Spurious correlation #1,623 · View random
A linear line chart with years as the X-axis and two variables on the Y-axis. The first variable is England Football Team's International Match Count and the second variable is The number of school teachers in North Dakota. The chart goes from 2010 to 2022, and the two variables track closely in value over that time.

A linear line chart with years as the X-axis and two variables on the Y-axis. The first variable is England Football Team's International Match Count and the second variable is The number of school teachers in North Dakota. The chart goes from 2010 to 2022, and the two variables track closely in value over that time.

Download png, svg

AI explanation

As the England Football Team's international match count increases, more and more people across the globe become enamored with the sport. This growing interest leads to a surge in demand for soccer merchandise, including those adorable mini jerseys for kids. As a result, the production of these mini jerseys skyrockets, leading to an unexpected boom in the North Dakota textile industry. With a sudden need for skilled workers to operate the mini jersey-making machinery, the state sees a corresponding rise in job opportunities. In response to this economic growth, individuals from all walks of life, including former professional ballerinas and retired rodeo clowns, decide to pursue textile-related careers, with many opting to become school teachers specializing in the art of mini jersey production. Before you know it, North Dakota is overflowing with a disproportionately high number of school teachers, all thanks to the England Football Team kicking their way to victory!

^{Show image generation prompt} Model: dalle-3
Prompt: [ Cyberpunk ] Prompt: In a neon-lit, futuristic classroom within a towering, glass skyscraper in North Dakota, a group of school children eagerly gathers around their technologically-enhanced teacher. The teacher proudly wears a holographic England Football Team jersey that flickers with pulsating neon lights, while a holographic image of the United Kingdom map hovers above their hand. Meanwhile, the teacher points to a glowing digital poster displaying the number of international matches played by the England Football Team, with dynamic holographic charts and statistics swirling around it. As the students listen intently, the teacher's cybernetic eyes shimmer with data as they explain a math problem related to the number of school teachers in North Dakota, manipulating holographic equations and formulas that dance through the air. 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: England Football Team's International Match Count and The number of school teachers in North Dakota. 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: Cyberpunk Voxel art A comic-book-style illustration with muted colors and a dotted halftone pattern from the 1960s Photorealism Data cyber art
ChatGPT: Cyberpunk

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 England Football Team's International Match Count and The number of school teachers in North Dakota together. Keep the description simple.
ChatGPT: In a spacious classroom in North Dakota, a group of school children eagerly gathers around their teacher, who proudly wears an England Football Team jersey. The teacher is holding up a poster displaying the number of international matches played by the England Football Team, while also pointing to a map of the United Kingdom. The students listen intently as the teacher discusses the team's impressive history, while also explaining a math problem related to the number of school teachers in North Dakota.

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: [ Cyberpunk ] and depicting this scene: In a spacious classroom in North Dakota, a group of school children eagerly gathers around their teacher, who proudly wears an England Football Team jersey. The teacher is holding up a poster displaying the number of international matches played by the England Football Team, while also pointing to a map of the United Kingdom. The students listen intently as the teacher discusses the team's impressive history, while also explaining a math problem related to the number of school teachers in North Dakota. Keep the visual depiction simple. Do not include any words or speech bubbles.
ChatGPT: [ Cyberpunk ] Prompt: In a neon-lit, futuristic classroom within a towering, glass skyscraper in North Dakota, a group of school children eagerly gathers around their technologically-enhanced teacher. The teacher proudly wears a holographic England Football Team jersey that flickers with pulsating neon lights, while a holographic image of the United Kingdom map hovers above their hand. Meanwhile, the teacher points to a glowing digital poster displaying the number of international matches played by the England Football Team, with dynamic holographic charts and statistics swirling around it. As the students listen intently, the teacher's cybernetic eyes shimmer with data as they explain a math problem related to the number of school teachers in North Dakota, manipulating holographic equations and formulas that dance through the air.

*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.
^{Show prompt for explanation} 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 increases in England Football Team's International Match Count positively influenced The number of school teachers in North Dakota.\Make it sound serious until the end.

AI academic paper

(Because p < 0.01)

Kicking Around the Numbers: Exploring the Correlation Between England Football Team's International Match Count and the Number of School Teachers in North Dakota

The Journal of Sports Analytics and Education

Jan 2024

Reminder: This paper is AI-generated. Not real!

^{Show prompt used to generate this paper} 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 goofy academic researcher writing an academic paper. You follow the rules, but you throw out convention regularly to make jokes and funny asides.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 England Football Team's International Match Count and The number of school teachers in North Dakota. 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 cite some social media posts you read that seem to be related.

Here is the title and abstract of the paper:
[[TITLE]]
"Kicking Around the Numbers: Exploring the Correlation Between England Football Team's International Match Count and the Number of School Teachers in North Dakota"

[[ABSTRACT]]
This paper aims to tackle the pressing question that has perplexed scholars and sports enthusiasts alike: Is there a tangible relationship between the England Football Team's international match count and the number of school teachers in the quaint land of North Dakota? We embarked on a data-driven odyssey, merging the worlds of sports and education, to uncover if these seemingly disparate entities share an unexpected connection.

Employing My Foot Ball Facts and the Bureau of Labor Statistics as our guides, we delved into the statistics with all the fervor of an avid football fan and the meticulousness of an educator meticulously grading papers. Lo and behold, our analysis revealed a correlation coefficient of 0.7590674 and a tantalizing p-value of less than 0.01 for the time span from 2010 to 2022. This astonishing discovery raises eyebrows and prompts unabashed curiosity.

This enthralling exploration not only sheds light on the intersection of sports and education but also invokes a sense of wonder about the mysterious ways in which seemingly unrelated realms of human endeavor may intertwine. As we revel in the unexpected findings, we invite readers to join us in savoring the delightful irony of this research journey and pondering the whimsical connections that underpin our world.

-------

And here is the introduction section that led to this literature review:
[[INTRODUCTION]]
As the world of academia often gravitates toward the meticulous and the mundane, it is with immense delight and a dash of whimsy that we present our research findings on the correlation between the England Football Team's international match count and the number of school teachers in the enigmatic expanse of North Dakota. While the link between soccer prowess and educational staffing may seem as improbable as a penguin performing a pirouette, our investigation has unveiled a surprising union between these two seemingly unrelated domains.
The juxtaposition of kicking a ball and molding young minds may seem as incongruous as mixing metaphors at a high society soirée, but as the saying goes, truth can indeed be stranger than fiction. Our foray into this uncharted territory was not undertaken with recklessness, but rather with the cautious curiosity of a kitten approaching a suspiciously wobbling vase. We sought to apply the principles of statistical analysis with the precision of a Swiss watchmaker, all while maintaining the exuberance of a football fan witnessing an unexpected last-minute goal.
The very notion of exploring the relationship between the number of international football matches England plays and the cohort of educators in the least populated state in the USA might provoke a chuckle, akin to discovering a kangaroo attempting a tap dance routine. However, as scholars, it is our duty to venture into uncharted waters, even if it means swapping our tweed jackets for life vests and setting sail into the uncharted sea of statistical oddities.
In this paper, we will unpack the methodological approach used to disentangle the web of numbers and possibilities, presenting our findings with the fervor of a raucous football anthem and the precision of a mathematical theorem. So, dear reader, fasten your intellectual seatbelt and prepare to kick around some numbers with us as we unravel the surprising connection between football fervor and educational enterprise.

-------

Your response should start like this:

[[LITERATURE REVIEW]]

ChatGPT:
[[LITERATURE REVIEW]]

To understand the obscure and captivating relationship between the England Football Team's international match count and the number of school teachers in the lesser-known realm of North Dakota, we must embark on a journey through the annals of scholarly research as well as some eyebrow-raising sources. While the initial idea of linking the beautiful game to the equally stimulating world of education may elicit a few raised eyebrows, as we delve into the literature, we will discover that serendipity often masquerades as statistical correlation. Strap in for a rollercoaster ride through oddities, surprises, and some unexpected connections as we traverse this uncharted terrain.

In "Goal Scoring Patterns in International Soccer: A Statistical Analysis," Smith and Jones offer a comprehensive analysis of factors that contribute to goal-scoring patterns in international soccer matches. While their study primarily focuses on the intricacies of goal-scoring, one cannot help but ponder whether the zeal of scoring goals internationally spills over into the teaching profession in distant lands, such as North Dakota. As we mull over the empirical evidence presented in the study, we are reminded that the pursuit of goals, whether on the pitch or in the classroom, shares a certain ineffable similarity - a pursuit of excellence and the occasional devastating defeat.

Doe's seminal work, "Education and Society: A Cross-Cultural Perspective," offers a thought-provoking exploration of the intricate dynamics between education and societal constructs. Though Doe does not explicitly delve into the whimsical connection between international football matches and educational staff in North Dakota, it is not unfathomable to consider the influence of sports fervor on the teaching workforce. After all, if a last-minute goal can send fans into a frenzy, perhaps it also ignites an unanticipated passion for education in a parallel dimension.

As we wade further into the dazzling realm of literature, we encounter non-fiction works that, while not explicitly related to our peculiar inquiry, bear intriguing titles such as "Ball and Board: A Comparative Study of Sports and Education in Eurasia" and "The Global Phenomenon of Soccer: Exploring Its Ripple Effects in Unlikely Places." While the authors of these texts may not have directly tackled the association between football matches and educator numbers in North Dakota, their titles do provide a whimsical nod to the unlikely harmony between the realms of sports and education.

Stepping into the realm of fiction, we encounter titles such as "The Soccer Spell: A Novel of Enigmatic Connections" and "The Teacher's Tackle: Unraveling the Mysteries of Educational Enthusiasm." While these works may not be grounded in empirical evidence, they certainly tickle the imagination and hint at the enigmatic forces that could intertwine football fervor and pedagogical pursuits in distant corners of the world.

Furthermore, a recent op-ed piece on social media caught our attention, where a user postulated, "Do the number of England football matches predict the influx of teachers in North Dakota? #CuriousCorrelations #FootyEducatorTheory." While social media musings may often drift into the whimsical and fanciful, the mere proposition of such a correlation in a public discourse speaks to the prevalent intrigue surrounding our investigation.

As we conclude this literary jaunt, we are reminded that the tapestry of human interests and endeavors is woven with intricate threads that often intertwine in the most unexpected ways. With a nod to the scholarly works, a wink to the fictional imaginings, and a playful nod to the digital chatter, we stand on the precipice of uncovering a correlation that is as captivating as it is peculiar.

Model: gpt-3.5-turbo-1106
System prompt: You are a goofy academic researcher writing an academic paper. You follow the rules, but you throw out convention regularly to make jokes and funny asides.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 England Football Team's International Match Count and The number of school teachers in North Dakota. Make lots of jokes, goofy observations, and puns.

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]]
"Kicking Around the Numbers: Exploring the Correlation Between England Football Team's International Match Count and the Number of School Teachers in North Dakota"

[[ABSTRACT]]
This paper aims to tackle the pressing question that has perplexed scholars and sports enthusiasts alike: Is there a tangible relationship between the England Football Team's international match count and the number of school teachers in the quaint land of North Dakota? We embarked on a data-driven odyssey, merging the worlds of sports and education, to uncover if these seemingly disparate entities share an unexpected connection.

Employing My Foot Ball Facts and the Bureau of Labor Statistics as our guides, we delved into the statistics with all the fervor of an avid football fan and the meticulousness of an educator meticulously grading papers. Lo and behold, our analysis revealed a correlation coefficient of 0.7590674 and a tantalizing p-value of less than 0.01 for the time span from 2010 to 2022. This astonishing discovery raises eyebrows and prompts unabashed curiosity.

This enthralling exploration not only sheds light on the intersection of sports and education but also invokes a sense of wonder about the mysterious ways in which seemingly unrelated realms of human endeavor may intertwine. As we revel in the unexpected findings, we invite readers to join us in savoring the delightful irony of this research journey and pondering the whimsical connections that underpin our world.

[[LITERATURE REVIEW]]
To understand the obscure and captivating relationship between the England Football Team's international match count and the number of school teachers in the lesser-known realm of North Dakota, we must embark on a journey through the annals of scholarly research as well as some eyebrow-raising sources. While the initial idea of linking the beautiful game to the equally stimulating world of education may elicit a few raised eyebrows, as we delve into the literature, we will discover that serendipity often masquerades as statistical correlation. Strap in for a rollercoaster ride through oddities, surprises, and some unexpected connections as we traverse this uncharted terrain.
In "Goal Scoring Patterns in International Soccer: A Statistical Analysis," Smith and Jones offer a comprehensive analysis of factors that contribute to goal-scoring patterns in international soccer matches. While their study primarily focuses on the intricacies of goal-scoring, one cannot help but ponder whether the zeal of scoring goals internationally spills over into the teaching profession in distant lands, such as North Dakota. As we mull over the empirical evidence presented in the study, we are reminded that the pursuit of goals, whether on the pitch or in the classroom, shares a certain ineffable similarity - a pursuit of excellence and the occasional devastating defeat.
Doe's seminal work, "Education and Society: A Cross-Cultural Perspective," offers a thought-provoking exploration of the intricate dynamics between education and societal constructs. Though Doe does not explicitly delve into the whimsical connection between international football matches and educational staff in North Dakota, it is not unfathomable to consider the influence of sports fervor on the teaching workforce. After all, if a last-minute goal can send fans into a frenzy, perhaps it also ignites an unanticipated passion for education in a parallel dimension.
As we wade further into the dazzling realm of literature, we encounter non-fiction works that, while not explicitly related to our peculiar inquiry, bear intriguing titles such as "Ball and Board: A Comparative Study of Sports and Education in Eurasia" and "The Global Phenomenon of Soccer: Exploring Its Ripple Effects in Unlikely Places." While the authors of these texts may not have directly tackled the association between football matches and educator numbers in North Dakota, their titles do provide a whimsical nod to the unlikely harmony between the realms of sports and education.
Stepping into the realm of fiction, we encounter titles such as "The Soccer Spell: A Novel of Enigmatic Connections" and "The Teacher's Tackle: Unraveling the Mysteries of Educational Enthusiasm." While these works may not be grounded in empirical evidence, they certainly tickle the imagination and hint at the enigmatic forces that could intertwine football fervor and pedagogical pursuits in distant corners of the world.
Furthermore, a recent op-ed piece on social media caught our attention, where a user postulated, "Do the number of England football matches predict the influx of teachers in North Dakota? #CuriousCorrelations #FootyEducatorTheory." While social media musings may often drift into the whimsical and fanciful, the mere proposition of such a correlation in a public discourse speaks to the prevalent intrigue surrounding our investigation.
As we conclude this literary jaunt, we are reminded that the tapestry of human interests and endeavors is woven with intricate threads that often intertwine in the most unexpected ways. With a nod to the scholarly works, a wink to the fictional imaginings, and a playful nod to the digital chatter, we stand on the precipice of uncovering a correlation that is as captivating as it is peculiar.

[[RESULTS]]
Our gallant expedition into the statistical wilds has yielded a correlation coefficient of 0.7590674, an r-squared value of 0.5761832, and a p-value less than 0.01, underscoring a strong and significant relationship between the England Football Team's international match count and the number of school teachers in North Dakota from 2010 to 2022.
In the spirit of embracing the unexpected, we must trumpet the thriving correlation between a nation's passion for football and their educational workforce. It appears that while England's football prowess may spark fervent celebrations on the pitch, it also stirs up a unique motivational ripple effect in the education sector across the ocean and land.
It's intriguing to imagine teachers in North Dakota drawing inspiration from England's triumphs or defeats on the international football stage. Perhaps they rally their students with motivational chants borrowed from the terraces, urging them to "defend their academic goalposts" or "score top marks with an assist from knowledge." Admittedly, the potential influence of global football fervor on local educational zeal opens up a realm of whimsical speculation.
The data focalizes a compelling tale of intertwined destinies, where the kicks and flicks on the football field resonate in the classrooms of North Dakota, like a game of statistical dominoes stretching across continents and careers. Who could have foreseen such an unconventional kinship between the soccer ball and the school bell, transcending geographical barriers and cultural disparities with a twinkle of statistical magic?
To visually capture this remarkable correlation, we present Fig. 1, a scatterplot that vividly portrays the robust relationship between these seemingly distant variables. Revel in the spectacle of dots aligned in harmonious fashion, akin to a synchronized dance between footballs and lesson plans, as they depict the intriguing connection that has emerged from our analytical escapade.
As we sift through these revelatory findings, we are reminded that in the grand tapestry of human endeavors, the threads of football and education may, in fact, intertwine in unexpectedly delightful ways. This unanticipated link prompts a reevaluation of the webs of influence that span the societal fabric, demonstrating that the impact of a football match can transcend the confines of a stadium and echo through the hallowed halls of education in distant lands.

-------

Your response should start like this:

[[DISCUSSION]]

ChatGPT:

[[DISCUSSION]]

In our discursive odyssey through the intersection of England Football Team's international match count and the number of school teachers in North Dakota, we have stumbled upon a statistical marvel that defies conventional wisdom with a gleeful smirk. Our results, akin to a surprising goal in stoppage time, have bolstered the whimsical notions and scholarly musings unearthed in the literature review, elevating the playful conjectures to the pedestal of empirical support.

Our findings lend robust credence to the scholarly intuitions that beckon a connection between the spirited pursuits of football and the noble vocation of education. As Smith and Jones poetically waltz through the intricate tapestry of goal-scoring patterns in international soccer, we cannot help but exult in the shared pursuit of excellence echoed in the diligent endeavors of educational stalwarts in North Dakota. The deft footwork on the pitch thrums with an inexplicable resonance in the corridors of learning, underscoring a captivating parallel that our statistical scrutiny has artfully illuminated.

Moreover, the enigma that shrouds the influence of sports fervor on the teaching profession finds its echo in Doe's profound exposition of the educational landscape. While Doe's focus does not dwell on the magnetic pull of football matches on the recruitment and retention of educators, our empirical voyage asserts an unspoken harmony that beguiles and captivates. The essence of passion, persistence, and unanticipated fervor weaved throughout the literature review now resonates with an empirical vibrancy that beckons us to ponder the whimsical forces at play in this peculiar correlation.

Our statistical escapade, bolstered by a tantalizing p-value of less than 0.01, not only aligns with the serendipitous serenades of scholarly whisperings but also basks in the mirthful aura of fiction and social musings. As we lace the narrative threads of our correlation, the sardonic winds of amusing correlations that waft through the literary and digital realms find a tangible mooring in our findings, inducing a chuckle of recognition in their playful forecast. The opulent wedding of football fervor and educational tenacity, echoing from the statistical depths, proclaims a playful truth hidden in the annals of inquiry.

In essence, our empirical foray contributes an exuberant verse to the lyrical ballad of unlikely connections, guiding us to ponder the perplexing juncture where the fervor of football gracefully intersects with the solemn call of education. Our results, much like an unforeseen back-heel pass, invite researchers to embrace the capricious whims of correlation and the endearing surprises that await in the unbounded realm of statistical serendipity.

Model: gpt-3.5-turbo-1106
System prompt: You are a goofy academic researcher writing an academic paper. You follow the rules, but you throw out convention regularly to make jokes and funny asides.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 England Football Team's International Match Count and The number of school teachers in North Dakota. Make lots of jokes, goofy observations, and puns.

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]]
"Kicking Around the Numbers: Exploring the Correlation Between England Football Team's International Match Count and the Number of School Teachers in North Dakota"

[[ABSTRACT]]
This paper aims to tackle the pressing question that has perplexed scholars and sports enthusiasts alike: Is there a tangible relationship between the England Football Team's international match count and the number of school teachers in the quaint land of North Dakota? We embarked on a data-driven odyssey, merging the worlds of sports and education, to uncover if these seemingly disparate entities share an unexpected connection.

Employing My Foot Ball Facts and the Bureau of Labor Statistics as our guides, we delved into the statistics with all the fervor of an avid football fan and the meticulousness of an educator meticulously grading papers. Lo and behold, our analysis revealed a correlation coefficient of 0.7590674 and a tantalizing p-value of less than 0.01 for the time span from 2010 to 2022. This astonishing discovery raises eyebrows and prompts unabashed curiosity.

This enthralling exploration not only sheds light on the intersection of sports and education but also invokes a sense of wonder about the mysterious ways in which seemingly unrelated realms of human endeavor may intertwine. As we revel in the unexpected findings, we invite readers to join us in savoring the delightful irony of this research journey and pondering the whimsical connections that underpin our world.

[[INTRDUCTION]]
As the world of academia often gravitates toward the meticulous and the mundane, it is with immense delight and a dash of whimsy that we present our research findings on the correlation between the England Football Team's international match count and the number of school teachers in the enigmatic expanse of North Dakota. While the link between soccer prowess and educational staffing may seem as improbable as a penguin performing a pirouette, our investigation has unveiled a surprising union between these two seemingly unrelated domains.
The juxtaposition of kicking a ball and molding young minds may seem as incongruous as mixing metaphors at a high society soirée, but as the saying goes, truth can indeed be stranger than fiction. Our foray into this uncharted territory was not undertaken with recklessness, but rather with the cautious curiosity of a kitten approaching a suspiciously wobbling vase. We sought to apply the principles of statistical analysis with the precision of a Swiss watchmaker, all while maintaining the exuberance of a football fan witnessing an unexpected last-minute goal.
The very notion of exploring the relationship between the number of international football matches England plays and the cohort of educators in the least populated state in the USA might provoke a chuckle, akin to discovering a kangaroo attempting a tap dance routine. However, as scholars, it is our duty to venture into uncharted waters, even if it means swapping our tweed jackets for life vests and setting sail into the uncharted sea of statistical oddities.
In this paper, we will unpack the methodological approach used to disentangle the web of numbers and possibilities, presenting our findings with the fervor of a raucous football anthem and the precision of a mathematical theorem. So, dear reader, fasten your intellectual seatbelt and prepare to kick around some numbers with us as we unravel the surprising connection between football fervor and educational enterprise.

[[RESULTS]]
Our gallant expedition into the statistical wilds has yielded a correlation coefficient of 0.7590674, an r-squared value of 0.5761832, and a p-value less than 0.01, underscoring a strong and significant relationship between the England Football Team's international match count and the number of school teachers in North Dakota from 2010 to 2022.
In the spirit of embracing the unexpected, we must trumpet the thriving correlation between a nation's passion for football and their educational workforce. It appears that while England's football prowess may spark fervent celebrations on the pitch, it also stirs up a unique motivational ripple effect in the education sector across the ocean and land.
It's intriguing to imagine teachers in North Dakota drawing inspiration from England's triumphs or defeats on the international football stage. Perhaps they rally their students with motivational chants borrowed from the terraces, urging them to "defend their academic goalposts" or "score top marks with an assist from knowledge." Admittedly, the potential influence of global football fervor on local educational zeal opens up a realm of whimsical speculation.
The data focalizes a compelling tale of intertwined destinies, where the kicks and flicks on the football field resonate in the classrooms of North Dakota, like a game of statistical dominoes stretching across continents and careers. Who could have foreseen such an unconventional kinship between the soccer ball and the school bell, transcending geographical barriers and cultural disparities with a twinkle of statistical magic?
To visually capture this remarkable correlation, we present Fig. 1, a scatterplot that vividly portrays the robust relationship between these seemingly distant variables. Revel in the spectacle of dots aligned in harmonious fashion, akin to a synchronized dance between footballs and lesson plans, as they depict the intriguing connection that has emerged from our analytical escapade.
As we sift through these revelatory findings, we are reminded that in the grand tapestry of human endeavors, the threads of football and education may, in fact, intertwine in unexpectedly delightful ways. This unanticipated link prompts a reevaluation of the webs of influence that span the societal fabric, demonstrating that the impact of a football match can transcend the confines of a stadium and echo through the hallowed halls of education in distant lands.

-------

Your response should start like this:

[[CONCLUSION]]

ChatGPT:

[[CONCLUSION]]

In conclusion, our research has unwrapped a surprising connection between the England Football Team's international match count and the number of school teachers in North Dakota. It seems that the influence of football fervor extends far beyond the confines of the pitch, reaching into the educational realm like an enthusiastic soccer fan diving into a plate of nachos during a thrilling match.

Our findings leave us pondering the whimsical ways in which the sporting triumphs and tribulations of England's national team may echo through the halls of North Dakota's educational institutions. It's as if the echoes of cheer and groans from the football stadium traverse the oceans, adding a kick of inspiration to the devoted educators in the least populated state of the USA.

It's a grand spectacle to imagine teachers in North Dakota weaving the spirit of football into their pedagogical maneuvers, perhaps infusing their lessons with the fervor and determination seen on the football field. Maybe they punctuate historical lessons with "goaaaaals!" or deploy mathematical problems involving the number of corner kicks in a match to engage their students. The potential for football-themed educational exploits is as vast and entertaining as a halftime show at a championship match.

Our study not only highlights the unexpected interplay between sports and education but also invites contemplation about the delightful ironies and connections that underpin our world. The statistical dance between the English football team's international match count and the cadre of educators in North Dakota paints a vibrant picture of interconnectedness and inspiration, akin to discovering that a football can indeed be mightier than the proverbial pen.

With our research reaching its conclusion, we assert that no further investigations are needed in this area. This riveting exploration into the curious kinship between football fervor and educational dedication has, in its own way, scored a triumphant research goal – leaving us in awe of the whimsical ways in which unexpected correlations can spark a tapestry of spirited connections.

So, let us raise our statistical glasses to this unanticipated nexus between the soccer ball and the school bell, at once celebrating the resilience of human curiosity and the playful linkages that embellish the grand narrative 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 Kicking Around the Numbers: Exploring the Correlation Between England Football Team's International Match Count and the Number of School Teachers in North Dakota. Respond only with the name of a fictional academic journal.

ChatGPT:

The Journal of Sports Analytics and Education

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 Kicking Around the Numbers: Exploring the Correlation Between England Football Team's International Match Count and the Number of School Teachers in North Dakota. Respond only with the name of a fictional organization.

ChatGPT:

The Institute for Sport Analytics and Educational Metrics

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 Kicking Around the Numbers: Exploring the Correlation Between England Football Team's International Match Count and the Number of School Teachers in North Dakota with an abstract of This paper aims to tackle the pressing question that has perplexed scholars and sports enthusiasts alike: Is there a tangible relationship between the England Football Team's international match count and the number of school teachers in the quaint land of North Dakota? We embarked on a data-driven odyssey, merging the worlds of sports and education, to uncover if these seemingly disparate entities share an unexpected connection.
Employing My Foot Ball Facts and the Bureau of Labor Statistics as our guides, we delved into the statistics with all the fervor of an avid football fan and the meticulousness of an educator meticulously grading papers. Lo and behold, our analysis revealed a correlation coefficient of 0.7590674 and a tantalizing p-value of less than 0.01 for the time span from 2010 to 2022. This astonishing discovery raises eyebrows and prompts unabashed curiosity.
This enthralling exploration not only sheds light on the intersection of sports and education but also invokes a sense of wonder about the mysterious ways in which seemingly unrelated realms of human endeavor may intertwine. As we revel in the unexpected findings, we invite readers to join us in savoring the delightful irony of this research journey and pondering the whimsical connections that underpin our world.

ChatGPT:

"England Football Team international match count correlation", "school teachers in North Dakota statistics", "sports and education relationship", "correlation coefficient in sports research", "soccer match impact on education", "England Football Team match history", "North Dakota school teacher employment data"

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

Random correlation

Discover a new correlation

View all correlations

View all research papers

Report an error

Data details

England Football Team's International Match Count
Source: My Foot Ball Facts
See what else correlates with England Football Team's International Match Count

The number of school teachers in North Dakota
Detailed data title: BLS estimate of secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education in North Dakota
Source: Bureau of Larbor Statistics
See what else correlates with The number of school teachers in North Dakota

Correlation r = 0.7590674 (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 = 0.5761832 (Coefficient of determination)
This means 57.6% of the change in the one variable (i.e., The number of school teachers in North Dakota) is predictable based on the change in the other (i.e., England Football Team's International Match Count) over the 13 years from 2010 through 2022.

p < 0.01, which is statistically significant(Null hypothesis significance test)
The p-value is 0.0026.^Show 0.0026209202359943180000000000
The p-value is a measure of how probable it is that we would randomly find a result this extreme.^Note 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 0.76 in 0.26% of random cases. Said differently, if you correlated 382 random variables^Note Which I absolutely did.
with the same 12 degrees of freedom, ^Note Degrees of freedom is a measure of how many free components we are testing. In this case it is 12 because we have two variables measured over a period of 13 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.

[ 0.36, 0.92 ] 95% correlation confidence interval (using the Fisher z-transformation)
^{Read more about the confidence interval} 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: ^Note 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.

	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
England Football Team's International Match Count (Match count)	12	9	13	12	12	11	14	10	17	11	8	19	13
The number of school teachers in North Dakota (Laborers)	2780	2750	2850	2780	2680	2680	2780	2780	2830	2800	2630	3110	2980

Why this works

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.
Lack of causal connection: There is probably^Note 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.
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^Note 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.
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. ^Note 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. ^{Show the steps to do this.} 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([12,9,13,12,12,11,14,10,17,11,8,19,13,])
array_2 = np.array([2780,2750,2850,2780,2680,2680,2780,2780,2830,2800,2630,3110,2980,])
array_1_name = "England Football Team's International Match Count"
array_2_name = "The number of school teachers in North Dakota"

# 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)

Reuseable content

You may re-use the images on this page for any purpose, even commercial purposes, without asking for permission. The only requirement is that you attribute Tyler Vigen. ^Note Attribution can take many different forms. If you leave the "tylervigen.com" link in the image, that satisfies it just fine. If you remove it and move it to a footnote, that's fine too. You can also just write "Charts courtesy of Tyler Vigen" at the bottom of an article.

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.

Full license details.
For more on re-use permissions, or to get a signed release form, see tylervigen.com/permission.

Download images for these variables:

High resolution line chart ^Note The image linked here is a Scalable Vector Graphic (SVG). It is the highest resolution that is possible to achieve. It scales up beyond the size of the observable universe without pixelating. You do not need to email me asking if I have a higher resolution image. I do not. The physical limitations of our universe prevent me from providing you with an image that is any higher resolution than this one.

If you insert it into a PowerPoint presentation (a tool well-known for managing things that are the scale of the universe), you can right-click > "Ungroup" or "Create Shape" and then edit the lines and text directly. You can also change the colors this way.

Alternatively you can use a tool like Inkscape.
High resolution line chart, optimized for mobile
Alternative high resolution line chart
Scatterplot
Portable line chart (png)
Portable line chart (png), optimized for mobile
Line chart for only England Football Team's International Match Count
Line chart for only The number of school teachers in North Dakota
AI-generated correlation image
The spurious research paper: Kicking Around the Numbers: Exploring the Correlation Between England Football Team's International Match Count and the Number of School Teachers in North Dakota

View another random correlation

How fun was this correlation?

I'm genuinely thankful for your rating!

Correlation ID: 1623 · Black Variable ID: 138 · Red Variable ID: 18464


Problem variable:
Issue:
Additional details: Optional
Confirm you are a human: