through the literature, we encountered a myriad of studies that shed light on the zany fusion of dairy indulgence and baseball economics.

Smith et al. (2015) embarked on a buttery journey of their own, exploring the socioeconomic implications of butter consumption in the United States. They unearthed a butter-laden paradox, wherein increased butter sales seemed to correlate with a surge in consumer spending across various industries – a revelation perhaps as perplexing as it is palatable.

Doe and Jones (2018) delved into the depths of sports fandom and consumer behavior, uncovering the surprising influence of culinary trends on ticket sales. Their findings suggest that, beyond the love for the game itself, fans may be swayed by the allure of buttery treats and indulgent snacks synonymous with their baseball experience.

As we ventured deeper into the literature, our expedition took an unexpected turn towards the works of non-fiction. "The Joy of Cooking" by Irma S. Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker offered a tantalizing glimpse into the world of culinary delights, reminding us that a dash of butter has the power to transform a mundane dish into a delectable masterpiece.

"The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals" by Michael Pollan captivated us with its exploration of the complex web of food choices, shedding light on the multifaceted role of butter in shaping consumer preferences and behaviors - little did we expect it to extend to the realm of sports spectatorship.

Taking an unexpected turn, we ventured into the realm of fiction, where we stumbled upon "Butter: A Rich History" by Elaine Khosrova. While the book's title may seem like a delightful yet irrelevant diversion, its exploration of butter's cultural significance and culinary allure presented a refreshing perspective that left us butterfingers and craving more.

Drawing inspiration from the world of television, our research team indulged in the delightful antics of "The Great British Bake Off," where the art of baking and the hypnotic appeal of butter took center stage - perhaps priming unsuspecting viewers to crave indulgent stadium snacks. Furthermore, the captivating drama of "Butterfield 8" provided a fictitious yet intriguing portrayal of the emotional highs and lows that may accompany the consumption of butter - a sensation not dissimilar to the rollercoaster of emotions experienced during a baseball game.

In the spirit of thorough investigation, we also found ourselves immersed in the quirky world of "Pushing Daisies," where the protagonist's extraordinary ability to bring back the dead with a single touch seemed, if only tangentially, connected to the surprising resurrection of Washington Nationals ticket sales in relation to butter consumption.

As we wade through this sea of scholarly and whimsical explorations, we are left with a tantalizing assortment of insights and laughter-infused revelations. So, dear readers, let us march forward - or should we say, churn forward - as we continue to unpack the fascinating and improbable link between butter consumption and the thrill of Washington Nationals ticket sales.


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 Butter consumption and Ticket sales for Washington Nationals games. 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 USDA and Baseball-Reference.com . You used data from 1990 to 2019

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]]
Spreading the Love: The Butter Effect on Washington Nationals Ticket Sales

[[ABSTRACT]]
In this paper, we delve into a topic that is as rich and creamy as butter itself – the surprising relationship between butter consumption and ticket sales for Washington Nationals games. Our research team set out to butter up the field of sports economics by utilizing USDA data on butter consumption and Baseball-Reference.com statistics on Washington Nationals ticket sales from 1990 to 2019. After churning through the numbers, we discovered a correlation coefficient of 0.7423353 and a p-value of less than 0.01, highlighting a statistically significant association that may just leave you churned up. Join us as we unravel this unlikely connection and spread some laughter and insights along the way. After all, sometimes the best research is just a little bit "butter" than the rest!

[[INTRODUCTION]]
Ladies and gentlemen, and esteemed colleagues, prepare to be buttered up as we embark on a journey through the melting pot of baseball economics and dairy delight. In the world of research, we often seek correlations that are as clear as a pat of butter on a hot griddle - but who would have guessed that butter consumption could spread its influence all the way to the ticket sales for Washington Nationals games?
This study was not churned out of thin air - it was whipped up by a team of researchers with a passion for uncovering the unexpected and a knack for delivering a sprinkling of scientific humor. We couldn't resist the opportunity to spread some cheer and maybe a butter pun or two while delving into the relationship between butter consumption and ticket sales.
So, as we dive into the depths of statistics and the cream of the crop in baseball data, let us remember that even the most unconventional topics can yield enlightening results. After all, isn't it the butter, sorry, better, to be surprised by the richness and complexity of our world? Let's spread those research wings and take flight into the land of that golden goodness - butter up and join us for a journey that's anything but margarine-al!

-------

Your response should start like this:

[[METHODOLOGY]]



ChatGPT:

[[METHODOLOGY]]

1. Data Collection:
We conducted a comprehensive search across the internet, leaving no stone unturned in our quest for data on butter consumption and Washington Nationals ticket sales from 1990 to 2019. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) joined our feast of data, providing detailed records of butter consumption across the nation. We also turned to Baseball-Reference.com, where we found the treasure trove of statistics on ticket sales for Washington Nationals games. Just like churning butter, our data collection process involved some vigorous stirring and skimming through various websites to extract the cream of the crop.

2. Butter Consumption Metrics:
To measure butter consumption, we focused on the annual per capita consumption of butter in pounds, spread across households like, well, butter on toast. We utilized the USDA's comprehensive data to track the nation's buttering-up habits over the years. The butter metrics were then buttered up with some smoothing techniques to ensure a velvety consistency throughout the dataset.

3. Washington Nationals Ticket Sales:
For ticket sales, we turned to Baseball-Reference.com to gather data on the attendance figures for Washington Nationals games. These attendance figures were the bread and butter of our study, as they provided essential insights into the popularity of the games and the buttery smooth trends in ticket demand. We carefully sifted through the numbers, making sure not to let any crucial nuggets slip through the holes of our statistical colander.

4. Statistical Analysis:
Our research involved an assortment of statistical methods that were as diverse and flavorful as a platter of gourmet butter. We used a combination of correlation analysis, regression models, and time-series analysis to churn through the data and uncover any creamy connections between butter consumption and ticket sales. To avoid any distressing separation of variables, we employed robust statistical techniques to ensure the results were as smooth as, well, butter.

5. Control Variables:
In order to whip up a more accurate analysis, we accounted for various factors that could potentially influence ticket sales, such as team performance, promotional events, and, of course, the ever-important weather conditions. After all, we wouldn't want our findings to be watered down by extraneous variables that could curdle our conclusions.

6. Sensitivity Analysis:
To ensure the reliability of our findings, we conducted a sensitivity analysis, testing the robustness of our results against different modeling approaches and data subsets. It was a bit like conducting a taste test with a variety of spreads to see which one truly stood out as the cream of the crop.



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 Butter consumption and Ticket sales for Washington Nationals games. 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 USDA and Baseball-Reference.com .

For the time period 1990 to 2019, you found a correlation 0.7423353, r-squared of 0.5510617, 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]]
Spreading the Love: The Butter Effect on Washington Nationals Ticket Sales

[[ABSTRACT]]
In this paper, we delve into a topic that is as rich and creamy as butter itself – the surprising relationship between butter consumption and ticket sales for Washington Nationals games. Our research team set out to butter up the field of sports economics by utilizing USDA data on butter consumption and Baseball-Reference.com statistics on Washington Nationals ticket sales from 1990 to 2019. After churning through the numbers, we discovered a correlation coefficient of 0.7423353 and a p-value of less than 0.01, highlighting a statistically significant association that may just leave you churned up. Join us as we unravel this unlikely connection and spread some laughter and insights along the way. After all, sometimes the best research is just a little bit "butter" than the rest!

-------

And here is the methodology section that led to this result:
[[METHODOLOGY]]
Ladies and gentlemen, and esteemed colleagues, prepare to be buttered up as we embark on a journey through the melting pot of baseball economics and dairy delight. In the world of research, we often seek correlations that are as clear as a pat of butter on a hot griddle - but who would have guessed that butter consumption could spread its influence all the way to the ticket sales for Washington Nationals games?
This study was not churned out of thin air - it was whipped up by a team of researchers with a passion for uncovering the unexpected and a knack for delivering a sprinkling of scientific humor. We couldn't resist the opportunity to spread some cheer and maybe a butter pun or two while delving into the relationship between butter consumption and ticket sales.
So, as we dive into the depths of statistics and the cream of the crop in baseball data, let us remember that even the most unconventional topics can yield enlightening results. After all, isn't it the butter, sorry, better, to be surprised by the richness and complexity of our world? Let's spread those research wings and take flight into the land of that golden goodness - butter up and join us for a journey that's anything but margarine-al!

-------

Your response should start like this:

[[RESULTS]]



ChatGPT:

[[RESULTS]]

The moment of truth has arrived - it's time to spread the results of our research like butter on warm toast! Our findings unearthed a statistically significant correlation between butter consumption and ticket sales for Washington Nationals games from 1990 to 2019, leaving us in utter disbelief at the unexpected ties between dairy and baseball economics.

Our statistical analysis revealed a notable correlation coefficient of 0.7423353, indicating a strong positive relationship between the consumption of butter and the number of tickets sold for Nationals games. This coefficient is as smooth as a freshly churned batch of butter and certainly not something we expected to stumble upon when analyzing the economics of America's favorite pastime.

The r-squared value of 0.5510617 further solidifies the strength of this relationship, demonstrating that approximately 55% of the variability in ticket sales can be attributed to changes in butter consumption. It seems that when it comes to filling the stands at Nationals games, butter has truly found its sweet spot!

With a p-value of less than 0.01, our results stand as firm as a well-chilled stick of butter, signifying that this association is not due to mere chance. It's almost as if the universe itself is trying to spread the message that butter and baseball are more intertwined than we ever dared to imagine.

In Figure 1, our scatterplot elegantly illustrates the robust correlation between butter consumption and ticket sales, leaving no room for doubt that this unexpected relationship is as clear as day. The scatterplot gleams like a dollop of freshly whipped butter, showcasing the undeniable connection between two seemingly unrelated variables.

In conclusion, our research has uncovered an intriguing and statistically significant link between butter consumption and Washington Nationals ticket sales. This finding not only adds a dash of whimsy to the field of sports economics but also underscores the importance of thinking outside the box, or should we say, outside the butter dish, when exploring economic phenomena. Join us in celebrating this buttery revelation and the power of scientific exploration to churn up unexpected insights!


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 Butter consumption and Ticket sales for Washington Nationals games. 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]]
Spreading the Love: The Butter Effect on Washington Nationals Ticket Sales

[[ABSTRACT]]
In this paper, we delve into a topic that is as rich and creamy as butter itself – the surprising relationship between butter consumption and ticket sales for Washington Nationals games. Our research team set out to butter up the field of sports economics by utilizing USDA data on butter consumption and Baseball-Reference.com statistics on Washington Nationals ticket sales from 1990 to 2019. After churning through the numbers, we discovered a correlation coefficient of 0.7423353 and a p-value of less than 0.01, highlighting a statistically significant association that may just leave you churned up. Join us as we unravel this unlikely connection and spread some laughter and insights along the way. After all, sometimes the best research is just a little bit "butter" than the rest!

[[LITERATURE REVIEW]]
Our quest to untangle the enigmatic relationship between butter consumption and ticket sales for Washington Nationals games led us through a labyrinth of scholarly works and unprecedented revelations. As we sifted through the literature, we encountered a myriad of studies that shed light on the zany fusion of dairy indulgence and baseball economics.
Smith et al. (2015) embarked on a buttery journey of their own, exploring the socioeconomic implications of butter consumption in the United States. They unearthed a butter-laden paradox, wherein increased butter sales seemed to correlate with a surge in consumer spending across various industries – a revelation perhaps as perplexing as it is palatable.
Doe and Jones (2018) delved into the depths of sports fandom and consumer behavior, uncovering the surprising influence of culinary trends on ticket sales. Their findings suggest that, beyond the love for the game itself, fans may be swayed by the allure of buttery treats and indulgent snacks synonymous with their baseball experience.
As we ventured deeper into the literature, our expedition took an unexpected turn towards the works of non-fiction. "The Joy of Cooking" by Irma S. Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker offered a tantalizing glimpse into the world of culinary delights, reminding us that a dash of butter has the power to transform a mundane dish into a delectable masterpiece.
"The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals" by Michael Pollan captivated us with its exploration of the complex web of food choices, shedding light on the multifaceted role of butter in shaping consumer preferences and behaviors - little did we expect it to extend to the realm of sports spectatorship.
Taking an unexpected turn, we ventured into the realm of fiction, where we stumbled upon "Butter: A Rich History" by Elaine Khosrova. While the book's title may seem like a delightful yet irrelevant diversion, its exploration of butter's cultural significance and culinary allure presented a refreshing perspective that left us butterfingers and craving more.
Drawing inspiration from the world of television, our research team indulged in the delightful antics of "The Great British Bake Off," where the art of baking and the hypnotic appeal of butter took center stage - perhaps priming unsuspecting viewers to crave indulgent stadium snacks. Furthermore, the captivating drama of "Butterfield 8" provided a fictitious yet intriguing portrayal of the emotional highs and lows that may accompany the consumption of butter - a sensation not dissimilar to the rollercoaster of emotions experienced during a baseball game.
In the spirit of thorough investigation, we also found ourselves immersed in the quirky world of "Pushing Daisies," where the protagonist's extraordinary ability to bring back the dead with a single touch seemed, if only tangentially, connected to the surprising resurrection of Washington Nationals ticket sales in relation to butter consumption.
As we wade through this sea of scholarly and whimsical explorations, we are left with a tantalizing assortment of insights and laughter-infused revelations. So, dear readers, let us march forward - or should we say, churn forward - as we continue to unpack the fascinating and improbable link between butter consumption and the thrill of Washington Nationals ticket sales.

[[RESULTS]]
The moment of truth has arrived - it's time to spread the results of our research like butter on warm toast! Our findings unearthed a statistically significant correlation between butter consumption and ticket sales for Washington Nationals games from 1990 to 2019, leaving us in utter disbelief at the unexpected ties between dairy and baseball economics.
Our statistical analysis revealed a notable correlation coefficient of 0.7423353, indicating a strong positive relationship between the consumption of butter and the number of tickets sold for Nationals games. This coefficient is as smooth as a freshly churned batch of butter and certainly not something we expected to stumble upon when analyzing the economics of America's favorite pastime.
The r-squared value of 0.5510617 further solidifies the strength of this relationship, demonstrating that approximately 55% of the variability in ticket sales can be attributed to changes in butter consumption. It seems that when it comes to filling the stands at Nationals games, butter has truly found its sweet spot!
With a p-value of less than 0.01, our results stand as firm as a well-chilled stick of butter, signifying that this association is not due to mere chance. It's almost as if the universe itself is trying to spread the message that butter and baseball are more intertwined than we ever dared to imagine.
In Figure 1, our scatterplot elegantly illustrates the robust correlation between butter consumption and ticket sales, leaving no room for doubt that this unexpected relationship is as clear as day. The scatterplot gleams like a dollop of freshly whipped butter, showcasing the undeniable connection between two seemingly unrelated variables.
In conclusion, our research has uncovered an intriguing and statistically significant link between butter consumption and Washington Nationals ticket sales. This finding not only adds a dash of whimsy to the field of sports economics but also underscores the importance of thinking outside the box, or should we say, outside the butter dish, when exploring economic phenomena. Join us in celebrating this buttery revelation and the power of scientific exploration to churn up unexpected insights!

-------

Your response should start like this:

[[DISCUSSION]]



ChatGPT:

[[DISCUSSION]]

Our findings have dished out a delightful serving of statistical serendipity, revealing a robust connection that is as surprising as it is palpable. The strong positive correlation between butter consumption and Washington Nationals ticket sales not only confirms previous research but also churns up a melting pot of laughter-infused revelations that may just leave you pondering the whimsical dance of variables in the world of sports economics.

The work by Smith et al. (2015) laid the groundwork for our study, showcasing the far-reaching implications of butter consumption and its curious influence on consumer spending. Our results not only align with their findings but also whip up a fresh perspective on the ripple effects of dairy indulgence in the context of baseball economics. It seems that butter, much like an irresistible stadium snack, has found its way into the hearts and wallets of Nationals fans.

Furthermore, the groundbreaking exploration by Doe and Jones (2018) into the relationship between culinary trends and fan behavior now finds itself accompanied by a dollop of empirical validation. The allure of buttery treats and indulgent snacks appears to have woven itself into the fabric of Nationals ticket sales, creating an unexpected synergy between the indulgence of dairy and the delight of baseball spectating. Who would have thought that butter could serve as a metaphorical battering ram for boosting ticket sales?

Delving into the delightful yet unexpected realm of fiction, the whimsical allure of "Butterfield 8" and the captivating quirkiness of "Pushing Daisies" now seem less fanciful and more prescient. The emotional highs and unexpected resurrections depicted in these narratives may just mirror the rollercoaster ride of butter-infused economics and the astonishing renaissance of Nationals ticket sales. It's almost as if fiction has taken a surprising leaf out of the empirical playbook, offering us a glimpse into the uncanny dance of variables beyond the confines of scientific rigor.

As we dissect the unapologetically buttery nature of our findings, it becomes abundantly clear that the world of sports economics may just have a new player in town – the humble stick of butter. Our research not only adds a delightful twist to the scientific discourse but also churns up a plethora of questions, puns, and speculative musings that are as tempting as a luxurious slab of butter waiting to be sampled.

In the spirit of scientific whimsy and empirical rigor, we invite readers to savor this unexpected alliance between dairy indulgence and the thrill of baseball fandom, reminding us that sometimes the most buttery research can lead to churning out the most unexpected insights. Join us as we continue to unravel the enchanting mysteries of butter and its uncanny sway over the playful symphony of sports economics.

[Your conclusion here.]


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 Butter consumption and Ticket sales for Washington Nationals games. 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]]
Spreading the Love: The Butter Effect on Washington Nationals Ticket Sales

[[ABSTRACT]]
In this paper, we delve into a topic that is as rich and creamy as butter itself – the surprising relationship between butter consumption and ticket sales for Washington Nationals games. Our research team set out to butter up the field of sports economics by utilizing USDA data on butter consumption and Baseball-Reference.com statistics on Washington Nationals ticket sales from 1990 to 2019. After churning through the numbers, we discovered a correlation coefficient of 0.7423353 and a p-value of less than 0.01, highlighting a statistically significant association that may just leave you churned up. Join us as we unravel this unlikely connection and spread some laughter and insights along the way. After all, sometimes the best research is just a little bit "butter" than the rest!

[[INTRDUCTION]]
Ladies and gentlemen, and esteemed colleagues, prepare to be buttered up as we embark on a journey through the melting pot of baseball economics and dairy delight. In the world of research, we often seek correlations that are as clear as a pat of butter on a hot griddle - but who would have guessed that butter consumption could spread its influence all the way to the ticket sales for Washington Nationals games?
This study was not churned out of thin air - it was whipped up by a team of researchers with a passion for uncovering the unexpected and a knack for delivering a sprinkling of scientific humor. We couldn't resist the opportunity to spread some cheer and maybe a butter pun or two while delving into the relationship between butter consumption and ticket sales.
So, as we dive into the depths of statistics and the cream of the crop in baseball data, let us remember that even the most unconventional topics can yield enlightening results. After all, isn't it the butter, sorry, better, to be surprised by the richness and complexity of our world? Let's spread those research wings and take flight into the land of that golden goodness - butter up and join us for a journey that's anything but margarine-al!

[[RESULTS]]
The moment of truth has arrived - it's time to spread the results of our research like butter on warm toast! Our findings unearthed a statistically significant correlation between butter consumption and ticket sales for Washington Nationals games from 1990 to 2019, leaving us in utter disbelief at the unexpected ties between dairy and baseball economics.
Our statistical analysis revealed a notable correlation coefficient of 0.7423353, indicating a strong positive relationship between the consumption of butter and the number of tickets sold for Nationals games. This coefficient is as smooth as a freshly churned batch of butter and certainly not something we expected to stumble upon when analyzing the economics of America's favorite pastime.
The r-squared value of 0.5510617 further solidifies the strength of this relationship, demonstrating that approximately 55% of the variability in ticket sales can be attributed to changes in butter consumption. It seems that when it comes to filling the stands at Nationals games, butter has truly found its sweet spot!
With a p-value of less than 0.01, our results stand as firm as a well-chilled stick of butter, signifying that this association is not due to mere chance. It's almost as if the universe itself is trying to spread the message that butter and baseball are more intertwined than we ever dared to imagine.
In Figure 1, our scatterplot elegantly illustrates the robust correlation between butter consumption and ticket sales, leaving no room for doubt that this unexpected relationship is as clear as day. The scatterplot gleams like a dollop of freshly whipped butter, showcasing the undeniable connection between two seemingly unrelated variables.
In conclusion, our research has uncovered an intriguing and statistically significant link between butter consumption and Washington Nationals ticket sales. This finding not only adds a dash of whimsy to the field of sports economics but also underscores the importance of thinking outside the box, or should we say, outside the butter dish, when exploring economic phenomena. Join us in celebrating this buttery revelation and the power of scientific exploration to churn up unexpected insights!

-------

Your response should start like this:

[[CONCLUSION]]



ChatGPT:

[[CONCLUSION]]

As we wrap up this journey through the creamy corridors of butter consumption and Washington Nationals ticket sales, we can't help but marvel at the unexpected twists and turns that unfolded. Who would have thought that the world of economics and baseball could be so deeply intertwined with the world of dairy delights?

Our findings have churned up quite the stir, revealing a buttery-smooth relationship between butter consumption and ticket sales for Nationals games. It seems that when it comes to filling the stands, butter has taken on the role of an MVP – Most Valuable Producer of ticket sales.

But let's not get too carried away and spread ourselves too thin - after all, it is important to remember that correlation does not equal causation. While our results may have churned out a strong statistical association, we must remain cautious not to jump to buttery conclusions.

So, as we bid adieu to our buttery excursion, we can confidently assert that no further research is needed in this area. It's time to let this butter tale rest in the annals of statistical discovery, where it can be fondly remembered as a quirky study that helped us realize that in the world of research, sometimes the most unexpected connections are the ones that spread the most joy.

So, here's to the unwavering spirit of scientific exploration and the delightful moments of discovery that keep us all churning forward, one buttery research paper at a time!


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 Spreading the Love: The Butter Effect on Washington Nationals Ticket Sales. Respond only with the name of a fictional academic journal.

ChatGPT:

The Journal of Sports Economics and Fan Behavior


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 Spreading the Love: The Butter Effect on Washington Nationals Ticket Sales. Respond only with the name of a fictional organization.

ChatGPT:

The Institute for Dairy Economics and Sports Analytics


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 Spreading the Love: The Butter Effect on Washington Nationals Ticket Sales with an abstract of In this paper, we delve into a topic that is as rich and creamy as butter itself – the surprising relationship between butter consumption and ticket sales for Washington Nationals games. Our research team set out to butter up the field of sports economics by utilizing USDA data on butter consumption and Baseball-Reference.com statistics on Washington Nationals ticket sales from 1990 to 2019. After churning through the numbers, we discovered a correlation coefficient of 0.7423353 and a p-value of less than 0.01, highlighting a statistically significant association that may just leave you churned up. Join us as we unravel this unlikely connection and spread some laughter and insights along the way. After all, sometimes the best research is just a little bit "butter" than the rest!

ChatGPT:

butter consumption, Washington Nationals ticket sales, sports economics, USDA data, Baseball-Reference.com statistics, correlation coefficient, p-value, statistical significance, unlikely connection

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



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Data details

Butter consumption
Detailed data title: Per capita consumption of Butter in the US
Source: USDA
See what else correlates with Butter consumption

Ticket sales for Washington Nationals games
Detailed data title: Total tickets sold in home games for the Washington Nationals
Source: Baseball-Reference.com
See what else correlates with Ticket sales for Washington Nationals games

Correlation r = 0.7423353 (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 = 0.5510617 (Coefficient of determination)
This means 55.1% of the change in the one variable (i.e., Ticket sales for Washington Nationals games) is predictable based on the change in the other (i.e., Butter consumption) over the 30 years from 1990 through 2019.

p < 0.01, which is statistically significant(Null hypothesis significance test)
The p-value is 2.7E-6. 0.0000026507579637529780000000
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 0.74 in 0.00027% of random cases. Said differently, if you correlated 377,251 random variables You don't actually need 377 thousand variables to find a correlation like this one. I don't have that many variables in my database. You can also correlate variables that are not independent. I do this a lot.

p-value calculations are useful for understanding the probability of a result happening by chance. They are most useful when used to highlight the risk of a fluke outcome. For example, if you calculate a p-value of 0.30, the risk that the result is a fluke is high. It is good to know that! But there are lots of ways to get a p-value of less than 0.01, as evidenced by this project.

In this particular case, the values are so extreme as to be meaningless. That's why no one reports p-values with specificity after they drop below 0.01.

Just to be clear: I'm being completely transparent about the calculations. There is no math trickery. This is just how statistics shakes out when you calculate hundreds of millions of random correlations.
with the same 29 degrees of freedom, Degrees of freedom is a measure of how many free components we are testing. In this case it is 29 because we have two variables measured over a period of 30 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.

[ 0.52, 0.87 ] 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.
199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019
Butter consumption (Pounds per person)4.34.44.34.74.74.64.34.24.34.64.54.34.44.54.54.54.74.7554.95.45.55.55.55.65.75.766.2
Ticket sales for Washington Nationals games (Tickets sold)13730909347421669130164144012762501309620161671014976109149097732779262726427458120451025640749550273199021530601943810232040018172301828070194048023707902652420257939026198402481940252498025296002259780




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([4.3,4.4,4.3,4.7,4.7,4.6,4.3,4.2,4.3,4.6,4.5,4.3,4.4,4.5,4.5,4.5,4.7,4.7,5,5,4.9,5.4,5.5,5.5,5.5,5.6,5.7,5.7,6,6.2,])
array_2 = np.array([1373090,934742,1669130,1641440,1276250,1309620,1616710,1497610,914909,773277,926272,642745,812045,1025640,749550,2731990,2153060,1943810,2320400,1817230,1828070,1940480,2370790,2652420,2579390,2619840,2481940,2524980,2529600,2259780,])
array_1_name = "Butter consumption"
array_2_name = "Ticket sales for Washington Nationals games"

# 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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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."

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Correlation ID: 1866 · Black Variable ID: 557 · Red Variable ID: 4422
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