about · email me · subscribe
Spurious correlation #2,255 · View random

A linear line chart with years as the X-axis and two variables on the Y-axis. The first variable is Air pollution in Duluth and the second variable is The number of real estate brokers in Minnesota.  The chart goes from 2003 to 2022, and the two variables track closely in value over that time. Small Image
Download png
, svg

AI explanation

As air pollution increased in Duluth, it created a false demand for bottled mountain air, triggering a statewide craze for "authentic Duluth breath" among real estate brokers. This led to a sudden influx of brokers relocating to Minnesota, hoping to capitalize on this unexpected market for polluted nostalgia.

Model: dalle-3
Prompt: Generate an image of a Polaroid photo showing Duluth's skyline immersed in a hazy smog, with the faint silhouette of the iconic Aerial Lift Bridge barely visible through the polluted air. Next to the skyline, depict a bustling room of real estate brokers in Minnesota, filled with eager professionals discussing and showcasing available properties to potential buyers. Capture the contrast between the obscured skyline and the lively real estate activity in a single striking image. 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: Poor air quality in Duluth and The number of real estate brokers in Minnesota. 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: Vaporwave Vaporwave a Polaroid photo Low poly Oragami
ChatGPT: a Polaroid photo

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 Poor air quality in Duluth and The number of real estate brokers in Minnesota together. Keep the description simple.
ChatGPT: Duluth's skyline is shrouded in a hazy smog, with the iconic Aerial Lift Bridge barely visible through the polluted air. Meanwhile, a crowded room of real estate brokers in Minnesota is bustling with activity, with eager professionals discussing and showcasing available properties to potential buyers.

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: [ a Polaroid photo ] and depicting this scene: Duluth's skyline is shrouded in a hazy smog, with the iconic Aerial Lift Bridge barely visible through the polluted air. Meanwhile, a crowded room of real estate brokers in Minnesota is bustling with activity, with eager professionals discussing and showcasing available properties to potential buyers. Keep the visual depiction simple. Do not include any words or speech bubbles.
ChatGPT: Generate an image of a Polaroid photo showing Duluth's skyline immersed in a hazy smog, with the faint silhouette of the iconic Aerial Lift Bridge barely visible through the polluted air. Next to the skyline, depict a bustling room of real estate brokers in Minnesota, filled with eager professionals discussing and showcasing available properties to potential buyers. Capture the contrast between the obscured skyline and the lively real estate activity in a single striking image.

*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 increases in Air pollution in Duluth positively influenced The number of real estate brokers in Minnesota.

AI academic paper

(Because p < 0.01)
The Brokers' Choke: Air Pollution's Effect on Real Estate Folk

The Journal of Urban Eclectic Economics

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 dry but witty academic researcher. You speak in the passive voice, and your writing sounds like it belongs in a medical or economics journal.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 Air pollution in Duluth and The number of real estate brokers in Minnesota. Make it seem dry like academic research paper, but with lots of subtle hidden offhand remarks, jokes, goofy observations, and puns.

Rhyme words in the title.

Your research team used data from Environmental Protection Agency and Bureau of Larbor Statistics to assess this nagging question. You found a correlation coefficient of 0.8845140 and p < 0.01 for 2003 to 2022.

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

[[TITLE]]
Lorem ipsum dolor sit

[[ABSTRACT]]
Lorem ipsum dolor sit



ChatGPT:
[[TITLE]]
The Brokers' Choke: Air Pollution's Effect on Real Estate Folk

[[ABSTRACT]]
This study explores the relationship between air pollution levels in Duluth, Minnesota, and the number of real estate brokers in the state. Using data collected from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the period 2003 to 2022, a correlation coefficient of 0.8845140 and p-value less than 0.01 was calculated, indicating a strong positive association between air pollution and the real estate broker population. The findings suggest that as air pollution levels rise in Duluth, so does the number of real estate brokers in Minnesota. This unexpected correlation raises intriguing questions about the psychological and economic implications of environmental factors on occupational choices. It seems that for real estate brokers, "where there's smog, there's fog of real estate"!


Model: gpt-3.5-turbo-1106
System prompt: You are a dry but witty academic researcher. You speak in the passive voice, and your writing sounds like it belongs in a medical or economics journal.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 Air pollution in Duluth and The number of real estate brokers in Minnesota. Make it seem dry like academic research paper, but with lots of subtle hidden offhand remarks, jokes, goofy observations, and puns. Stay serious and dry most of the time, but then occasionally let your wit shine through.

Here is the title and abstract of the paper:
[[TITLE]]
The Brokers' Choke: Air Pollution's Effect on Real Estate Folk

[[ABSTRACT]]
This study explores the relationship between air pollution levels in Duluth, Minnesota, and the number of real estate brokers in the state. Using data collected from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the period 2003 to 2022, a correlation coefficient of 0.8845140 and p-value less than 0.01 was calculated, indicating a strong positive association between air pollution and the real estate broker population. The findings suggest that as air pollution levels rise in Duluth, so does the number of real estate brokers in Minnesota. This unexpected correlation raises intriguing questions about the psychological and economic implications of environmental factors on occupational choices. It seems that for real estate brokers, "where there's smog, there's fog of real estate"!

-------

Your response should start like this:

[[INTRODUCTION]]



ChatGPT:
[[INTRODUCTION]]

The impact of environmental factors on human behavior and occupational choices has long been a subject of interest. From the psychological implications of natural landscapes on well-being to the economic ramifications of pollution on industry, the interplay between the environment and human activity is a complex web of correlations. In this study, we turn our attention to the curious relationship between air pollution levels in Duluth, Minnesota, and the number of real estate brokers in the state. The burgeoning real estate market and the ever-present specter of air pollution form a curious dichotomy, one that perturbs the academic consciousness and compels us to delve into the hazy world of occupational choices.

Duluth, situated on the western tip of Lake Superior, is no stranger to the perils of air pollution. With its industrial infrastructure juxtaposed against the pristine natural beauty of the Great Lakes, the city becomes an intriguing microcosm for our investigation. Meanwhile, the real estate industry in Minnesota has experienced its own dramatic ebbs and flows, with the number of brokers waxing and waning over the years. It is amidst this backdrop of pollution and property that we venture to illuminate the unexpected correlation between these seemingly disparate phenomena. As we unravel the data, the tangled threads of correlation between air pollution and the real estate broker population begin to coalesce into a peculiar tapestry of occupational dynamics. It appears that behind the sobering statistics lies a whimsical interplay of environmental influence, occupational choices, and the faint aroma of opportunity.


Model: gpt-3.5-turbo-1106
System prompt: You are a dry but witty academic researcher. You speak in the passive voice, and your writing sounds like it belongs in a medical or economics journal.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 Air pollution in Duluth and The number of real estate brokers in Minnesota. Make it seem dry like academic research paper, but with lots of subtle hidden offhand remarks, 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 couple popular internet memes that are related to one of the topics.

Here is the title and abstract of the paper:
[[TITLE]]
The Brokers' Choke: Air Pollution's Effect on Real Estate Folk

[[ABSTRACT]]
This study explores the relationship between air pollution levels in Duluth, Minnesota, and the number of real estate brokers in the state. Using data collected from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the period 2003 to 2022, a correlation coefficient of 0.8845140 and p-value less than 0.01 was calculated, indicating a strong positive association between air pollution and the real estate broker population. The findings suggest that as air pollution levels rise in Duluth, so does the number of real estate brokers in Minnesota. This unexpected correlation raises intriguing questions about the psychological and economic implications of environmental factors on occupational choices. It seems that for real estate brokers, "where there's smog, there's fog of real estate"!

-------

And here is the introduction section that led to this literature review:
[[INTRODUCTION]]
The impact of environmental factors on human behavior and occupational choices has long been a subject of interest. From the psychological implications of natural landscapes on well-being to the economic ramifications of pollution on industry, the interplay between the environment and human activity is a complex web of correlations. In this study, we turn our attention to the curious relationship between air pollution levels in Duluth, Minnesota, and the number of real estate brokers in the state. The burgeoning real estate market and the ever-present specter of air pollution form a curious dichotomy, one that perturbs the academic consciousness and compels us to delve into the hazy world of occupational choices.
Duluth, situated on the western tip of Lake Superior, is no stranger to the perils of air pollution. With its industrial infrastructure juxtaposed against the pristine natural beauty of the Great Lakes, the city becomes an intriguing microcosm for our investigation. Meanwhile, the real estate industry in Minnesota has experienced its own dramatic ebbs and flows, with the number of brokers waxing and waning over the years. It is amidst this backdrop of pollution and property that we venture to illuminate the unexpected correlation between these seemingly disparate phenomena. As we unravel the data, the tangled threads of correlation between air pollution and the real estate broker population begin to coalesce into a peculiar tapestry of occupational dynamics. It appears that behind the sobering statistics lies a whimsical interplay of environmental influence, occupational choices, and the faint aroma of opportunity.

-------

Your response should start like this:

[[LITERATURE REVIEW]]



ChatGPT:
[[LITERATURE REVIEW]]

The authors find that the connection between air pollution levels and occupational choices has been a subject of intrigue in the field of environmental psychology. Smith et al. (2015) examined the impact of air pollution on individual decision-making processes, shedding light on the subtle influence of environmental factors on career trajectories. Similarly, Doe and Jones (2018) delved into the broader implications of pollution on economic activities, highlighting the potential ripple effects of environmental degradation on labor markets.

In "The Air We Breathe: A Sociological Study of Pollution and Professions," the authors explore the nuanced interplay between environmental factors and career paths, revealing the unexpected ways in which air quality can shape occupational preferences. Additionally, "Economic Consequences of Pollution: A Comparative Analysis" provides a comprehensive overview of the multifaceted relationship between pollution and industry, offering valuable insights into the intricate web of environmental and economic dynamics.

Turning to the realms of non-fiction literature, real estate professionals and environmental enthusiasts alike have pondered the intersection of air pollution and property markets. "Breathing Space: Pollution's Impact on Real Estate Values" offers a detailed examination of the influence of air quality on property valuation, while "The Real Estate Broker's Guide to Clean Breathing" presents practical strategies for navigating polluted environments in the pursuit of real estate careers.

In the realm of fiction, the concept of polluted air and its implications on human behavior has captured the imagination of authors and readers alike. In "Mist and Mortgages: A Tale of Pollution and Property," the protagonist grapples with the enigmatic allure of polluted landscapes and its unforeseen impact on real estate endeavors. Similarly, "The Smog Seller: Adventures in Hazy Territories" weaves a whimsical narrative around the curious intersection of air pollution and the world of property transactions.

Notably, the internet meme "Distracted Real Estate Agent" has garnered attention for its humorous take on the potential effects of air pollution on the focus and decision-making of real estate professionals. The image, featuring a bewildered agent surrounded by ominous clouds of smoke, humorously encapsulates the notion of environmental distractions in the realm of property sales.


Model: gpt-3.5-turbo-1106
System prompt: You are a dry but witty academic researcher. You speak in the passive voice, and your writing sounds like it belongs in a medical or economics journal.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 Air pollution in Duluth and The number of real estate brokers in Minnesota. Make it seem dry like academic research paper, but with lots of subtle hidden offhand remarks, jokes, goofy observations, and puns. Stay serious and dry most of the time, but then occasionally let your wit shine through.

Your research team collected data from all across the internet, but mostly just used information from Environmental Protection Agency and Bureau of Larbor Statistics . You used data from 2003 to 2022

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

Here is the title, abstract, and introduction of the paper:
[[TITLE]]
The Brokers' Choke: Air Pollution's Effect on Real Estate Folk

[[ABSTRACT]]
This study explores the relationship between air pollution levels in Duluth, Minnesota, and the number of real estate brokers in the state. Using data collected from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the period 2003 to 2022, a correlation coefficient of 0.8845140 and p-value less than 0.01 was calculated, indicating a strong positive association between air pollution and the real estate broker population. The findings suggest that as air pollution levels rise in Duluth, so does the number of real estate brokers in Minnesota. This unexpected correlation raises intriguing questions about the psychological and economic implications of environmental factors on occupational choices. It seems that for real estate brokers, "where there's smog, there's fog of real estate"!

[[INTRODUCTION]]
The impact of environmental factors on human behavior and occupational choices has long been a subject of interest. From the psychological implications of natural landscapes on well-being to the economic ramifications of pollution on industry, the interplay between the environment and human activity is a complex web of correlations. In this study, we turn our attention to the curious relationship between air pollution levels in Duluth, Minnesota, and the number of real estate brokers in the state. The burgeoning real estate market and the ever-present specter of air pollution form a curious dichotomy, one that perturbs the academic consciousness and compels us to delve into the hazy world of occupational choices.
Duluth, situated on the western tip of Lake Superior, is no stranger to the perils of air pollution. With its industrial infrastructure juxtaposed against the pristine natural beauty of the Great Lakes, the city becomes an intriguing microcosm for our investigation. Meanwhile, the real estate industry in Minnesota has experienced its own dramatic ebbs and flows, with the number of brokers waxing and waning over the years. It is amidst this backdrop of pollution and property that we venture to illuminate the unexpected correlation between these seemingly disparate phenomena. As we unravel the data, the tangled threads of correlation between air pollution and the real estate broker population begin to coalesce into a peculiar tapestry of occupational dynamics. It appears that behind the sobering statistics lies a whimsical interplay of environmental influence, occupational choices, and the faint aroma of opportunity.

-------

Your response should start like this:

[[METHODOLOGY]]



ChatGPT:

[[METHODOLOGY]]

The data for this study was collected from a variety of sources, predominantly the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Various air quality indices and real estate industry reports were obtained from these reputable sources, covering the period from 2003 to 2022. The data collection process involved sifting through voluminous reports and datasets, a task that required the patience of a saint and the eyesight of an eagle. We also augmented our dataset with supplemental information from local environmental agencies and real estate associations, ensuring a comprehensive and multifaceted approach to our analysis.

The air pollution levels in Duluth were measured using a combination of ambient air quality monitoring stations and satellite-based remote sensing technologies. This meticulous approach allowed us to capture the nuances of pollution distribution across the city, from the industrial corridors to the serene lakeside promenades. The real estate broker population in Minnesota was assessed through official employment records and industry registries, meticulously cross-referencing multiple databases to ensure the accuracy of our findings.

Once the datasets were assembled, they underwent a process of rigorous quality control and harmonization. Outliers and anomalies were identified and scrutinized with the precision of a hawk-eyed inspector, ensuring that our dataset was as clean and robust as possible. Then, statistical analyses were performed to assess the association between air pollution levels in Duluth and the number of real estate brokers in Minnesota. The correlation coefficient and p-value were calculated using sophisticated statistical software, with the precision of a virtuoso pianist playing a complex concerto.

The utilization of such diverse methods and the extensive period of data collection allowed us to develop a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between air pollution and the real estate industry. It is important to note, however, that while our findings support a strong positive correlation, causality cannot be definitively inferred from this observational study. As with any complex relationship, there exist myriad confounding variables and unmeasured factors that may influence the observed association. Nevertheless, our methodology provides a robust framework for investigating this unusual correlation and invites further exploration into the whimsical world of occupational choices in the shadow of pollution.


Model: gpt-3.5-turbo-1106
System prompt: You are a dry but witty academic researcher. You speak in the passive voice, and your writing sounds like it belongs in a medical or economics journal.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 Air pollution in Duluth and The number of real estate brokers in Minnesota. Make it seem dry like academic research paper, but with lots of subtle hidden offhand remarks, jokes, goofy observations, and puns. Stay serious and dry most of the time, but then occasionally let your wit shine through.

Your research team collected data from all across the internet, but mostly just used information from Environmental Protection Agency and Bureau of Larbor Statistics .

For the time period 2003 to 2022, you found a correlation 0.8845140, r-squared of 0.7823650, and p < 0.01.

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

Here is the title and abstract of the paper:
[[TITLE]]
The Brokers' Choke: Air Pollution's Effect on Real Estate Folk

[[ABSTRACT]]
This study explores the relationship between air pollution levels in Duluth, Minnesota, and the number of real estate brokers in the state. Using data collected from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the period 2003 to 2022, a correlation coefficient of 0.8845140 and p-value less than 0.01 was calculated, indicating a strong positive association between air pollution and the real estate broker population. The findings suggest that as air pollution levels rise in Duluth, so does the number of real estate brokers in Minnesota. This unexpected correlation raises intriguing questions about the psychological and economic implications of environmental factors on occupational choices. It seems that for real estate brokers, "where there's smog, there's fog of real estate"!

-------

And here is the methodology section that led to this result:
[[METHODOLOGY]]
The impact of environmental factors on human behavior and occupational choices has long been a subject of interest. From the psychological implications of natural landscapes on well-being to the economic ramifications of pollution on industry, the interplay between the environment and human activity is a complex web of correlations. In this study, we turn our attention to the curious relationship between air pollution levels in Duluth, Minnesota, and the number of real estate brokers in the state. The burgeoning real estate market and the ever-present specter of air pollution form a curious dichotomy, one that perturbs the academic consciousness and compels us to delve into the hazy world of occupational choices.
Duluth, situated on the western tip of Lake Superior, is no stranger to the perils of air pollution. With its industrial infrastructure juxtaposed against the pristine natural beauty of the Great Lakes, the city becomes an intriguing microcosm for our investigation. Meanwhile, the real estate industry in Minnesota has experienced its own dramatic ebbs and flows, with the number of brokers waxing and waning over the years. It is amidst this backdrop of pollution and property that we venture to illuminate the unexpected correlation between these seemingly disparate phenomena. As we unravel the data, the tangled threads of correlation between air pollution and the real estate broker population begin to coalesce into a peculiar tapestry of occupational dynamics. It appears that behind the sobering statistics lies a whimsical interplay of environmental influence, occupational choices, and the faint aroma of opportunity.

-------

Your response should start like this:

[[RESULTS]]



ChatGPT:

[[RESULTS]]

The analysis revealed a substantial correlation (r = 0.8845140) between air pollution levels in Duluth, Minnesota, and the number of real estate brokers in the state over the period 2003 to 2022. This relationship was further supported by the high r-squared value of 0.7823650, signifying that approximately 78.24% of the variation in the number of real estate brokers can be explained by the variation in air pollution levels. The p-value of less than 0.01 indicates that this correlation is statistically significant, lending further credence to the observed association.

As seen in Fig. 1, the scatterplot visually depicts the robust positive correlation between air pollution levels in Duluth and the number of real estate brokers in Minnesota. The increasing trend in real estate brokers coincides remarkably with the escalating levels of air pollution over the two-decade period. This remarkable correlation prompts one to consider the intriguing possibility that perhaps real estate brokers are drawn to areas with "smoggy" prospects. It is indeed an unexpected twist in the tale of environmental impact on occupational trends.

These findings beg the question: is it the smog that sparks a foggy surge of real estate in Minnesota? The confluence of pollutants and property transactions appears to create an unanticipated synthesis, and one is left pondering, in the language of real estate, whether "where there's smog, there's fogs of real estate". This unusual correlation beckons for a deeper exploration into the psychological and economic undercurrents that drive occupational choices in the face of environmental challenges. The brokers of Minnesota seem to be navigating through the haze with uncanny precision, perhaps pointing to a new dimension of occupational resilience in the midst of atmospheric adversity.


Model: gpt-3.5-turbo-1106
System prompt: You are a dry but witty academic researcher. You speak in the passive voice, and your writing sounds like it belongs in a medical or economics journal.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 Air pollution in Duluth and The number of real estate brokers in Minnesota. Make it seem dry like academic research paper, but with lots of subtle hidden offhand remarks, jokes, goofy observations, and puns. Stay serious and dry most of the time, but then occasionally let your wit shine through.

Limit your response to 500 tokens.

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

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

[[TITLE]]
The Brokers' Choke: Air Pollution's Effect on Real Estate Folk

[[ABSTRACT]]
This study explores the relationship between air pollution levels in Duluth, Minnesota, and the number of real estate brokers in the state. Using data collected from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the period 2003 to 2022, a correlation coefficient of 0.8845140 and p-value less than 0.01 was calculated, indicating a strong positive association between air pollution and the real estate broker population. The findings suggest that as air pollution levels rise in Duluth, so does the number of real estate brokers in Minnesota. This unexpected correlation raises intriguing questions about the psychological and economic implications of environmental factors on occupational choices. It seems that for real estate brokers, "where there's smog, there's fog of real estate"!

[[LITERATURE REVIEW]]
The authors find that the connection between air pollution levels and occupational choices has been a subject of intrigue in the field of environmental psychology. Smith et al. (2015) examined the impact of air pollution on individual decision-making processes, shedding light on the subtle influence of environmental factors on career trajectories. Similarly, Doe and Jones (2018) delved into the broader implications of pollution on economic activities, highlighting the potential ripple effects of environmental degradation on labor markets.
In "The Air We Breathe: A Sociological Study of Pollution and Professions," the authors explore the nuanced interplay between environmental factors and career paths, revealing the unexpected ways in which air quality can shape occupational preferences. Additionally, "Economic Consequences of Pollution: A Comparative Analysis" provides a comprehensive overview of the multifaceted relationship between pollution and industry, offering valuable insights into the intricate web of environmental and economic dynamics.
Turning to the realms of non-fiction literature, real estate professionals and environmental enthusiasts alike have pondered the intersection of air pollution and property markets. "Breathing Space: Pollution's Impact on Real Estate Values" offers a detailed examination of the influence of air quality on property valuation, while "The Real Estate Broker's Guide to Clean Breathing" presents practical strategies for navigating polluted environments in the pursuit of real estate careers.
In the realm of fiction, the concept of polluted air and its implications on human behavior has captured the imagination of authors and readers alike. In "Mist and Mortgages: A Tale of Pollution and Property," the protagonist grapples with the enigmatic allure of polluted landscapes and its unforeseen impact on real estate endeavors. Similarly, "The Smog Seller: Adventures in Hazy Territories" weaves a whimsical narrative around the curious intersection of air pollution and the world of property transactions.
Notably, the internet meme "Distracted Real Estate Agent" has garnered attention for its humorous take on the potential effects of air pollution on the focus and decision-making of real estate professionals. The image, featuring a bewildered agent surrounded by ominous clouds of smoke, humorously encapsulates the notion of environmental distractions in the realm of property sales.

[[RESULTS]]
The analysis revealed a substantial correlation (r = 0.8845140) between air pollution levels in Duluth, Minnesota, and the number of real estate brokers in the state over the period 2003 to 2022. This relationship was further supported by the high r-squared value of 0.7823650, signifying that approximately 78.24% of the variation in the number of real estate brokers can be explained by the variation in air pollution levels. The p-value of less than 0.01 indicates that this correlation is statistically significant, lending further credence to the observed association.
As seen in Fig. 1, the scatterplot visually depicts the robust positive correlation between air pollution levels in Duluth and the number of real estate brokers in Minnesota. The increasing trend in real estate brokers coincides remarkably with the escalating levels of air pollution over the two-decade period. This remarkable correlation prompts one to consider the intriguing possibility that perhaps real estate brokers are drawn to areas with "smoggy" prospects. It is indeed an unexpected twist in the tale of environmental impact on occupational trends.
These findings beg the question: is it the smog that sparks a foggy surge of real estate in Minnesota? The confluence of pollutants and property transactions appears to create an unanticipated synthesis, and one is left pondering, in the language of real estate, whether "where there's smog, there's fogs of real estate". This unusual correlation beckons for a deeper exploration into the psychological and economic undercurrents that drive occupational choices in the face of environmental challenges. The brokers of Minnesota seem to be navigating through the haze with uncanny precision, perhaps pointing to a new dimension of occupational resilience in the midst of atmospheric adversity.

-------

Your response should start like this:

[[DISCUSSION]]



ChatGPT:

[[DISCUSSION]]

The findings of this study have illuminated a compelling relationship between air pollution levels in Duluth, Minnesota, and the number of real estate brokers in the state. The substantial correlation coefficient and statistically significant p-value provide robust evidence supporting the notion that as air pollution levels rise in Duluth, so does the number of real estate brokers in Minnesota. These results align with prior research in environmental psychology and economic dynamics, shedding light on the intricate interplay between environmental factors and occupational choices.

The unexpected correlation between air pollution and the real estate broker population echoes the tongue-in-cheek musings found in the literature review, particularly the whimsical narrative of "The Smog Seller: Adventures in Hazy Territories." The light-hearted depiction of the curious intersection of air pollution and property transactions in fiction seems to have found an unlikely parallel in the empirical findings of this study. It appears that the smog of imagination has ventured into the realms of reality, blurring the lines between whimsy and empirical observation.

The high r-squared value further bolsters the conclusion that a significant portion of the variation in the number of real estate brokers can be explained by the variation in air pollution levels. This outcome resonates with the comprehensive overview provided in "Economic Consequences of Pollution: A Comparative Analysis," signifying the overarching influence of environmental factors on occupational trends. The notion that environmental challenges can shape economic activities seems to have materialized in the intriguing correlation uncovered in this study, navigating from the realm of theoretical deliberation to tangible statistical evidence.

The scatterplot, depicting the visually striking correlation between air pollution levels in Duluth and the number of real estate brokers in Minnesota, invites contemplation on the psychological and economic undercurrents that may be driving this unexpected association. The bewildering yet compelling possibility that real estate brokers are drawn to areas with "smoggy" prospects echoes the lighthearted sentiment captured in the internet meme "Distracted Real Estate Agent." In a peculiar convergence of reality and humor, the narrative of the distracted agent seemingly gains a semblance of empirical support, adding an unexpected layer of levity to the discussion of occupational choices in the face of environmental adversity.

In conclusion, the findings of this study underscore the need for further exploration into the implications of environmental factors on career trajectories and economic activities. The unexpected correlation between air pollution levels in Duluth and the number of real estate brokers in Minnesota challenges conventional understandings of occupational preferences and invites a deeper examination of the multifaceted influences that shape professional landscapes. As real estate brokers navigate through the atmospheric haze with notable resilience, the hazy territories of environmental impact on occupational trends appear to beckon for continued scholarly inquiry.


Model: gpt-3.5-turbo-1106
System prompt: You are a dry but witty academic researcher. You speak in the passive voice, and your writing sounds like it belongs in a medical or economics journal.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 Air pollution in Duluth and The number of real estate brokers in Minnesota. Make it seem dry like academic research paper, but with lots of subtle hidden offhand remarks, jokes, goofy observations, and puns. Stay serious and dry most of the time, but then occasionally let your wit shine through.

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

Here are the title, abstract, introduction, and results sections.
[[TITLE]]
The Brokers' Choke: Air Pollution's Effect on Real Estate Folk

[[ABSTRACT]]
This study explores the relationship between air pollution levels in Duluth, Minnesota, and the number of real estate brokers in the state. Using data collected from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the period 2003 to 2022, a correlation coefficient of 0.8845140 and p-value less than 0.01 was calculated, indicating a strong positive association between air pollution and the real estate broker population. The findings suggest that as air pollution levels rise in Duluth, so does the number of real estate brokers in Minnesota. This unexpected correlation raises intriguing questions about the psychological and economic implications of environmental factors on occupational choices. It seems that for real estate brokers, "where there's smog, there's fog of real estate"!

[[INTRDUCTION]]
The impact of environmental factors on human behavior and occupational choices has long been a subject of interest. From the psychological implications of natural landscapes on well-being to the economic ramifications of pollution on industry, the interplay between the environment and human activity is a complex web of correlations. In this study, we turn our attention to the curious relationship between air pollution levels in Duluth, Minnesota, and the number of real estate brokers in the state. The burgeoning real estate market and the ever-present specter of air pollution form a curious dichotomy, one that perturbs the academic consciousness and compels us to delve into the hazy world of occupational choices.
Duluth, situated on the western tip of Lake Superior, is no stranger to the perils of air pollution. With its industrial infrastructure juxtaposed against the pristine natural beauty of the Great Lakes, the city becomes an intriguing microcosm for our investigation. Meanwhile, the real estate industry in Minnesota has experienced its own dramatic ebbs and flows, with the number of brokers waxing and waning over the years. It is amidst this backdrop of pollution and property that we venture to illuminate the unexpected correlation between these seemingly disparate phenomena. As we unravel the data, the tangled threads of correlation between air pollution and the real estate broker population begin to coalesce into a peculiar tapestry of occupational dynamics. It appears that behind the sobering statistics lies a whimsical interplay of environmental influence, occupational choices, and the faint aroma of opportunity.

[[RESULTS]]
The analysis revealed a substantial correlation (r = 0.8845140) between air pollution levels in Duluth, Minnesota, and the number of real estate brokers in the state over the period 2003 to 2022. This relationship was further supported by the high r-squared value of 0.7823650, signifying that approximately 78.24% of the variation in the number of real estate brokers can be explained by the variation in air pollution levels. The p-value of less than 0.01 indicates that this correlation is statistically significant, lending further credence to the observed association.
As seen in Fig. 1, the scatterplot visually depicts the robust positive correlation between air pollution levels in Duluth and the number of real estate brokers in Minnesota. The increasing trend in real estate brokers coincides remarkably with the escalating levels of air pollution over the two-decade period. This remarkable correlation prompts one to consider the intriguing possibility that perhaps real estate brokers are drawn to areas with "smoggy" prospects. It is indeed an unexpected twist in the tale of environmental impact on occupational trends.
These findings beg the question: is it the smog that sparks a foggy surge of real estate in Minnesota? The confluence of pollutants and property transactions appears to create an unanticipated synthesis, and one is left pondering, in the language of real estate, whether "where there's smog, there's fogs of real estate". This unusual correlation beckons for a deeper exploration into the psychological and economic undercurrents that drive occupational choices in the face of environmental challenges. The brokers of Minnesota seem to be navigating through the haze with uncanny precision, perhaps pointing to a new dimension of occupational resilience in the midst of atmospheric adversity.

-------

Your response should start like this:

[[CONCLUSION]]



ChatGPT:

[[CONCLUSION]]

The evidence presented in this study strongly supports the existence of a significant positive correlation between air pollution levels in Duluth, Minnesota, and the number of real estate brokers in the state. The robust correlation coefficient and high R-squared value emphasize the compelling nature of this relationship, raising fascinating questions regarding the influence of environmental factors on career decisions. It appears that real estate brokers are not only adept at navigating housing markets but also adept at navigating through hazy environmental landscapes.

The unexpected alliance between air pollution and the real estate broker population unveils a curious dimension of occupational dynamics. It seems that for real estate brokers, the "fog of real estate" thickens in the presence of smog. The psychological and economic implications of this peculiar correlation beckon for further investigation, as the interplay between environmental challenges and occupational choices remains shrouded in uncertainty.

While the findings of this study shed light on the captivating association between air pollution and the real estate broker population, it is important to acknowledge the limitations and nuances of correlational research. The complex interplay of variables and the potential for confounding factors necessitate cautious interpretation of the results.

In conclusion, this study underscores the unforeseen interconnection between environmental quality and career trends, offering a quirky yet thought-provoking perspective on the occupational landscape. It seems that real estate brokers, like their properties, are influenced by location, location, location, even if that location comes with a bit of airborne particulate matter.

Based on our findings, it is clear that no further research is needed in this area. The connection between air pollution in Duluth and the number of real estate brokers in Minnesota has been thoroughly explored and definitively established.


Model: gpt-3.5-turbo-1106
System prompt: You provide fictional names of academic journals. You say nothing else, and you do not chat with the user.
User prompt: Please provide the name of a funny but plausible sounding research, scientific, or academic journal that would publish a paper entited The Brokers' Choke: Air Pollution's Effect on Real Estate Folk. Respond only with the name of a fictional academic journal.

ChatGPT:

The Journal of Urban Eclectic Economics


Model: gpt-3.5-turbo-1106
System prompt: You provide fictional names of nonprofit research organizations and associations. You say nothing else, and you do not chat with the user.
User prompt: Please provide the name of a funny but plausible sounding nonprofit, academic, or scientific association or organization that would sponsor research that resulted in a paper entited The Brokers' Choke: Air Pollution's Effect on Real Estate Folk. Respond only with the name of a fictional organization.

ChatGPT:

The Institute for Urban Air Quality Research (IUAQR)


Model: gpt-3.5-turbo-1106
System prompt: You provide potential search keywords separated by commas. You say nothing else, and you do not chat with the user.
User prompt: Please provide potential search keywords for a paper titled The Brokers' Choke: Air Pollution's Effect on Real Estate Folk with an abstract of This study explores the relationship between air pollution levels in Duluth, Minnesota, and the number of real estate brokers in the state. Using data collected from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the period 2003 to 2022, a correlation coefficient of 0.8845140 and p-value less than 0.01 was calculated, indicating a strong positive association between air pollution and the real estate broker population. The findings suggest that as air pollution levels rise in Duluth, so does the number of real estate brokers in Minnesota. This unexpected correlation raises intriguing questions about the psychological and economic implications of environmental factors on occupational choices. It seems that for real estate brokers, "where there's smog, there's fog of real estate"!

ChatGPT:

air pollution, real estate brokers, Duluth Minnesota, environmental impact, correlation coefficient, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Environmental Protection Agency

*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

Air pollution in Duluth
Detailed data title: Percentage of days 'unhealthy' or worse air quality in Duluth, MN-WI
Source: Environmental Protection Agency
See what else correlates with Air pollution in Duluth

The number of real estate brokers in Minnesota
Detailed data title: BLS estimate of real estate brokers in Minnesota
Source: Bureau of Larbor Statistics
See what else correlates with The number of real estate brokers in Minnesota

Correlation r = 0.8845140 (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 = 0.7823650 (Coefficient of determination)
This means 78.2% of the change in the one variable (i.e., The number of real estate brokers in Minnesota) is predictable based on the change in the other (i.e., Air pollution in Duluth) over the 20 years from 2003 through 2022.

p < 0.01, which is statistically significant(Null hypothesis significance test)
The p-value is 2.3E-7. 0.0000002266034477764058700000
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 0.88 in 2.3E-5% of random cases. Said differently, if you correlated 4,412,996 random variables You don't actually need 4 million 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 19 degrees of freedom, Degrees of freedom is a measure of how many free components we are testing. In this case it is 19 because we have two variables measured over a period of 20 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.

[ 0.73, 0.95 ] 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.
20032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022
Air pollution in Duluth (Bad air quality days)0000000000000000000.5479450
The number of real estate brokers in Minnesota (Real Estate Brokers)3302404804904902702402603002703003203304104505403706601500670




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.




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([0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0.547945,0,])
array_2 = np.array([330,240,480,490,490,270,240,260,300,270,300,320,330,410,450,540,370,660,1500,670,])
array_1_name = "Air pollution in Duluth"
array_2_name = "The number of real estate brokers in Minnesota"

# 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. 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:


View another random correlation

How fun was this correlation?

Thanks for being the explorer we needed!


Correlation ID: 2255 · Black Variable ID: 20564 · Red Variable ID: 10021
about · subscribe · emailme@tylervigen.com · twitter

CC BY 4.0