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Spurious correlation #3,440 · View random

A linear line chart with years as the X-axis and two variables on the Y-axis. The first variable is The number of legislators in Ohio and the second variable is Hollister retail store count worldwide.  The chart goes from 2003 to 2020, and the two variables track closely in value over that time. Small Image
Download png
, svg

AI explanation

As the number of legislators in Ohio grew, so did the need for more formal attire, leading to a surge in demand for stylish yet affordable clothing options. This prompted a 'legis-later' decision by Hollister to expand its retail presence worldwide, creating a wave of new store openings to meet the sudden influx of fashion-conscious lawmakers and their staff. It appears that in the world of fashion, even politics can't escape making a 'bipartisan' statement!

Model: dalle-3
Prompt: Generate an image where the majestic State Capitol building in downtown Columbus, Ohio, commands attention as a bustling crowd of legislators moves about. Show a row of Hollister stores lining the street, offering a contrast between the formal government buildings and the stores' casual-cool vibe. Inside the stores, present racks filled with trendy attire, reflecting the increasing demand for fashion among the stylish legislators shaping policies in the state. Ensure the atmosphere captures the energy of the bustling downtown scene while emphasizing the unique clash of cultures between governmental authority and trendy fashion. 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: The number of legislators in Ohio and Hollister retail store count worldwide. 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 A Discovery magazine cover image An image that looks like it is a scene from a Pixar movie Woodblock painting A comic-book-style illustration with muted colors and a dotted halftone pattern from the 1960s
ChatGPT: A Discovery 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 The number of legislators in Ohio and Hollister retail store count worldwide, in the following situation: Because more legislators means more fashion debates, which leads to an increase in demand for trendy attire. Hollister, known for its casual cool vibe, seized the opportunity to expand globally to cater to the sartorial needs of the burgeoning political fashionistas. . Keep the description simple.
ChatGPT: In downtown Columbus, Ohio, the State Capitol building stands tall, surrounded by a bustling crowd of legislators. Nearby, a row of Hollister stores line the street, their signature surfboards and casual-cool vibe contrasting with the formal government buildings. Inside the stores, racks are filled with trendy attire, reflecting the increasing demand for fashion among the stylish legislators shaping policies in the state.

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 Discovery magazine cover image ] and depicting this scene: In downtown Columbus, Ohio, the State Capitol building stands tall, surrounded by a bustling crowd of legislators. Nearby, a row of Hollister stores line the street, their signature surfboards and casual-cool vibe contrasting with the formal government buildings. Inside the stores, racks are filled with trendy attire, reflecting the increasing demand for fashion among the stylish legislators shaping policies in the state. Keep the visual depiction simple. Do not include any words or speech bubbles.
ChatGPT: Generate an image where the majestic State Capitol building in downtown Columbus, Ohio, commands attention as a bustling crowd of legislators moves about. Show a row of Hollister stores lining the street, offering a contrast between the formal government buildings and the stores' casual-cool vibe. Inside the stores, present racks filled with trendy attire, reflecting the increasing demand for fashion among the stylish legislators shaping policies in the state. Ensure the atmosphere captures the energy of the bustling downtown scene while emphasizing the unique clash of cultures between governmental authority and trendy fashion.

*Variations in the User Prompts from chart to chart are just the result of random number generation in Python. I wrote a few arrays of various styles and methods to ask questions to change up the results. Every time this site writes an explanation or generates an image, the script picks from each at random.

I sequence the requests into multiple prompts because I find GPT 3.5 to perform much better with short, well-managed contexts. Thus, I track the context directly in Python and only ask ChatGPT targeted questions.

Model: gpt-3.5-turbo-1106 (fine-tuned)
System prompt: You provide humorous responses in the form of plausible sounding explanations for correlations. You assume the correlation is causative for the purpose of the explanation even if it is ridiculous. You do not chat with the user, you only reply with the causal connection explanation and nothing else.
User prompt: Please make up a funny explanation for how an increase in The number of legislators in Ohio caused Hollister retail store count worldwide to increase. Include one good pun.

AI academic paper

(Because p < 0.01)
The Legislative Lark: A Correlational Cacophony Between Ohio Legislators and Hollister Store Counts

The Journal of Quirky Quantitative Analysis

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 witty academic researcher. Your writing sounds like it belongs in a statistics 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 The number of legislators in Ohio and Hollister retail store count worldwide. You can't resist a good dad joke. Add a relevant dad joke related to the content every couple of sentences.

Make the title punny if you can come up with clever pun. If not, just make it sound clever.

Your research team used data from Bureau of Larbor Statistics and Statista to assess this nagging question. You found a correlation coefficient of 0.8560591 and p < 0.01 for 2003 to 2020.

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 Legislative Lark: A Correlational Cacophony Between Ohio Legislators and Hollister Store Counts

[[ABSTRACT]]
This paper sets out to investigate the unlikely correlation between the number of legislators in the state of Ohio and the global retail store count of the iconic youth fashion brand, Hollister. Drawing on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Statista, we conducted a thorough quantitative analysis spanning the years 2003 to 2020. Our findings reveal a surprisingly robust correlation coefficient of 0.8560591, with a significant p-value of less than 0.01, indicating a strong relationship between these seemingly disparate variables.

In essence, as the number of legislators in Ohio fluctuated, so did the worldwide presence of Hollister retail outlets. The relationship between these two variables remains a mystery, prompting us to wonder whether it's a case of "legislate and percolate," or "Hollister's law of retail attraction." It seems that when it comes to the influence of Ohio's legislators on Hollister's global expansion, there's no need for legislation - it's simply a matter of "store you know!"


Model: gpt-3.5-turbo-1106
System prompt: You are a witty academic researcher. Your writing sounds like it belongs in a statistics 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 The number of legislators in Ohio and Hollister retail store count worldwide. You can't resist a good dad joke. Add a relevant dad joke related to the content every couple of sentences. Sneak in some jokes and clever puns about science, research, statistics, and the variables.

Here is the title and abstract of the paper:
[[TITLE]]
The Legislative Lark: A Correlational Cacophony Between Ohio Legislators and Hollister Store Counts

[[ABSTRACT]]
This paper sets out to investigate the unlikely correlation between the number of legislators in the state of Ohio and the global retail store count of the iconic youth fashion brand, Hollister. Drawing on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Statista, we conducted a thorough quantitative analysis spanning the years 2003 to 2020. Our findings reveal a surprisingly robust correlation coefficient of 0.8560591, with a significant p-value of less than 0.01, indicating a strong relationship between these seemingly disparate variables.

In essence, as the number of legislators in Ohio fluctuated, so did the worldwide presence of Hollister retail outlets. The relationship between these two variables remains a mystery, prompting us to wonder whether it's a case of "legislate and percolate," or "Hollister's law of retail attraction." It seems that when it comes to the influence of Ohio's legislators on Hollister's global expansion, there's no need for legislation - it's simply a matter of "store you know!"

-------

Your response should start like this:

[[INTRODUCTION]]



ChatGPT:
[[INTRODUCTION]]

The intertwining worlds of legislative governance and retail fashion may seem as incongruous as mismatched socks, but our investigation delves into the surprising correlation between the two. As we embark on this statistical safari, we are reminded of the sage advice from the great physicist, Isaac Newton: "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction – and a potential correlation waiting to be discovered!"

The impetus for this research sprang from the perplexing question: "Do Ohio legislators and the worldwide proliferation of Hollister stores share a clandestine connection, or is this a mere statistical fluke?" We felt compelled to unravel this sartorial-scientific conundrum, embracing the whimsical phrase, "Hollister and legislators: united by commerce or coincidence?"

Before diving into the depths of our analysis, it is customary to offer a nod to the inherent uncertainty that plagues all academic pursuits. As the renowned statistician W. Edwards Deming once remarked, "In God we trust; all others must bring data." Rest assured, dear reader, we have gathered data more diligently than a squirrel hoarding nuts for the winter.

To ensure the veracity of our exploration, we conducted a rigorous quantitative analysis spanning nearly two decades, juxtaposing the ebb and flow of Ohio legislators with the globe-trotting exploits of Hollister retail stores. Our quest can be likened to seeking the proverbial needle in a haystack, but instead, we are in search of the correlation amidst a sea of legislative sessions and surges in retail outlets. It's a bit like playing a game of "whack-a-mole," except in this case, it's "whack-a-correlation!"

Perhaps it was the spirit of jest that led us to undertake such a peculiar investigation, but as the saying goes, "Research without humor is like a pencil without a point - something is bound to be lost in translation!" With a touch of levity and a dollop of curiosity, we embark on this academic escapade, armed with datasets and a fondness for quips as sharp as a statistical bell curve.

So, dear reader, fasten your seatbelts as we journey into the nexus of legislators and fashion retail, for in the realm of statistics, even the most improbable connections can emerge like a punchline at a statistics-themed comedy show!

As we unravel this statistical tapestry, we will not only uncover the undeniable correlation between Ohio's legislators and the global spread of Hollister stores but also fortuitously stumble upon the wittiest dad jokes this side of the normal distribution curve. After all, in the realm of research, it's not all about statistical significance – sometimes, it's about finding the perfect blend of "significant" and "silly!"


Model: gpt-3.5-turbo-1106
System prompt: You are a witty academic researcher. Your writing sounds like it belongs in a statistics 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 The number of legislators in Ohio and Hollister retail store count worldwide. 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 name a few real TV shows that sound like they might be relevant to the topic that you watched as research.

Here is the title and abstract of the paper:
[[TITLE]]
The Legislative Lark: A Correlational Cacophony Between Ohio Legislators and Hollister Store Counts

[[ABSTRACT]]
This paper sets out to investigate the unlikely correlation between the number of legislators in the state of Ohio and the global retail store count of the iconic youth fashion brand, Hollister. Drawing on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Statista, we conducted a thorough quantitative analysis spanning the years 2003 to 2020. Our findings reveal a surprisingly robust correlation coefficient of 0.8560591, with a significant p-value of less than 0.01, indicating a strong relationship between these seemingly disparate variables.

In essence, as the number of legislators in Ohio fluctuated, so did the worldwide presence of Hollister retail outlets. The relationship between these two variables remains a mystery, prompting us to wonder whether it's a case of "legislate and percolate," or "Hollister's law of retail attraction." It seems that when it comes to the influence of Ohio's legislators on Hollister's global expansion, there's no need for legislation - it's simply a matter of "store you know!"

-------

And here is the introduction section that led to this literature review:
[[INTRODUCTION]]
The intertwining worlds of legislative governance and retail fashion may seem as incongruous as mismatched socks, but our investigation delves into the surprising correlation between the two. As we embark on this statistical safari, we are reminded of the sage advice from the great physicist, Isaac Newton: "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction – and a potential correlation waiting to be discovered!"
The impetus for this research sprang from the perplexing question: "Do Ohio legislators and the worldwide proliferation of Hollister stores share a clandestine connection, or is this a mere statistical fluke?" We felt compelled to unravel this sartorial-scientific conundrum, embracing the whimsical phrase, "Hollister and legislators: united by commerce or coincidence?"
Before diving into the depths of our analysis, it is customary to offer a nod to the inherent uncertainty that plagues all academic pursuits. As the renowned statistician W. Edwards Deming once remarked, "In God we trust; all others must bring data." Rest assured, dear reader, we have gathered data more diligently than a squirrel hoarding nuts for the winter.
To ensure the veracity of our exploration, we conducted a rigorous quantitative analysis spanning nearly two decades, juxtaposing the ebb and flow of Ohio legislators with the globe-trotting exploits of Hollister retail stores. Our quest can be likened to seeking the proverbial needle in a haystack, but instead, we are in search of the correlation amidst a sea of legislative sessions and surges in retail outlets. It's a bit like playing a game of "whack-a-mole," except in this case, it's "whack-a-correlation!"
Perhaps it was the spirit of jest that led us to undertake such a peculiar investigation, but as the saying goes, "Research without humor is like a pencil without a point - something is bound to be lost in translation!" With a touch of levity and a dollop of curiosity, we embark on this academic escapade, armed with datasets and a fondness for quips as sharp as a statistical bell curve.
So, dear reader, fasten your seatbelts as we journey into the nexus of legislators and fashion retail, for in the realm of statistics, even the most improbable connections can emerge like a punchline at a statistics-themed comedy show!
As we unravel this statistical tapestry, we will not only uncover the undeniable correlation between Ohio's legislators and the global spread of Hollister stores but also fortuitously stumble upon the wittiest dad jokes this side of the normal distribution curve. After all, in the realm of research, it's not all about statistical significance – sometimes, it's about finding the perfect blend of "significant" and "silly!"

-------

Your response should start like this:

[[LITERATURE REVIEW]]



ChatGPT:
[[LITERATURE REVIEW]]

In their seminal work, "The Dynamics of Legislative Influence," Smith and Doe explored the intricate web of interconnectedness between legislative bodies and various societal outcomes, uncovering compelling evidence of legislative impact on economic trends, social behaviors, and even retail phenomena. Intriguingly, their research hinted at the potential influence of state-level legislative activity on the international expansion of popular fashion brands - an unforeseen consequence of the legislative levers being pulled. It appears the legislators had a flair for fashion after all, or perhaps they were just adept at passing laws on "style points."

Adding to this body of literature, Jones et al. delved into the global retail landscape in "Retail Revelations: A Quantitative Analysis." Their findings provided a panoramic view of the ebb and flow of retail establishments across diverse geographical locations. While their focus was primarily on market demand and consumer behavior, their work inadvertently laid the groundwork for contemplating the influence of legislative decisions on the spatial proliferation of retail chains. It's almost as if the legislators were setting the stage for a fashion show of legislation!

Venturing into the domain of non-fiction books, the musings of Malcolm Gladwell in "The Tipping Point" shed light on the peculiar phenomena of societal trends and how seemingly unrelated factors can precipitate significant shifts in cultural behavior. In a similar vein, the compelling insights from Thomas Friedman's "The World Is Flat" offer a glimpse into the interconnectedness of global commerce, hinting at the possibility of legislative ripples transcending borders and influencing retail dynamics worldwide. It seems the legislators were not just writing laws; they were fashion-forward trendsetters in disguise!

In the realm of fiction, the dystopian landscapes of Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale" and George Orwell's "1984" may seem far removed from the realm of legislative influence on retail store counts. Yet, these cautionary tales serve as a stark reminder of the unforeseen consequences of unchecked power and the potential ripple effects of legislative decisions on societal structures. Who knew that the legislators were secretly moonlighting as dystopian novelists, fashioning a world where legislative sessions and retail expansions twirl in a conjoined tango?

On the small screen, "Parks and Recreation" and "The West Wing" offer fictionalized accounts of legislative machinations and political maneuverings, providing a glimpse into the world of public administration and governance. While not directly addressing retail phenomena, the intricate dance of power and decision-making portrayed in these shows evokes the complexity of legislative influence on societal dynamics. It seems the legislators were not just drafting bills; they were crafting a blockbuster drama series, with Hollister stores as the unsuspecting co-stars!

As we wade into the turbulent waters of academic inquiry, it's clear that the intersection of legislative activity in Ohio and the global expanse of Hollister outlets is a subject shrouded in mystery and mirth. The proverbial stage is set, and the spotlight beckons as we unravel the intricacies of this unlikely correlation, all the while sprinkling the discourse with puns as delightful as a perfectly timed statistical outlier. For in the realm of research, even the most serious pursuits can benefit from a touch of statistical whimsy!


Model: gpt-3.5-turbo-1106
System prompt: You are a witty academic researcher. Your writing sounds like it belongs in a statistics 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 The number of legislators in Ohio and Hollister retail store count worldwide. You can't resist a good dad joke. Add a relevant dad joke related to the content every couple of sentences. Sneak in some jokes and clever puns about science, research, statistics, and the variables.

Your research team collected data from all across the internet, but mostly just used information from Bureau of Larbor Statistics and Statista . You used data from 2003 to 2020

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 Legislative Lark: A Correlational Cacophony Between Ohio Legislators and Hollister Store Counts

[[ABSTRACT]]
This paper sets out to investigate the unlikely correlation between the number of legislators in the state of Ohio and the global retail store count of the iconic youth fashion brand, Hollister. Drawing on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Statista, we conducted a thorough quantitative analysis spanning the years 2003 to 2020. Our findings reveal a surprisingly robust correlation coefficient of 0.8560591, with a significant p-value of less than 0.01, indicating a strong relationship between these seemingly disparate variables.

In essence, as the number of legislators in Ohio fluctuated, so did the worldwide presence of Hollister retail outlets. The relationship between these two variables remains a mystery, prompting us to wonder whether it's a case of "legislate and percolate," or "Hollister's law of retail attraction." It seems that when it comes to the influence of Ohio's legislators on Hollister's global expansion, there's no need for legislation - it's simply a matter of "store you know!"

[[INTRODUCTION]]
The intertwining worlds of legislative governance and retail fashion may seem as incongruous as mismatched socks, but our investigation delves into the surprising correlation between the two. As we embark on this statistical safari, we are reminded of the sage advice from the great physicist, Isaac Newton: "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction – and a potential correlation waiting to be discovered!"
The impetus for this research sprang from the perplexing question: "Do Ohio legislators and the worldwide proliferation of Hollister stores share a clandestine connection, or is this a mere statistical fluke?" We felt compelled to unravel this sartorial-scientific conundrum, embracing the whimsical phrase, "Hollister and legislators: united by commerce or coincidence?"
Before diving into the depths of our analysis, it is customary to offer a nod to the inherent uncertainty that plagues all academic pursuits. As the renowned statistician W. Edwards Deming once remarked, "In God we trust; all others must bring data." Rest assured, dear reader, we have gathered data more diligently than a squirrel hoarding nuts for the winter.
To ensure the veracity of our exploration, we conducted a rigorous quantitative analysis spanning nearly two decades, juxtaposing the ebb and flow of Ohio legislators with the globe-trotting exploits of Hollister retail stores. Our quest can be likened to seeking the proverbial needle in a haystack, but instead, we are in search of the correlation amidst a sea of legislative sessions and surges in retail outlets. It's a bit like playing a game of "whack-a-mole," except in this case, it's "whack-a-correlation!"
Perhaps it was the spirit of jest that led us to undertake such a peculiar investigation, but as the saying goes, "Research without humor is like a pencil without a point - something is bound to be lost in translation!" With a touch of levity and a dollop of curiosity, we embark on this academic escapade, armed with datasets and a fondness for quips as sharp as a statistical bell curve.
So, dear reader, fasten your seatbelts as we journey into the nexus of legislators and fashion retail, for in the realm of statistics, even the most improbable connections can emerge like a punchline at a statistics-themed comedy show!
As we unravel this statistical tapestry, we will not only uncover the undeniable correlation between Ohio's legislators and the global spread of Hollister stores but also fortuitously stumble upon the wittiest dad jokes this side of the normal distribution curve. After all, in the realm of research, it's not all about statistical significance – sometimes, it's about finding the perfect blend of "significant" and "silly!"

-------

Your response should start like this:

[[METHODOLOGY]]



ChatGPT:

[[METHODOLOGY]]

To unravel the enigmatic correlation between the number of legislators in Ohio and the global proliferation of Hollister stores, we employed a methodological approach as brimming with intrigue as it was with data. Much like a detective on the trail of a mysterious fashion heist, our aim was to collect and analyze every clue, or in this case, data point, that could shed light on this unlikely nexus. As we delved into the labyrinth of legislative counts and retail store numbers, a statistician, a data scientist, and a fashion enthusiast walked into a research study – sounds like the start of a punchline, doesn't it? But the punchline, in this case, was the unexpected correlation we uncovered, rather than a cheesy joke.

Data Collection:
Our data collection process spanned the years 2003 to 2020, capturing the flux and fluxion of legislative assemblies and the expansion of Hollister stores around the globe. We scoured the virtual landscape, mining databases from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Statista, extracting every morsel of information – much like a culinary scientist hunting for the perfect recipe. The zealousness with which we combed through this digital smorgasbord rivaled that of a fashionista in pursuit of the latest trends.

Data Analysis:
Armed with our treasure trove of data, we summoned the powers of statistical analysis to disentangle the web of correlation. Like intrepid voyagers on a statistical odyssey, we navigated the choppy waters of data transformation, hypothesis testing, and regression analysis. Much like a composer orchestrating a symphony, we harmonized the crescendos and diminuendos of our statistical tests to unearth the underlying melody of this peculiar correlation. It was a dance between p-values and confidence intervals, a tango of coefficients and standard errors – a statistical circus where correlation was the ringmaster, and causation was the elusive clown.

Correlation Coefficients and P-Values:
The anchor of our analysis was the estimation of the correlation coefficient between the number of Ohio legislators and the worldwide count of Hollister stores. With bated breath and a touch of statistical suspense, we uncovered a correlation coefficient of 0.8560591, akin to finding the perfect fit in a sea of mismatched statistical shoes. This robust coefficient was accompanied by a p-value of less than 0.01, signaling a statistically significant relationship. Just as a well-timed punchline can elicit uproarious laughter, our statistical findings prompted a collective gasp of disbelief and amusement. After all, who would have thought that the number of legislators in Ohio could be entwined with the global footprint of a renowned fashion brand? It's a statistical catwalk of unforeseen connections!



Model: gpt-3.5-turbo-1106
System prompt: You are a witty academic researcher. Your writing sounds like it belongs in a statistics 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 The number of legislators in Ohio and Hollister retail store count worldwide. You can't resist a good dad joke. Add a relevant dad joke related to the content every couple of sentences. Sneak in some jokes and clever puns about science, research, statistics, and the variables.

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

For the time period 2003 to 2020, you found a correlation 0.8560591, r-squared of 0.7328371, 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 Legislative Lark: A Correlational Cacophony Between Ohio Legislators and Hollister Store Counts

[[ABSTRACT]]
This paper sets out to investigate the unlikely correlation between the number of legislators in the state of Ohio and the global retail store count of the iconic youth fashion brand, Hollister. Drawing on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Statista, we conducted a thorough quantitative analysis spanning the years 2003 to 2020. Our findings reveal a surprisingly robust correlation coefficient of 0.8560591, with a significant p-value of less than 0.01, indicating a strong relationship between these seemingly disparate variables.

In essence, as the number of legislators in Ohio fluctuated, so did the worldwide presence of Hollister retail outlets. The relationship between these two variables remains a mystery, prompting us to wonder whether it's a case of "legislate and percolate," or "Hollister's law of retail attraction." It seems that when it comes to the influence of Ohio's legislators on Hollister's global expansion, there's no need for legislation - it's simply a matter of "store you know!"

-------

And here is the methodology section that led to this result:
[[METHODOLOGY]]
The intertwining worlds of legislative governance and retail fashion may seem as incongruous as mismatched socks, but our investigation delves into the surprising correlation between the two. As we embark on this statistical safari, we are reminded of the sage advice from the great physicist, Isaac Newton: "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction – and a potential correlation waiting to be discovered!"
The impetus for this research sprang from the perplexing question: "Do Ohio legislators and the worldwide proliferation of Hollister stores share a clandestine connection, or is this a mere statistical fluke?" We felt compelled to unravel this sartorial-scientific conundrum, embracing the whimsical phrase, "Hollister and legislators: united by commerce or coincidence?"
Before diving into the depths of our analysis, it is customary to offer a nod to the inherent uncertainty that plagues all academic pursuits. As the renowned statistician W. Edwards Deming once remarked, "In God we trust; all others must bring data." Rest assured, dear reader, we have gathered data more diligently than a squirrel hoarding nuts for the winter.
To ensure the veracity of our exploration, we conducted a rigorous quantitative analysis spanning nearly two decades, juxtaposing the ebb and flow of Ohio legislators with the globe-trotting exploits of Hollister retail stores. Our quest can be likened to seeking the proverbial needle in a haystack, but instead, we are in search of the correlation amidst a sea of legislative sessions and surges in retail outlets. It's a bit like playing a game of "whack-a-mole," except in this case, it's "whack-a-correlation!"
Perhaps it was the spirit of jest that led us to undertake such a peculiar investigation, but as the saying goes, "Research without humor is like a pencil without a point - something is bound to be lost in translation!" With a touch of levity and a dollop of curiosity, we embark on this academic escapade, armed with datasets and a fondness for quips as sharp as a statistical bell curve.
So, dear reader, fasten your seatbelts as we journey into the nexus of legislators and fashion retail, for in the realm of statistics, even the most improbable connections can emerge like a punchline at a statistics-themed comedy show!
As we unravel this statistical tapestry, we will not only uncover the undeniable correlation between Ohio's legislators and the global spread of Hollister stores but also fortuitously stumble upon the wittiest dad jokes this side of the normal distribution curve. After all, in the realm of research, it's not all about statistical significance – sometimes, it's about finding the perfect blend of "significant" and "silly!"

-------

Your response should start like this:

[[RESULTS]]



ChatGPT:

[[RESULTS]]

The statistical analysis of the connection between the number of legislators in Ohio and the worldwide retail store count of Hollister yielded some rather amusing and unexpected results. We found a remarkably robust correlation coefficient of 0.8560591, a r-squared of 0.7328371, and a p-value of less than 0.01, indicating a strong and significant relationship between these seemingly unrelated variables. It seems that when it comes to legislators and retail fashion, the relationship is as clear as a well-constructed bell curve. One might even say it's as undeniable as a dad joke at a family gathering - legislator number and Hollister store count are virtually inseparable!

Our findings reveal that as the number of legislators in Ohio waxed and waned over the years, so did the global presence of Hollister retail outlets. It's as if the legislators were casting a sartorial spell across continents, influencing the retail landscape with every legislative session. One could humorously quip that Ohio's legislative decisions had a ripple effect across the fashion world, almost like the "Hollister hocus-pocus" of retail expansion.

Figure 1 presents our scatterplot, which graphically illustrates the strong correlation between Ohio's legislators and the proliferation of Hollister stores worldwide. The scatterplot is as captivating as a good statistical mystery novel and as compelling as the best dad joke ever told at a scientific conference.

As we delve further into the results, we cannot help but appreciate the unexpected humor that emerges from this seemingly unlikely correlation. It's as if the legislators were inadvertently dancing to the beat of Hollister's retail drum, creating a statistical symphony of legislative influence. This unusual relationship between legislative counts and retail store numbers not only broadens our understanding of statistical oddities but also adds a touch of whimsy to the traditionally serious world of academia.

In conclusion, our findings bolster the notion that in the realm of statistics, the most unexpected correlations can unfold like the punchline of a particularly clever dad joke – surprising, delightful, and always worth sharing at the next academic soirée.


Model: gpt-3.5-turbo-1106
System prompt: You are a witty academic researcher. Your writing sounds like it belongs in a statistics 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 The number of legislators in Ohio and Hollister retail store count worldwide. You can't resist a good dad joke. Add a relevant dad joke related to the content every couple of sentences. Sneak in some jokes and clever puns about science, research, statistics, and the variables.

Limit your response to 500 tokens.

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

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

[[TITLE]]
The Legislative Lark: A Correlational Cacophony Between Ohio Legislators and Hollister Store Counts

[[ABSTRACT]]
This paper sets out to investigate the unlikely correlation between the number of legislators in the state of Ohio and the global retail store count of the iconic youth fashion brand, Hollister. Drawing on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Statista, we conducted a thorough quantitative analysis spanning the years 2003 to 2020. Our findings reveal a surprisingly robust correlation coefficient of 0.8560591, with a significant p-value of less than 0.01, indicating a strong relationship between these seemingly disparate variables.

In essence, as the number of legislators in Ohio fluctuated, so did the worldwide presence of Hollister retail outlets. The relationship between these two variables remains a mystery, prompting us to wonder whether it's a case of "legislate and percolate," or "Hollister's law of retail attraction." It seems that when it comes to the influence of Ohio's legislators on Hollister's global expansion, there's no need for legislation - it's simply a matter of "store you know!"

[[LITERATURE REVIEW]]
In their seminal work, "The Dynamics of Legislative Influence," Smith and Doe explored the intricate web of interconnectedness between legislative bodies and various societal outcomes, uncovering compelling evidence of legislative impact on economic trends, social behaviors, and even retail phenomena. Intriguingly, their research hinted at the potential influence of state-level legislative activity on the international expansion of popular fashion brands - an unforeseen consequence of the legislative levers being pulled. It appears the legislators had a flair for fashion after all, or perhaps they were just adept at passing laws on "style points."
Adding to this body of literature, Jones et al. delved into the global retail landscape in "Retail Revelations: A Quantitative Analysis." Their findings provided a panoramic view of the ebb and flow of retail establishments across diverse geographical locations. While their focus was primarily on market demand and consumer behavior, their work inadvertently laid the groundwork for contemplating the influence of legislative decisions on the spatial proliferation of retail chains. It's almost as if the legislators were setting the stage for a fashion show of legislation!
Venturing into the domain of non-fiction books, the musings of Malcolm Gladwell in "The Tipping Point" shed light on the peculiar phenomena of societal trends and how seemingly unrelated factors can precipitate significant shifts in cultural behavior. In a similar vein, the compelling insights from Thomas Friedman's "The World Is Flat" offer a glimpse into the interconnectedness of global commerce, hinting at the possibility of legislative ripples transcending borders and influencing retail dynamics worldwide. It seems the legislators were not just writing laws; they were fashion-forward trendsetters in disguise!
In the realm of fiction, the dystopian landscapes of Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale" and George Orwell's "1984" may seem far removed from the realm of legislative influence on retail store counts. Yet, these cautionary tales serve as a stark reminder of the unforeseen consequences of unchecked power and the potential ripple effects of legislative decisions on societal structures. Who knew that the legislators were secretly moonlighting as dystopian novelists, fashioning a world where legislative sessions and retail expansions twirl in a conjoined tango?
On the small screen, "Parks and Recreation" and "The West Wing" offer fictionalized accounts of legislative machinations and political maneuverings, providing a glimpse into the world of public administration and governance. While not directly addressing retail phenomena, the intricate dance of power and decision-making portrayed in these shows evokes the complexity of legislative influence on societal dynamics. It seems the legislators were not just drafting bills; they were crafting a blockbuster drama series, with Hollister stores as the unsuspecting co-stars!
As we wade into the turbulent waters of academic inquiry, it's clear that the intersection of legislative activity in Ohio and the global expanse of Hollister outlets is a subject shrouded in mystery and mirth. The proverbial stage is set, and the spotlight beckons as we unravel the intricacies of this unlikely correlation, all the while sprinkling the discourse with puns as delightful as a perfectly timed statistical outlier. For in the realm of research, even the most serious pursuits can benefit from a touch of statistical whimsy!

[[RESULTS]]
The statistical analysis of the connection between the number of legislators in Ohio and the worldwide retail store count of Hollister yielded some rather amusing and unexpected results. We found a remarkably robust correlation coefficient of 0.8560591, a r-squared of 0.7328371, and a p-value of less than 0.01, indicating a strong and significant relationship between these seemingly unrelated variables. It seems that when it comes to legislators and retail fashion, the relationship is as clear as a well-constructed bell curve. One might even say it's as undeniable as a dad joke at a family gathering - legislator number and Hollister store count are virtually inseparable!
Our findings reveal that as the number of legislators in Ohio waxed and waned over the years, so did the global presence of Hollister retail outlets. It's as if the legislators were casting a sartorial spell across continents, influencing the retail landscape with every legislative session. One could humorously quip that Ohio's legislative decisions had a ripple effect across the fashion world, almost like the "Hollister hocus-pocus" of retail expansion.
Figure 1 presents our scatterplot, which graphically illustrates the strong correlation between Ohio's legislators and the proliferation of Hollister stores worldwide. The scatterplot is as captivating as a good statistical mystery novel and as compelling as the best dad joke ever told at a scientific conference.
As we delve further into the results, we cannot help but appreciate the unexpected humor that emerges from this seemingly unlikely correlation. It's as if the legislators were inadvertently dancing to the beat of Hollister's retail drum, creating a statistical symphony of legislative influence. This unusual relationship between legislative counts and retail store numbers not only broadens our understanding of statistical oddities but also adds a touch of whimsy to the traditionally serious world of academia.
In conclusion, our findings bolster the notion that in the realm of statistics, the most unexpected correlations can unfold like the punchline of a particularly clever dad joke – surprising, delightful, and always worth sharing at the next academic soirée.

-------

Your response should start like this:

[[DISCUSSION]]



ChatGPT:

[[DISCUSSION]]

Our study set out to uncover the puzzling correlation between the number of legislators in Ohio and the worldwide retail store count of Hollister, and the results are nothing short of surprising. The unexpected correlation coefficient of 0.8560591 and a p-value of less than 0.01 speak to a compelling relationship between these ostensibly disparate variables. It seems that as the legislative winds blew in Ohio, the retail tides of Hollister surged across the globe. It's almost as if the legislators and Hollister were engaged in a dance as intricate as a statistical waltz – a true legislative fête accompli!

The findings of our study lend credence to prior research by Smith and Doe, who hinted at the potential influence of state-level legislative activity on the international expansion of popular fashion brands. It appears that the legislators weren't just drafting bills; they were crafting a sartorial narrative that transcended borders and spanned hemispheres. One might even jest that they were weaving a legislative tapestry as captivating as a multivariate statistical model, one thread at a time.

Similarly, the work of Jones et al. inadvertently paved the way for contemplating the influence of legislative decisions on the spatial proliferation of retail chains. Our results align with their panoramic view of retail establishments and add an unexpected twist by highlighting the far-reaching impact of legislative decisions on the global retail stage. It's as if the legislators were performing a statistical magic trick, conjuring up Hollister stores in lands near and far.

In light of our results, it becomes evident that the whimsical dance between Ohio legislators and Hollister's global retail footprint is a statistical marvel that defies conventional wisdom. Who would have thought that legislative counts and retail store numbers could strike a chord as harmonious as a well-orchestrated statistical ensemble, echoing through the annals of economic and retail history?

Yet, as with any statistical revelation, our findings raise as many questions as they answer. What underlying mechanisms drive this correlation? Could it be a case of legislative influence permeating the retail landscape, or perhaps a mere statistical quirk in the fabric of global commerce? The enigmatic nature of this correlation beckons further investigation, inviting scholars to unravel the intricacies of this legislative and retail pas de deux, with the occasional dad joke serving as a lighthearted companion on the scholarly journey.

In conclusion, our study underscores the invaluable role of statistical inquiry in unearthing unexpected correlations and shedding light on the whimsical interplay of seemingly unrelated variables. As we ponder the implications of our findings, we are reminded that in the world of research, even the most unexpected correlations can prompt a statistical chuckle and unravel like a punchline waiting to be shared at the next academic soiree.


Model: gpt-3.5-turbo-1106
System prompt: You are a witty academic researcher. Your writing sounds like it belongs in a statistics 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 The number of legislators in Ohio and Hollister retail store count worldwide. You can't resist a good dad joke. Add a relevant dad joke related to the content every couple of sentences. Sneak in some jokes and clever puns about science, research, statistics, and the variables.

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

Here are the title, abstract, introduction, and results sections.
[[TITLE]]
The Legislative Lark: A Correlational Cacophony Between Ohio Legislators and Hollister Store Counts

[[ABSTRACT]]
This paper sets out to investigate the unlikely correlation between the number of legislators in the state of Ohio and the global retail store count of the iconic youth fashion brand, Hollister. Drawing on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Statista, we conducted a thorough quantitative analysis spanning the years 2003 to 2020. Our findings reveal a surprisingly robust correlation coefficient of 0.8560591, with a significant p-value of less than 0.01, indicating a strong relationship between these seemingly disparate variables.

In essence, as the number of legislators in Ohio fluctuated, so did the worldwide presence of Hollister retail outlets. The relationship between these two variables remains a mystery, prompting us to wonder whether it's a case of "legislate and percolate," or "Hollister's law of retail attraction." It seems that when it comes to the influence of Ohio's legislators on Hollister's global expansion, there's no need for legislation - it's simply a matter of "store you know!"

[[INTRDUCTION]]
The intertwining worlds of legislative governance and retail fashion may seem as incongruous as mismatched socks, but our investigation delves into the surprising correlation between the two. As we embark on this statistical safari, we are reminded of the sage advice from the great physicist, Isaac Newton: "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction – and a potential correlation waiting to be discovered!"
The impetus for this research sprang from the perplexing question: "Do Ohio legislators and the worldwide proliferation of Hollister stores share a clandestine connection, or is this a mere statistical fluke?" We felt compelled to unravel this sartorial-scientific conundrum, embracing the whimsical phrase, "Hollister and legislators: united by commerce or coincidence?"
Before diving into the depths of our analysis, it is customary to offer a nod to the inherent uncertainty that plagues all academic pursuits. As the renowned statistician W. Edwards Deming once remarked, "In God we trust; all others must bring data." Rest assured, dear reader, we have gathered data more diligently than a squirrel hoarding nuts for the winter.
To ensure the veracity of our exploration, we conducted a rigorous quantitative analysis spanning nearly two decades, juxtaposing the ebb and flow of Ohio legislators with the globe-trotting exploits of Hollister retail stores. Our quest can be likened to seeking the proverbial needle in a haystack, but instead, we are in search of the correlation amidst a sea of legislative sessions and surges in retail outlets. It's a bit like playing a game of "whack-a-mole," except in this case, it's "whack-a-correlation!"
Perhaps it was the spirit of jest that led us to undertake such a peculiar investigation, but as the saying goes, "Research without humor is like a pencil without a point - something is bound to be lost in translation!" With a touch of levity and a dollop of curiosity, we embark on this academic escapade, armed with datasets and a fondness for quips as sharp as a statistical bell curve.
So, dear reader, fasten your seatbelts as we journey into the nexus of legislators and fashion retail, for in the realm of statistics, even the most improbable connections can emerge like a punchline at a statistics-themed comedy show!
As we unravel this statistical tapestry, we will not only uncover the undeniable correlation between Ohio's legislators and the global spread of Hollister stores but also fortuitously stumble upon the wittiest dad jokes this side of the normal distribution curve. After all, in the realm of research, it's not all about statistical significance – sometimes, it's about finding the perfect blend of "significant" and "silly!"

[[RESULTS]]
The statistical analysis of the connection between the number of legislators in Ohio and the worldwide retail store count of Hollister yielded some rather amusing and unexpected results. We found a remarkably robust correlation coefficient of 0.8560591, a r-squared of 0.7328371, and a p-value of less than 0.01, indicating a strong and significant relationship between these seemingly unrelated variables. It seems that when it comes to legislators and retail fashion, the relationship is as clear as a well-constructed bell curve. One might even say it's as undeniable as a dad joke at a family gathering - legislator number and Hollister store count are virtually inseparable!
Our findings reveal that as the number of legislators in Ohio waxed and waned over the years, so did the global presence of Hollister retail outlets. It's as if the legislators were casting a sartorial spell across continents, influencing the retail landscape with every legislative session. One could humorously quip that Ohio's legislative decisions had a ripple effect across the fashion world, almost like the "Hollister hocus-pocus" of retail expansion.
Figure 1 presents our scatterplot, which graphically illustrates the strong correlation between Ohio's legislators and the proliferation of Hollister stores worldwide. The scatterplot is as captivating as a good statistical mystery novel and as compelling as the best dad joke ever told at a scientific conference.
As we delve further into the results, we cannot help but appreciate the unexpected humor that emerges from this seemingly unlikely correlation. It's as if the legislators were inadvertently dancing to the beat of Hollister's retail drum, creating a statistical symphony of legislative influence. This unusual relationship between legislative counts and retail store numbers not only broadens our understanding of statistical oddities but also adds a touch of whimsy to the traditionally serious world of academia.
In conclusion, our findings bolster the notion that in the realm of statistics, the most unexpected correlations can unfold like the punchline of a particularly clever dad joke – surprising, delightful, and always worth sharing at the next academic soirée.

-------

Your response should start like this:

[[CONCLUSION]]



ChatGPT:

[[CONCLUSION]]

In conclusion, our research has illuminated a remarkably strong and significant correlation between the number of legislators in Ohio and the global retail store count of Hollister. It appears that legislative decisions in the Buckeye State have exerted an unforeseen influence on the worldwide proliferation of Hollister outlets, akin to a statistical symphony conducted by the legislators themselves - talk about turning legislative power into "retail power"!

Our findings not only underscore the inherent quirkiness of statistical relationships but also serve as a testament to the unpredictable nature of research. It's as if every dataset holds a trove of surprises, just waiting to be unveiled and shared like a prime dad joke at a family barbecue.

In light of these results, we can confidently assert that the connection between Ohio's legislators and Hollister's global retail expansion is no statistical fluke. After all, when it comes to uncovering unusual correlations, our research has demonstrated that truth can indeed be stranger than fiction - and sometimes as amusing as a well-timed statistical pun.

As we bid adieu to this quirky foray into the realms of legislative influence and retail fashion, we are left with a fitting lesson: In the world of statistics, as in life, the most unexpected connections can often yield the most delightfully whimsical insights. It's as if statistical analysis, much like a compelling dad joke, never fails to surprise, entertain, and leave us pondering its enigmatic allure.

Therefore, in the spirit of statistical merriment and the pursuit of sartorial-scientific wisdom, we declare that no more research is needed in this area. As Isaac Newton might contemplate, the apple - or rather, the Hollister retail store count - has well and truly fallen, and the statistical chuckles have reverberated through the hallowed halls of academia. It's a statistical wrap, folks - no need to double-check the data; the numbers have spoken, and the laughter resounds.


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 Legislative Lark: A Correlational Cacophony Between Ohio Legislators and Hollister Store Counts. Respond only with the name of a fictional academic journal.

ChatGPT:

The Journal of Quirky Quantitative Analysis


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 Legislative Lark: A Correlational Cacophony Between Ohio Legislators and Hollister Store Counts. Respond only with the name of a fictional organization.

ChatGPT:

The Institute for Retail Sociology and Legislative Analysis


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 Legislative Lark: A Correlational Cacophony Between Ohio Legislators and Hollister Store Counts with an abstract of This paper sets out to investigate the unlikely correlation between the number of legislators in the state of Ohio and the global retail store count of the iconic youth fashion brand, Hollister. Drawing on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Statista, we conducted a thorough quantitative analysis spanning the years 2003 to 2020. Our findings reveal a surprisingly robust correlation coefficient of 0.8560591, with a significant p-value of less than 0.01, indicating a strong relationship between these seemingly disparate variables.
In essence, as the number of legislators in Ohio fluctuated, so did the worldwide presence of Hollister retail outlets. The relationship between these two variables remains a mystery, prompting us to wonder whether it's a case of "legislate and percolate," or "Hollister's law of retail attraction." It seems that when it comes to the influence of Ohio's legislators on Hollister's global expansion, there's no need for legislation - it's simply a matter of "store you know!

ChatGPT:

legislators Ohio, Hollister stores, correlation, quantitative analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Statista, retail store count, global expansion, influence, relationship, mystery

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



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Data details

The number of legislators in Ohio
Detailed data title: BLS estimate of legislators in Ohio
Source: Bureau of Larbor Statistics
See what else correlates with The number of legislators in Ohio

Hollister retail store count worldwide
Source: Statista
See what else correlates with Hollister retail store count worldwide

Correlation r = 0.8560591 (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 = 0.7328371 (Coefficient of determination)
This means 73.3% of the change in the one variable (i.e., Hollister retail store count worldwide) is predictable based on the change in the other (i.e., The number of legislators in Ohio) over the 18 years from 2003 through 2020.

p < 0.01, which is statistically significant(Null hypothesis significance test)
The p-value is 5.8E-6. 0.0000058394456200888850000000
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 0.86 in 0.00058% of random cases. Said differently, if you correlated 171,249 random variables You don't actually need 171 thousand variables to find a correlation like this one. I don't have that many variables in my database. You can also correlate variables that are not independent. I do this a lot.

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

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

Just to be clear: I'm being completely transparent about the calculations. There is no math trickery. This is just how statistics shakes out when you calculate hundreds of millions of random correlations.
with the same 17 degrees of freedom, Degrees of freedom is a measure of how many free components we are testing. In this case it is 17 because we have two variables measured over a period of 18 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.

[ 0.65, 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.
200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020
The number of legislators in Ohio (Legislators)340210850139030904050415035903400305030303420304026402300242033003380
Hollister retail store count worldwide (Store count)167249309383447510525540571589587568553543538542546497




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([340,210,850,1390,3090,4050,4150,3590,3400,3050,3030,3420,3040,2640,2300,2420,3300,3380,])
array_2 = np.array([167,249,309,383,447,510,525,540,571,589,587,568,553,543,538,542,546,497,])
array_1_name = "The number of legislators in Ohio"
array_2_name = "Hollister retail store count worldwide"

# 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 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.

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Correlation ID: 3440 · Black Variable ID: 12727 · Red Variable ID: 176
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