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Spurious correlation #2,454 · View random

A linear line chart with years as the X-axis and two variables on the Y-axis. The first variable is Bachelor's degrees awarded in Liberal arts and the second variable is NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div I Championship final point differential.  The chart goes from 2012 to 2021, and the two variables track closely in value over that time. Small Image
Download png
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AI explanation

As the number of liberal arts graduates dwindled, so did the ability to philosophize about the true essence of scoring differential in lacrosse. This led to a more practical, goal-oriented approach to the game, narrowing the point differentials and prompting the age-old question: If a midfielder scores in the forest and no one's around to hear it, does it still contribute to the point differential?

Model: dalle-3
Prompt: Generate an image reminiscent of a TIME magazine cover where a sparse crowd of graduates with Bachelor's degrees in Liberal Arts surrounds a lacrosse field. The players are captured mid-game, showcasing their physical prowess in a modern-day battle of agility and strength. The final championship match is depicted with a narrow point differential, reflecting the intense competition on the field. Capture the essence of the scene with simple visual elements, focusing on the contrast between the academic background of the spectators and the athletic prowess of the lacrosse players. 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: Bachelor's degrees awarded in Liberal arts and NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div I Championship final point differential. Given these, which of the following image style descriptions seems most appropriate? Pick the one that seems to be related to one of the variables at hand. Please respond with only one of the following potential descriptions: a Polaroid photo Charcoal Voxel art a funny image macro A TIME magazine cover image
ChatGPT: A TIME magazine cover image

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 Bachelor's degrees awarded in Liberal arts and NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div I Championship final point differential, in the following situation: As the number of Liberal Arts graduates dwindled, so too did the supply of players who could wax poetic on the field. With fewer Shakespeare-quoting athletes, teams struggled to verbally outmaneuver and psyche out their opponents, leading to narrower point differentials in the Championship finals. Without the eloquent jabs and lyrical taunts, the Lacrosse games became more focused on physical prowess, resulting in a tighter and more competitive outcome.. Keep the description simple.
ChatGPT: Amidst a dwindling crowd of graduates holding Bachelor's degrees in Liberal Arts, a lacrosse field is filled with players showcasing their physical prowess. With fewer Shakespeare-quoting athletes, the game has shifted to a fierce battle of agility and strength. The championship final ends with a narrow point differential, reflecting the intense competition on the field.

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 TIME magazine cover image ] and depicting this scene: Amidst a dwindling crowd of graduates holding Bachelor's degrees in Liberal Arts, a lacrosse field is filled with players showcasing their physical prowess. With fewer Shakespeare-quoting athletes, the game has shifted to a fierce battle of agility and strength. The championship final ends with a narrow point differential, reflecting the intense competition on the field. Keep the visual depiction simple. Do not include any words or speech bubbles.
ChatGPT: Generate an image reminiscent of a TIME magazine cover where a sparse crowd of graduates with Bachelor's degrees in Liberal Arts surrounds a lacrosse field. The players are captured mid-game, showcasing their physical prowess in a modern-day battle of agility and strength. The final championship match is depicted with a narrow point differential, reflecting the intense competition on the field. Capture the essence of the scene with simple visual elements, focusing on the contrast between the academic background of the spectators and the athletic prowess of the lacrosse players.

*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 a decrease in Bachelor's degrees awarded in Liberal arts caused NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div I Championship final point differential to decrease.

AI academic paper

(Because p < 0.05)
Liberal Arts and Lacrosse: A Lighthearted Look at the Link

Journal of Quirky Interdisciplinary Studies

Jan 2024

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




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

Please draft the title and abstract of an academic research paper presenting the findings of the connection between Bachelor's degrees awarded in Liberal arts and NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div I Championship final point differential. You can't resist a good dad joke. Add a relevant dad joke related to the content every couple of sentences.

Make the title an alliteration.

Your research team used data from National Center for Education Statistics and NCAA to assess this nagging question. You found a correlation coefficient of 0.7553867 and p < 0.05 for 2012 to 2021.

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

[[TITLE]]
Lorem ipsum dolor sit

[[ABSTRACT]]
Lorem ipsum dolor sit



ChatGPT:
[[TITLE]]
Liberal Arts and Lacrosse: A Lighthearted Look at the Link

[[ABSTRACT]]
In our lighthearted and witty research paper, we delve into the connection between the number of Bachelor's degrees awarded in Liberal Arts and the point differentials in the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div I Championship finals. Our research team took on this peculiar inquiry with the enthusiasm of a dad cracking a pun at a barbecue.

Utilizing data from the National Center for Education Statistics and the NCAA, we conducted a thorough analysis covering the years 2012 to 2021. Surprisingly, we discovered a correlation coefficient of 0.7553867 and a p-value less than 0.05, revealing a statistically significant relationship between these seemingly unrelated variables. It seems that Liberal Arts and Lacrosse have more in common than meets the eye - who would have thought that Shakespeare and Shakespearean defenses go hand in hand?

Our findings shed light on this unexplored intersection of academia and athletics, and we hope this research sparks further lighthearted investigations into the quirky connections between education and sports. After all, it's always good to have a well-rounded understanding of the world, just like a lacrosse ball flying towards the goal!



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

Please make up the introduction section of an academic research paper presenting the findings of the connection between Bachelor's degrees awarded in Liberal arts and NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div I Championship final point differential. You can't resist a good dad joke. Add a relevant dad joke related to the content every couple of sentences.

Here is the title and abstract of the paper:
[[TITLE]]
Liberal Arts and Lacrosse: A Lighthearted Look at the Link

[[ABSTRACT]]
In our lighthearted and witty research paper, we delve into the connection between the number of Bachelor's degrees awarded in Liberal Arts and the point differentials in the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div I Championship finals. Our research team took on this peculiar inquiry with the enthusiasm of a dad cracking a pun at a barbecue.

Utilizing data from the National Center for Education Statistics and the NCAA, we conducted a thorough analysis covering the years 2012 to 2021. Surprisingly, we discovered a correlation coefficient of 0.7553867 and a p-value less than 0.05, revealing a statistically significant relationship between these seemingly unrelated variables. It seems that Liberal Arts and Lacrosse have more in common than meets the eye - who would have thought that Shakespeare and Shakespearean defenses go hand in hand?

Our findings shed light on this unexplored intersection of academia and athletics, and we hope this research sparks further lighthearted investigations into the quirky connections between education and sports. After all, it's always good to have a well-rounded understanding of the world, just like a lacrosse ball flying towards the goal!


-------

Your response should start like this:

[[INTRODUCTION]]



ChatGPT:
[[INTRODUCTION]]

Ladies and gentlemen, lacrosse enthusiasts and liberal arts aficionados, welcome to the most amusing academic paper you will read today—perhaps the only one, if we’re being honest. In our quest for knowledge, we often find ourselves venturing into uncharted territories, exploring the unlikeliest of connections, and occasionally stumbling upon fascinating relationships that leave us scratching our heads in bewilderment.

Why did the liberal arts major refuse to play lacrosse? Because they didn't want to face off with their thesis defense! Ah, but I digress. Our peculiar yet intriguing investigation seeks to unravel the mysterious bond between the number of Bachelor's degrees awarded in Liberal Arts and the final point differentials in the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div I Championship finals. It’s as if we’re trying to decipher the code of Da Vinci’s artwork using a Lacrosse stick for a quill.

We are firm believers in the pursuit of knowledge for the sheer joy of discovery, even if this particular pursuit seems as elusive as finding a coherent Shakespearean plot. However, armed with the unyielding spirit of insatiability for unorthodox knowledge and a fondness for unexpected correlations, we plunged headfirst into this enigmatic realm of connections. And much to our surprise, and dare I say amusement, we uncovered a correlation coefficient that had us raising an eyebrow higher than a lacrosse player aiming for the top shelf.

Why did the statistics professor bring a lacrosse stick to class? Because she wanted to demonstrate the concept of "poisson distribution"! Nevertheless, our statistical analysis has unearthed a correlation coefficient of 0.7553867 and a p-value that would make any researcher's eyes widen like a goalie facing an unexpected shot. These results hint at a significant relationship between Liberal Arts and Lacrosse, a connection more surprising than finding a literature student at a lacrosse match.

But this is not merely a comical endeavor; it is an exploration through uncharted terrain, a journey to make connections where none seem apparent. As we unveil our findings, we hope to elevate the lighthearted spirit of academic inquiry and inspire others to seek out the unexpected correlations in the world around us. After all, embracing the unexpected is as pivotal to academic exploration as being prepared for a sudden bounce pass during a lacrosse game.


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

Please make up a literature review section of an academic research paper presenting the findings of the connection between Bachelor's degrees awarded in Liberal arts and NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div I Championship final point differential. You can't resist a good dad joke. Add a relevant dad joke related to the content every couple of sentences.

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

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

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

Here is the title and abstract of the paper:
[[TITLE]]
Liberal Arts and Lacrosse: A Lighthearted Look at the Link

[[ABSTRACT]]
In our lighthearted and witty research paper, we delve into the connection between the number of Bachelor's degrees awarded in Liberal Arts and the point differentials in the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div I Championship finals. Our research team took on this peculiar inquiry with the enthusiasm of a dad cracking a pun at a barbecue.

Utilizing data from the National Center for Education Statistics and the NCAA, we conducted a thorough analysis covering the years 2012 to 2021. Surprisingly, we discovered a correlation coefficient of 0.7553867 and a p-value less than 0.05, revealing a statistically significant relationship between these seemingly unrelated variables. It seems that Liberal Arts and Lacrosse have more in common than meets the eye - who would have thought that Shakespeare and Shakespearean defenses go hand in hand?

Our findings shed light on this unexplored intersection of academia and athletics, and we hope this research sparks further lighthearted investigations into the quirky connections between education and sports. After all, it's always good to have a well-rounded understanding of the world, just like a lacrosse ball flying towards the goal!


-------

And here is the introduction section that led to this literature review:
[[INTRODUCTION]]
Ladies and gentlemen, lacrosse enthusiasts and liberal arts aficionados, welcome to the most amusing academic paper you will read today—perhaps the only one, if we’re being honest. In our quest for knowledge, we often find ourselves venturing into uncharted territories, exploring the unlikeliest of connections, and occasionally stumbling upon fascinating relationships that leave us scratching our heads in bewilderment.
Why did the liberal arts major refuse to play lacrosse? Because they didn't want to face off with their thesis defense! Ah, but I digress. Our peculiar yet intriguing investigation seeks to unravel the mysterious bond between the number of Bachelor's degrees awarded in Liberal Arts and the final point differentials in the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div I Championship finals. It’s as if we’re trying to decipher the code of Da Vinci’s artwork using a Lacrosse stick for a quill.
We are firm believers in the pursuit of knowledge for the sheer joy of discovery, even if this particular pursuit seems as elusive as finding a coherent Shakespearean plot. However, armed with the unyielding spirit of insatiability for unorthodox knowledge and a fondness for unexpected correlations, we plunged headfirst into this enigmatic realm of connections. And much to our surprise, and dare I say amusement, we uncovered a correlation coefficient that had us raising an eyebrow higher than a lacrosse player aiming for the top shelf.
Why did the statistics professor bring a lacrosse stick to class? Because she wanted to demonstrate the concept of "poisson distribution"! Nevertheless, our statistical analysis has unearthed a correlation coefficient of 0.7553867 and a p-value that would make any researcher's eyes widen like a goalie facing an unexpected shot. These results hint at a significant relationship between Liberal Arts and Lacrosse, a connection more surprising than finding a literature student at a lacrosse match.
But this is not merely a comical endeavor; it is an exploration through uncharted terrain, a journey to make connections where none seem apparent. As we unveil our findings, we hope to elevate the lighthearted spirit of academic inquiry and inspire others to seek out the unexpected correlations in the world around us. After all, embracing the unexpected is as pivotal to academic exploration as being prepared for a sudden bounce pass during a lacrosse game.

-------

Your response should start like this:

[[LITERATURE REVIEW]]



ChatGPT:
[[LITERATURE REVIEW]]

In their seminal work, "The Unlikely Unicorns: Odd Correlations in Academic Studies," Smith et al. delve into the peculiar connections that have perplexed researchers for centuries. One such oddity they examine is the unexpected relationship between Bachelor's degrees awarded in Liberal Arts and the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div I Championship final point differentials. As we embark on our own investigation, we find ourselves wading into the whimsical waters of correlation studies, where the unexpected is not just a possibility but a punchline waiting to happen. After all, who knew that the liberal arts and lacrosse could be intertwined in a statistical web tighter than the net on a lacrosse goal?

Doe and Jones, in their study "Weird Science: The Art of Unusual Associations," capture the essence of our own inquiry as they explore the uncharted territory of bizarre correlations. And what could be more bizarre (or delightfully absurd) than linking the number of Bachelor's degrees in Philosophy to the margin of victory in lacrosse championships? It's a match made in statistical heaven, or perhaps more fittingly, in a whimsical, lighthearted dreamland that leaves researchers and readers chuckling at the sheer unexpectedness of it all.

Stepping outside the traditional realm of academic literature, we turn our attention to non-fiction works that may shed light on the inexplicable bond between Liberal Arts and Lacrosse. In "The Art of the Game: Sports, Strategy, and Poetic Play," the author delves into the poetic and strategic elements of sports, offering a unique perspective on the metaphorical dance that takes place on and off the field. It seems that the intricacies of a well-executed lacrosse play may have more in common with the nuances of classic literature than one might initially assume.

Moving further into the world of fiction, we encounter titles that, while not directly related to our research, tickle our scholarly funny bone. Works such as "The Lacrosse Chronicles: A Tale of Triumph and Tangled Romances" and "Liberal Arts and Lattes: A Quirky Quest for Academic Enlightenment" offer a playful blending of the worlds of academia and athletics, albeit in a less empirical and more whimsical manner. Who knows, maybe a twist of fate or a stroke of luck will reveal that these imagined connections mirror real-world statistical findings more closely than we could anticipate.

As we push the boundaries of conventional research inquiry, we must acknowledge the unorthodox sources that contribute to our understanding of this peculiar relationship. Excuse the pun, but we've scoured every corner of academia, from serious scholarly tomes to fictional narratives, and yes, even the back of CVS receipts in a lighthearted quest for knowledge about Liberal Arts and Lacrosse. Just as unexpected as a lacrosse ball to the face, these sources have sparked our curiosity and entertained our scholarly sensibilities in equal measure. And as we present our findings, we invite readers to join us in embracing the delightful and unexpected connections waiting to be uncovered within the wide world of academic exploration.


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

Please make up the methodology section of an academic research paper presenting the findings of the connection between Bachelor's degrees awarded in Liberal arts and NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div I Championship final point differential. You can't resist a good dad joke. Add a relevant dad joke related to the content every couple of sentences.

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

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

Here is the title, abstract, and introduction of the paper:
[[TITLE]]
Liberal Arts and Lacrosse: A Lighthearted Look at the Link

[[ABSTRACT]]
In our lighthearted and witty research paper, we delve into the connection between the number of Bachelor's degrees awarded in Liberal Arts and the point differentials in the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div I Championship finals. Our research team took on this peculiar inquiry with the enthusiasm of a dad cracking a pun at a barbecue.

Utilizing data from the National Center for Education Statistics and the NCAA, we conducted a thorough analysis covering the years 2012 to 2021. Surprisingly, we discovered a correlation coefficient of 0.7553867 and a p-value less than 0.05, revealing a statistically significant relationship between these seemingly unrelated variables. It seems that Liberal Arts and Lacrosse have more in common than meets the eye - who would have thought that Shakespeare and Shakespearean defenses go hand in hand?

Our findings shed light on this unexplored intersection of academia and athletics, and we hope this research sparks further lighthearted investigations into the quirky connections between education and sports. After all, it's always good to have a well-rounded understanding of the world, just like a lacrosse ball flying towards the goal!


[[INTRODUCTION]]
Ladies and gentlemen, lacrosse enthusiasts and liberal arts aficionados, welcome to the most amusing academic paper you will read today—perhaps the only one, if we’re being honest. In our quest for knowledge, we often find ourselves venturing into uncharted territories, exploring the unlikeliest of connections, and occasionally stumbling upon fascinating relationships that leave us scratching our heads in bewilderment.
Why did the liberal arts major refuse to play lacrosse? Because they didn't want to face off with their thesis defense! Ah, but I digress. Our peculiar yet intriguing investigation seeks to unravel the mysterious bond between the number of Bachelor's degrees awarded in Liberal Arts and the final point differentials in the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div I Championship finals. It’s as if we’re trying to decipher the code of Da Vinci’s artwork using a Lacrosse stick for a quill.
We are firm believers in the pursuit of knowledge for the sheer joy of discovery, even if this particular pursuit seems as elusive as finding a coherent Shakespearean plot. However, armed with the unyielding spirit of insatiability for unorthodox knowledge and a fondness for unexpected correlations, we plunged headfirst into this enigmatic realm of connections. And much to our surprise, and dare I say amusement, we uncovered a correlation coefficient that had us raising an eyebrow higher than a lacrosse player aiming for the top shelf.
Why did the statistics professor bring a lacrosse stick to class? Because she wanted to demonstrate the concept of "poisson distribution"! Nevertheless, our statistical analysis has unearthed a correlation coefficient of 0.7553867 and a p-value that would make any researcher's eyes widen like a goalie facing an unexpected shot. These results hint at a significant relationship between Liberal Arts and Lacrosse, a connection more surprising than finding a literature student at a lacrosse match.
But this is not merely a comical endeavor; it is an exploration through uncharted terrain, a journey to make connections where none seem apparent. As we unveil our findings, we hope to elevate the lighthearted spirit of academic inquiry and inspire others to seek out the unexpected correlations in the world around us. After all, embracing the unexpected is as pivotal to academic exploration as being prepared for a sudden bounce pass during a lacrosse game.

-------

Your response should start like this:

[[METHODOLOGY]]



ChatGPT:

[[METHODOLOGY]]

In our quest to uncover the mysterious link between Liberal Arts and Lacrosse, we embarked on a methodological adventure as whimsical as a game of Quidditch and as precise as an intricate lacrosse play. To begin, we cast an academic net across the vast expanse of the internet, reeling in data from the National Center for Education Statistics and the NCAA, with all the determination of a fisherman on a quest for the biggest catch of the day.

Our first step was to gather data on the number of Bachelor's degrees awarded in Liberal Arts from institutions across the United States. We combed through the virtual aisles of the National Center for Education Statistics like eager shoppers in a bookstore, extracting the relevant statistics from the years 2012 to 2021. As we sifted through the sea of information, we found ourselves as absorbed as a literature enthusiast lost in the pages of a compelling novel.

Next, we delved into the realm of NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div I Championship finals, where the field is as competitive as a battle between pun-loving dads. We meticulously recorded the point differentials of each championship match, following the data trail with the tenacity of a determined sleuth in search of the truth, or perhaps just in search of the nearest snack.

To ensure the utmost accuracy in our investigation, we incorporated a statistical approach as comprehensive and thorough as a scholar dissecting the nuances of a classic piece of literature. We employed a series of complex analytical techniques, including regression analysis and correlation calculations. And when faced with issues of missing data, we worked to impute values with the precision of a mathematician plotting the course of a parabola.

Our analysis involved a thorough examination of the relationship between the number of Bachelor's degrees awarded in Liberal Arts and the point differentials in the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div I Championship finals. We went beyond traditional statistical methods, infusing our analysis with the spirit of creativity and curiosity, much like an artist adding unexpected splashes of color to a blank canvas.

Now, if you’ll allow me to digress, I must share a relevant dad joke: "Why don't lacrosse players ever read Shakespeare? Because they prefer having a catch to practicing their iambic pentameter!"

As we ventured into this peculiar realm of research, we navigated the currents of data with the agility of a seasoned sailor and the inquisitiveness of a curious child. Our methodology may have been unorthodox, but it yielded insights that presented a captivating nexus between the world of academic pursuits and the realm of athletic competition.


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

Please make up the results section of an academic research paper presenting the findings of the connection between Bachelor's degrees awarded in Liberal arts and NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div I Championship final point differential. You can't resist a good dad joke. Add a relevant dad joke related to the content every couple of sentences.

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

For the time period 2012 to 2021, you found a correlation 0.7553867, r-squared of 0.5706090, and p < 0.05.

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]]
Liberal Arts and Lacrosse: A Lighthearted Look at the Link

[[ABSTRACT]]
In our lighthearted and witty research paper, we delve into the connection between the number of Bachelor's degrees awarded in Liberal Arts and the point differentials in the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div I Championship finals. Our research team took on this peculiar inquiry with the enthusiasm of a dad cracking a pun at a barbecue.

Utilizing data from the National Center for Education Statistics and the NCAA, we conducted a thorough analysis covering the years 2012 to 2021. Surprisingly, we discovered a correlation coefficient of 0.7553867 and a p-value less than 0.05, revealing a statistically significant relationship between these seemingly unrelated variables. It seems that Liberal Arts and Lacrosse have more in common than meets the eye - who would have thought that Shakespeare and Shakespearean defenses go hand in hand?

Our findings shed light on this unexplored intersection of academia and athletics, and we hope this research sparks further lighthearted investigations into the quirky connections between education and sports. After all, it's always good to have a well-rounded understanding of the world, just like a lacrosse ball flying towards the goal!


-------

And here is the methodology section that led to this result:
[[METHODOLOGY]]
Ladies and gentlemen, lacrosse enthusiasts and liberal arts aficionados, welcome to the most amusing academic paper you will read today—perhaps the only one, if we’re being honest. In our quest for knowledge, we often find ourselves venturing into uncharted territories, exploring the unlikeliest of connections, and occasionally stumbling upon fascinating relationships that leave us scratching our heads in bewilderment.
Why did the liberal arts major refuse to play lacrosse? Because they didn't want to face off with their thesis defense! Ah, but I digress. Our peculiar yet intriguing investigation seeks to unravel the mysterious bond between the number of Bachelor's degrees awarded in Liberal Arts and the final point differentials in the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div I Championship finals. It’s as if we’re trying to decipher the code of Da Vinci’s artwork using a Lacrosse stick for a quill.
We are firm believers in the pursuit of knowledge for the sheer joy of discovery, even if this particular pursuit seems as elusive as finding a coherent Shakespearean plot. However, armed with the unyielding spirit of insatiability for unorthodox knowledge and a fondness for unexpected correlations, we plunged headfirst into this enigmatic realm of connections. And much to our surprise, and dare I say amusement, we uncovered a correlation coefficient that had us raising an eyebrow higher than a lacrosse player aiming for the top shelf.
Why did the statistics professor bring a lacrosse stick to class? Because she wanted to demonstrate the concept of "poisson distribution"! Nevertheless, our statistical analysis has unearthed a correlation coefficient of 0.7553867 and a p-value that would make any researcher's eyes widen like a goalie facing an unexpected shot. These results hint at a significant relationship between Liberal Arts and Lacrosse, a connection more surprising than finding a literature student at a lacrosse match.
But this is not merely a comical endeavor; it is an exploration through uncharted terrain, a journey to make connections where none seem apparent. As we unveil our findings, we hope to elevate the lighthearted spirit of academic inquiry and inspire others to seek out the unexpected correlations in the world around us. After all, embracing the unexpected is as pivotal to academic exploration as being prepared for a sudden bounce pass during a lacrosse game.

-------

Your response should start like this:

[[RESULTS]]



ChatGPT:

[[RESULTS]]

Our analysis of the relationship between the number of Bachelor's degrees awarded in Liberal Arts and the point differentials in the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div I Championship finals yielded some unexpected, yet undeniably intriguing results. We found a robust correlation coefficient of 0.7553867, an r-squared value of 0.5706090, and a p-value less than 0.05, indicating a statistically significant connection. It appears that there’s more to these seemingly disparate domains than meets the eye - who would have thought that Socrates and sweep checks have something in common?

Fig. 1 presents a scatterplot illustrating the strong correlation between the two variables. It seems that as the number of Bachelor's degrees awarded in Liberal Arts increases, the point differential in the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div I Championship finals also tends to increase. It's as clear as a sunny day on the lacrosse field, or maybe a bit clearer than a goalie's vision after dodging a well-aimed shot.

Our findings open the door to a world of unexpected connections and invite further exploration at the quirky intersection of academia and athletics. It's akin to stumbling upon a Renaissance art collection at a lacrosse match - surprising, yet undeniably thought-provoking.

In conclusion, our research unearths a statistically significant relationship between Bachelor's degrees awarded in Liberal Arts and the final point differentials in the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div I Championship finals, prompting us to ponder the intriguing links between education and sports. After all, the only thing better than a well-crafted argument is a well-executed behind-the-back pass!


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

Please make up the discussion section of an academic research paper presenting the findings of the connection between Bachelor's degrees awarded in Liberal arts and NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div I Championship final point differential. You can't resist a good dad joke. Add a relevant dad joke related to the content every couple of sentences.

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]]
Liberal Arts and Lacrosse: A Lighthearted Look at the Link

[[ABSTRACT]]
In our lighthearted and witty research paper, we delve into the connection between the number of Bachelor's degrees awarded in Liberal Arts and the point differentials in the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div I Championship finals. Our research team took on this peculiar inquiry with the enthusiasm of a dad cracking a pun at a barbecue.

Utilizing data from the National Center for Education Statistics and the NCAA, we conducted a thorough analysis covering the years 2012 to 2021. Surprisingly, we discovered a correlation coefficient of 0.7553867 and a p-value less than 0.05, revealing a statistically significant relationship between these seemingly unrelated variables. It seems that Liberal Arts and Lacrosse have more in common than meets the eye - who would have thought that Shakespeare and Shakespearean defenses go hand in hand?

Our findings shed light on this unexplored intersection of academia and athletics, and we hope this research sparks further lighthearted investigations into the quirky connections between education and sports. After all, it's always good to have a well-rounded understanding of the world, just like a lacrosse ball flying towards the goal!


[[LITERATURE REVIEW]]
In their seminal work, "The Unlikely Unicorns: Odd Correlations in Academic Studies," Smith et al. delve into the peculiar connections that have perplexed researchers for centuries. One such oddity they examine is the unexpected relationship between Bachelor's degrees awarded in Liberal Arts and the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div I Championship final point differentials. As we embark on our own investigation, we find ourselves wading into the whimsical waters of correlation studies, where the unexpected is not just a possibility but a punchline waiting to happen. After all, who knew that the liberal arts and lacrosse could be intertwined in a statistical web tighter than the net on a lacrosse goal?
Doe and Jones, in their study "Weird Science: The Art of Unusual Associations," capture the essence of our own inquiry as they explore the uncharted territory of bizarre correlations. And what could be more bizarre (or delightfully absurd) than linking the number of Bachelor's degrees in Philosophy to the margin of victory in lacrosse championships? It's a match made in statistical heaven, or perhaps more fittingly, in a whimsical, lighthearted dreamland that leaves researchers and readers chuckling at the sheer unexpectedness of it all.
Stepping outside the traditional realm of academic literature, we turn our attention to non-fiction works that may shed light on the inexplicable bond between Liberal Arts and Lacrosse. In "The Art of the Game: Sports, Strategy, and Poetic Play," the author delves into the poetic and strategic elements of sports, offering a unique perspective on the metaphorical dance that takes place on and off the field. It seems that the intricacies of a well-executed lacrosse play may have more in common with the nuances of classic literature than one might initially assume.
Moving further into the world of fiction, we encounter titles that, while not directly related to our research, tickle our scholarly funny bone. Works such as "The Lacrosse Chronicles: A Tale of Triumph and Tangled Romances" and "Liberal Arts and Lattes: A Quirky Quest for Academic Enlightenment" offer a playful blending of the worlds of academia and athletics, albeit in a less empirical and more whimsical manner. Who knows, maybe a twist of fate or a stroke of luck will reveal that these imagined connections mirror real-world statistical findings more closely than we could anticipate.
As we push the boundaries of conventional research inquiry, we must acknowledge the unorthodox sources that contribute to our understanding of this peculiar relationship. Excuse the pun, but we've scoured every corner of academia, from serious scholarly tomes to fictional narratives, and yes, even the back of CVS receipts in a lighthearted quest for knowledge about Liberal Arts and Lacrosse. Just as unexpected as a lacrosse ball to the face, these sources have sparked our curiosity and entertained our scholarly sensibilities in equal measure. And as we present our findings, we invite readers to join us in embracing the delightful and unexpected connections waiting to be uncovered within the wide world of academic exploration.

[[RESULTS]]
Our analysis of the relationship between the number of Bachelor's degrees awarded in Liberal Arts and the point differentials in the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div I Championship finals yielded some unexpected, yet undeniably intriguing results. We found a robust correlation coefficient of 0.7553867, an r-squared value of 0.5706090, and a p-value less than 0.05, indicating a statistically significant connection. It appears that there’s more to these seemingly disparate domains than meets the eye - who would have thought that Socrates and sweep checks have something in common?
Fig. 1 presents a scatterplot illustrating the strong correlation between the two variables. It seems that as the number of Bachelor's degrees awarded in Liberal Arts increases, the point differential in the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div I Championship finals also tends to increase. It's as clear as a sunny day on the lacrosse field, or maybe a bit clearer than a goalie's vision after dodging a well-aimed shot.
Our findings open the door to a world of unexpected connections and invite further exploration at the quirky intersection of academia and athletics. It's akin to stumbling upon a Renaissance art collection at a lacrosse match - surprising, yet undeniably thought-provoking.
In conclusion, our research unearths a statistically significant relationship between Bachelor's degrees awarded in Liberal Arts and the final point differentials in the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div I Championship finals, prompting us to ponder the intriguing links between education and sports. After all, the only thing better than a well-crafted argument is a well-executed behind-the-back pass!

-------

Your response should start like this:

[[DISCUSSION]]



ChatGPT:

[[DISCUSSION]]

Our study offers a whimsical glimpse into the unexplored territory of statistical connections between Liberal Arts and the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div I Championship point differentials. By providing empirical evidence to support the seemingly ludicrous connection, we've exposed the surprising bond between these seemingly unrelated domains. Striking indeed, but not as striking as a well-timed lacrosse goal!

Drawing upon the peculiar correlations highlighted in the literature review, our findings support and extend the work of Smith et al., who first presented the bizarre union between Bachelor's degrees awarded in Liberal Arts and the outcome of lacrosse championships. The statistically significant correlation coefficient of 0.7553867 in our study wonderfully complements the initial discovery, indicating that as the number of Liberal Arts degrees awarded rises, so does the point differential in the championship finals. It's as if a liberal arts degree and a lacrosse stick make for an unbeatable pair – pun intended.

Further substantiating the whimsical connection, our results align with the spirit of Doe and Jones's "Weird Science: The Art of Unusual Associations," as we unearth a statistically significant relationship that defies traditional expectations. Philosophical musings and athletic prowess intertwine in a way that not only defies logic but also highlights the potential for unconventional connections to be validated through empirical analysis. It's a leap of faith similar to attempting a behind-the-back pass, yet our findings offer a firm statistical ground to stand upon.

Our study also resonates with the playful blending of academia and athletics depicted in works such as "The Art of the Game: Sports, Strategy, and Poetic Play," as the statistical connection between Liberal Arts and Lacrosse calls attention to the intricate dance between sports and strategy. Just as players strategically maneuver on the lacrosse field, our data implies a strategic dance between Liberal Arts and the championship outcomes. It’s a match made in statistical heaven, proving that the dance of data can be as mesmerizing as the dance of athletes on the field.

In a broader context, our research invites scholars to consider the unexpected connections waiting to be uncovered within the lighthearted landscape of academic exploration. We have humorously demonstrated that statistical records can paint an entertaining and enlightening tale, just like a good-hearted dad joke. Our findings serve as a reminder that the academic world, much like a lacrosse game, can surprise and delight with unexpected connections, and perhaps inspire future investigations along similarly light-hearted lines. After all, the only thing better than a well-crafted argument is a well-executed behind-the-back pass – on and off the field!


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

Please make up a short conclusion of an academic research paper presenting the findings of the connection between Bachelor's degrees awarded in Liberal arts and NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div I Championship final point differential. You can't resist a good dad joke. Add a relevant dad joke related to the content every couple of sentences.

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]]
Liberal Arts and Lacrosse: A Lighthearted Look at the Link

[[ABSTRACT]]
In our lighthearted and witty research paper, we delve into the connection between the number of Bachelor's degrees awarded in Liberal Arts and the point differentials in the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div I Championship finals. Our research team took on this peculiar inquiry with the enthusiasm of a dad cracking a pun at a barbecue.

Utilizing data from the National Center for Education Statistics and the NCAA, we conducted a thorough analysis covering the years 2012 to 2021. Surprisingly, we discovered a correlation coefficient of 0.7553867 and a p-value less than 0.05, revealing a statistically significant relationship between these seemingly unrelated variables. It seems that Liberal Arts and Lacrosse have more in common than meets the eye - who would have thought that Shakespeare and Shakespearean defenses go hand in hand?

Our findings shed light on this unexplored intersection of academia and athletics, and we hope this research sparks further lighthearted investigations into the quirky connections between education and sports. After all, it's always good to have a well-rounded understanding of the world, just like a lacrosse ball flying towards the goal!


[[INTRDUCTION]]
Ladies and gentlemen, lacrosse enthusiasts and liberal arts aficionados, welcome to the most amusing academic paper you will read today—perhaps the only one, if we’re being honest. In our quest for knowledge, we often find ourselves venturing into uncharted territories, exploring the unlikeliest of connections, and occasionally stumbling upon fascinating relationships that leave us scratching our heads in bewilderment.
Why did the liberal arts major refuse to play lacrosse? Because they didn't want to face off with their thesis defense! Ah, but I digress. Our peculiar yet intriguing investigation seeks to unravel the mysterious bond between the number of Bachelor's degrees awarded in Liberal Arts and the final point differentials in the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div I Championship finals. It’s as if we’re trying to decipher the code of Da Vinci’s artwork using a Lacrosse stick for a quill.
We are firm believers in the pursuit of knowledge for the sheer joy of discovery, even if this particular pursuit seems as elusive as finding a coherent Shakespearean plot. However, armed with the unyielding spirit of insatiability for unorthodox knowledge and a fondness for unexpected correlations, we plunged headfirst into this enigmatic realm of connections. And much to our surprise, and dare I say amusement, we uncovered a correlation coefficient that had us raising an eyebrow higher than a lacrosse player aiming for the top shelf.
Why did the statistics professor bring a lacrosse stick to class? Because she wanted to demonstrate the concept of "poisson distribution"! Nevertheless, our statistical analysis has unearthed a correlation coefficient of 0.7553867 and a p-value that would make any researcher's eyes widen like a goalie facing an unexpected shot. These results hint at a significant relationship between Liberal Arts and Lacrosse, a connection more surprising than finding a literature student at a lacrosse match.
But this is not merely a comical endeavor; it is an exploration through uncharted terrain, a journey to make connections where none seem apparent. As we unveil our findings, we hope to elevate the lighthearted spirit of academic inquiry and inspire others to seek out the unexpected correlations in the world around us. After all, embracing the unexpected is as pivotal to academic exploration as being prepared for a sudden bounce pass during a lacrosse game.

[[RESULTS]]
Our analysis of the relationship between the number of Bachelor's degrees awarded in Liberal Arts and the point differentials in the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div I Championship finals yielded some unexpected, yet undeniably intriguing results. We found a robust correlation coefficient of 0.7553867, an r-squared value of 0.5706090, and a p-value less than 0.05, indicating a statistically significant connection. It appears that there’s more to these seemingly disparate domains than meets the eye - who would have thought that Socrates and sweep checks have something in common?
Fig. 1 presents a scatterplot illustrating the strong correlation between the two variables. It seems that as the number of Bachelor's degrees awarded in Liberal Arts increases, the point differential in the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div I Championship finals also tends to increase. It's as clear as a sunny day on the lacrosse field, or maybe a bit clearer than a goalie's vision after dodging a well-aimed shot.
Our findings open the door to a world of unexpected connections and invite further exploration at the quirky intersection of academia and athletics. It's akin to stumbling upon a Renaissance art collection at a lacrosse match - surprising, yet undeniably thought-provoking.
In conclusion, our research unearths a statistically significant relationship between Bachelor's degrees awarded in Liberal Arts and the final point differentials in the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div I Championship finals, prompting us to ponder the intriguing links between education and sports. After all, the only thing better than a well-crafted argument is a well-executed behind-the-back pass!

-------

Your response should start like this:

[[CONCLUSION]]



ChatGPT:

[[CONCLUSION]]

In this lighthearted and unexpectedly enthralling exploration, we have delved deep into the world of unlikely partnerships and unearthed a correlation that is as surprising as a Shakespearean plot twist. Our findings have revealed a statistically significant relationship between the number of Bachelor's degrees awarded in Liberal Arts and the final point differentials in the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div I Championship finals. It seems that the art of rhetoric and the precision of a pinpoint pass share more in common than meets the eye.

As we wrap up our research, we are reminded of a classic dad joke: Why did the lacrosse player go to art school? To learn how to draw a perfect circle for the goal! It's clear that our findings pave the way for a new era of lighthearted investigations into the unexpected connections between academia and athletics. After all, in the words of a wise lacrosse coach, "It's not about winning or losing; it's about how you pass the ball."

Our statistical analysis has not only uncovered a robust correlation coefficient but has also fueled the delightful spirit of academic curiosity. In the spirit of our conclusions, we proclaim with utmost confidence that no more research is needed in this area. After all, we've found the perfect "match" between Liberal Arts and Lacrosse!


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 Liberal Arts and Lacrosse: A Lighthearted Look at the Link. Respond only with the name of a fictional academic journal.

ChatGPT:

Journal of Quirky Interdisciplinary Studies


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 Liberal Arts and Lacrosse: A Lighthearted Look at the Link. Respond only with the name of a fictional organization.

ChatGPT:

The Society for Interdisciplinary Studies of Quirky Sports and Arts


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 Liberal Arts and Lacrosse: A Lighthearted Look at the Link with an abstract of In our lighthearted and witty research paper, we delve into the connection between the number of Bachelor's degrees awarded in Liberal Arts and the point differentials in the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div I Championship finals. Our research team took on this peculiar inquiry with the enthusiasm of a dad cracking a pun at a barbecue.
Utilizing data from the National Center for Education Statistics and the NCAA, we conducted a thorough analysis covering the years 2012 to 2021. Surprisingly, we discovered a correlation coefficient of 0.7553867 and a p-value less than 0.05, revealing a statistically significant relationship between these seemingly unrelated variables. It seems that Liberal Arts and Lacrosse have more in common than meets the eye - who would have thought that Shakespeare and Shakespearean defenses go hand in hand?
Our findings shed light on this unexplored intersection of academia and athletics, and we hope this research sparks further lighthearted investigations into the quirky connections between education and sports. After all, it's always good to have a well-rounded understanding of the world, just like a lacrosse ball flying towards the goal!

ChatGPT:

Liberal Arts, Lacrosse, correlation, Bachelor's degrees, NCAA Men's Lacrosse, National Center for Education Statistics, statistics, research, academia, athletics, Shakespearean defenses, quirky connections, education, sports, correlation coefficient, p-value, NCAA Div I Championship, point differentials

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



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Data details

Bachelor's degrees awarded in Liberal arts
Detailed data title: Bachelor's degrees conferred by postsecondary institutions, in field of study: Liberal arts and sciences, general studies, and humanities
Source: National Center for Education Statistics
See what else correlates with Bachelor's degrees awarded in Liberal arts

NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div I Championship final point differential
Source: NCAA
See what else correlates with NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div I Championship final point differential

Correlation r = 0.7553867 (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 = 0.5706090 (Coefficient of determination)
This means 57.1% of the change in the one variable (i.e., NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div I Championship final point differential) is predictable based on the change in the other (i.e., Bachelor's degrees awarded in Liberal arts) over the 10 years from 2012 through 2021.

p < 0.05, which statistically significant(Null hypothesis significance test)
The p-value is 0.012. 0.0115181978503765600000000000
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 0.76 in 1.2% of random cases. Said differently, if you correlated 87 random variables Which I absolutely did.
with the same 9 degrees of freedom, Degrees of freedom is a measure of how many free components we are testing. In this case it is 9 because we have two variables measured over a period of 10 years. It's just the number of years minus ( the number of variables minus one ), which in this case simplifies to the number of years minus one.
you would randomly expect to find a correlation as strong as this one.

[ 0.24, 0.94 ] 95% correlation confidence interval (using the Fisher z-transformation)
The confidence interval is an estimate the range of the value of the correlation coefficient, using the correlation itself as an input. The values are meant to be the low and high end of the correlation coefficient with 95% confidence.

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


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

Still, sometimes one of the variables has more years of data available than the other. This page only shows the overlapping years. To see all the years, click on "See what else correlates with..." link above.
2012201320142015201620172018201920202021
Bachelor's degrees awarded in Liberal arts (Degrees awarded)46961467904528143649436694410344262442224292241909
NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div I Championship final point differential (Points)6625132401




Why this works

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




Try it yourself

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

    return correlation, r_squared, p_value

# These are the arrays for the variables shown on this page, but you can modify them to be any two sets of numbers
array_1 = np.array([46961,46790,45281,43649,43669,44103,44262,44222,42922,41909,])
array_2 = np.array([6,6,2,5,1,3,2,4,0,1,])
array_1_name = "Bachelor's degrees awarded in Liberal arts"
array_2_name = "NCAA Men's Lacrosse Div I Championship final point differential"

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

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



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

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

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

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Correlation ID: 2454 · Black Variable ID: 1281 · Red Variable ID: 129
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