Spurious Correlations (2024)

correlation is not causation

random · discover · next page →

don't miss spurious scholar,
where each of these is an academic paper

View details about correlation #1,402

The Big Bang Theory: A Procreative Catalyst? An Examination of the Relationship between Viewership of a Pop Culture Phenomenon and Online Searches for Baby-Making Techniques
As more people tuned in to watch The Big Bang Theory, they couldn't help but be influenced by all the talk of theoretical physics and geeky romance. With all that intellectual and romantic stimulation, it's no wonder there was a sudden surge in people trying to figure out the mechanics of baby-making!


Spurious Correlations (4)

What else correlates?
Viewership of "The Big Bang Theory" ·
Google searches for 'how to make baby' · all google searches

View details about correlation #1,370

The Corny Connection: Exploring the Correlation Between GMO Corn in Michigan and Yamaha Motorcycles in the UK
As GMO corn in Michigan grew taller, it started emitting a frequency that strangely resonated with dormant Yamaha motorcycle engines in the UK, prompting a surge in registrations as they inexplicably revved to life. This unforeseen connection has left both farmers and bikers scratching their heads, but also secretly enjoying the unexpected collaboration between agriculture and the open road.


Spurious Correlations (8)

What else correlates?
GMO use in corn grown in Michigan · all food
Number of registered Yamaha motorcycles in the UK ·

View details about correlation #5,931

Saturn's Stern Contribution: The Cosmic Relation Between Orbital Distance and India's Biomass Power Persistence
Saturn's cosmic good vibes reached out and inspired a surge in Indian biomass power production. As the ringed planet moved farther away, it created a gravitational pull that somehow supercharged the growth of biomass resources in India. It's a truly out-of-this-world explanation for a down-to-earth energy boost!


Spurious Correlations (12)

What else correlates?
The distance between Saturn and the Sun · all planets
Biomass power generated in India · all energy

View details about correlation #2,674

Out of This World: The Stellar Connection between the Name Brooklyn and UFO Sightings in the Bluegrass State
As the name Brooklyn gained popularity, more parents were subconsciously drawn to space-themed nurseries, inadvertently creating a beacon for passing UFOs in Kentucky. Looks like the aliens couldn't resist a little East Coast flair in the Bluegrass State!


Spurious Correlations (16)

What else correlates?
Popularity of the first name Brooklyn · all first names
UFO sightings in Kentucky · all random state specific

View details about correlation #2,948

Drip, Drip, Drop: The Curious Connection Between Rainfall in San Francisco and the Number of Printing Press Operators in Rhode Island
The rain in San Francisco created a demand for more intricate umbrella designs, leading to a surge in printing press work orders. Rhode Island, known for its skilled printing press operators, saw an opportunity to capitalize on this new market. As a result, the number of printing press operators in Rhode Island increased to meet the growing need for stylish and water-resistant umbrella patterns.


Spurious Correlations (20)

What else correlates?
Rainfall in San Francisco · all weather
The number of printing press operators in Rhode Island · all cccupations

View details about correlation #5,959

The Meme-ing of Success: A Statistical Analysis of 'Success Kid' Popularity and its Influence on Numberphile YouTube Engagement
As 'success kid' memes spread, they unknowingly activated a subconscious urge in people to engage with intellectual content. The sight of a determined toddler fist-pumping his way to victory somehow sparked a hidden passion for mathematical and scientific discussions. It's as if the meme carried an invisible message saying, "You can comprehend complex concepts too, just like this triumphant baby!" This led to a surge in viewers flocking to Numberphile, eager to show that they too could achieve mental feats that would make even the 'success kid' proud. Who knew that a tiny tot celebrating his small triumphs would end up being the catalyst for an influx of numerical and theoretical conversations, proving that internet memes might just hold the key to unlocking our collective interest in all things numbers and patterns.


Spurious Correlations (24)

What else correlates?
Popularity of the 'success kid' meme · all memes
Average number of comments on Numberphile YouTube videos · all YouTube

View details about correlation #2,310

The Power of Planetary Poles: Exploring the Ur-anus-Saturn Distance and Nuclear Energy in Brazil
As the gravitational tug-of-war between the distant planets intensified, it inadvertently boosted the productivity of Brazilian nuclear reactors. This celestial rearrangement led to a cosmic surge in energy output, proving once and for all that when it comes to Uranus, even the smallest space can make a big impact on Earth.


Spurious Correlations (28)

What else correlates?
The distance between Uranus and Saturn · all planets
Nuclear power generation in Brazil · all energy

View details about correlation #1,218

The Days of Our Burglaries: An Examination of the Correlation Between Burglaries in Oregon and Viewership Count for Days of Our Lives
As burglaries decreased in Oregon, it meant that there were fewer opportunities for the infamous Salem Stalker to strike. With less crime to contend with, the characters in Days of Our Lives found themselves at a loss for dramatic, suspenseful storylines. After all, what's a soap opera without a good old-fashioned whodunit or a stolen family heirloom? With the decrease in burglaries, the show's writers struggled to keep the plot as gripping, leading to a decline in viewership count.

Spurious Correlations (31)

Spurious Correlations (32)

What else correlates?
Burglaries in Oregon · all random state specific
Viewership count for Days of Our Lives ·

View details about correlation #1,041

The Tiarra Trend and Tedious Terminology: A Tantalizing Tale of Taming 'Onety One'
Fewer Tiarra's means fewer people insisting on unconventional number naming, leading to a gradual return to linguistic sanity.

Spurious Correlations (35)

Spurious Correlations (36)

What else correlates?
Popularity of the first name Tiarra · all first names
Google searches for 'why isnt 11 pronounced onety one' · all google searches

View details about correlation #1,254

Kernel of Truth: Exploring the Cob-nnection Between Education Master's Degrees and GMO Corn Use in Ohio
As the expertise in Education waned, there was a ripple effect on the communication skills of the corn, leading to a dramatic decrease in their willingness to genetically modify themselves. It seems that when the students weren't around, the corn just couldn't cob with the pressure to keep up with the latest GMO trends. Or perhaps the corn just didn't want to deal with the extra ear-responsibility that comes with GMO modifications. Either way, it's a-maize-ing to see the unexpected connections between academic degrees and agricultural developments!

Spurious Correlations (39)

Spurious Correlations (40)

What else correlates?
Master's degrees awarded in Education · all education
GMO use in corn grown in Ohio · all food

View details about correlation #1,526

Stellar Stocks: The Celestial Correlation Between Saturn's Distance and Fomento Econ's Stock Price
As the gap widened, Saturn's gravitational pull on Earth weakened, leading to a surge in productivity on our planet. This ultimately boosted the economy, including the stock price of Fomento Econ. It's truly a stellar example of interplanetary economics at play!


Spurious Correlations (44)

What else correlates?
The distance between Saturn and Earth · all planets
Fomento Econ's stock price (FMX) · all stocks

View details about correlation #4,252

Drawing Blood to Understand Fire: The Correlation Between Phlebotomist Count in Minnesota and Arson Across the United States
As the number of phlebotomists in Minnesota decreased, there was a corresponding decrease in the amount of blood being drawn. This led to a nationwide reduction in the availability of blood, creating a shortage. As a result, there were fewer vampires in the United States. With fewer vampires around to cause mischief, the incidence of arson decreased. Remember, this is all a part of a wild and fictitious causal chain!


Spurious Correlations (48)

What else correlates?
The number of phlebotomists in Minnesota · all cccupations
Arson in United States · all random state specific

View details about correlation #4,554

Whimsical Wind: The Wacky World of Numberphile and Wind Power in Latvia
As the wind power in Latvia ramps up, it creates a surge of electrifyingly cool vibes that resonate with the Numberphile team. The mathematical energy in the air just adds an extra 'spin' to their creativity, prompting them to come up with pun-tastic, 'hip and with it' video titles that really 'blow' their audience away. It's like the winds of change are whispering mathematical inspiration directly to them, leading to a 'renewable' source of groovy video titles that just can't be 'contained'. So, in a nutshell, as Latvia's wind power goes up, Numberphile's 'cool factor' goes off the charts!


Spurious Correlations (52)

What else correlates?
How 'hip and with it' Numberphile YouTube video titles are · all YouTube
Wind power generated in Latvia · all energy

View details about correlation #5,468

Aged Cheddar and This is Fine: A Gouda Connection Between American Cheese Consumption and Meme Popularity
As American cheese consumption melted hearts across the nation, people found themselves relating more to the unbothered demeanor of the 'this is fine' meme. It was a gouda match for those craving a cheesy sense of humor in the midst of life's fondue of chaos. The meme's popularity skyrocketed as folks embraced the idea of just breeing and letting things brie. It wheely seems like American cheese had a grate influence on the internet culture, provoloneing that sometimes all we need is a little laughter to keep ourselves feta.


Spurious Correlations (56)

What else correlates?
American cheese consumption · all food
Popularity of the 'this is fine' meme · all memes

View details about correlation #2,734

Jovian Juxtaposition: Jupiter's Journey and Beer Stocks
As the gulf widened, investors found themselves reaching for more BUDs. The gravitational pull of profitability shifted, creating a stellar performance for the beer giant. With more space between the planets, BUD stock was able to eclipse the competition. As above, so below – the celestial dance of the planets brewed up hoppy returns for shareholders. It seems even in the vast expanse of the cosmos, Jupiter and Mercury were keg-fully influencing the earthly markets. This just goes to show, when it comes to BUD stock, the sky's the limit – or in this case, the solar system!


Spurious Correlations (60)

What else correlates?
The distance between Jupiter and Mercury · all planets
Anheuser-Busch InBev's stock price (BUD) · all stocks

View details about correlation #1,840

Shh, Let's Dewey This Quietly: The Correlation Between Library Science Degrees and Google Searches for 'How to Hide a Body'
As more library science graduates entered the workforce, they sought to revolutionize traditional methods of categorization and storage. Their expertise in archival systems and information organization led to a rise in unconventional hiding spots for bodies, utilizing the Dewey Decimal System for morbid efficiency. The graduates' deep understanding of cataloging techniques may have sparked a macabre interest in creating a 'catalog of concealment,' ultimately leading to an alarming spike in the search for clandestine corpse-concealing strategies. It seems these graduates took the term 'silent stacks' quite literally, reshaping the concept of 'shelf space' in the most unthinkable manner. Who knew that behind the serene facade of libraries, a new chapter in the art of... cover-up would unfold? The unexpected lesson here: never underestimate the deadly power of knowledge neatly tucked away in the minds of librarians. We can only hope that their penchant for literary concealment doesn't land this explanation in the "crime" section of the internet's search history.


Spurious Correlations (64)

What else correlates?
Bachelor's degrees awarded in Library science · all education
Google searches for 'how to hide a body' · all google searches

View details about correlation #2,423

The E.T. Connection: Exploring the Relationship Between UFO Sightings in South Carolina and Total Number of Successful Mount Everest Climbs
The aliens were big fans of extreme sports and decided to start an intergalactic Mount Everest fan club, providing secret technological assistance to climbers. Who knew that E.T. was an adrenaline junkie?


Spurious Correlations (68)

What else correlates?
UFO sightings in South Carolina · all random state specific
Total Number of Successful Mount Everest Climbs ·

View details about correlation #5,955

Popularity of the 'Y U No' Meme: A Meme-ticulous Examination of its Link to the Labor Market in Nebraska
As the 'y u no' meme gained popularity, it sparked a wave of introspection and questioning in Nebraska. People couldn't help but wonder 'y u no' understand the importance of financial responsibility. This led to a dramatic increase in loan interviews and clerks in Nebraska, as the meme inadvertently became a catalyst for prompting individuals to seek out loans and financial guidance. It's as if the meme was saying, 'Y u no manage your money better? Y u no apply for that loan?' and Nebraskans took it to heart, flooding the offices with loan inquiries. After all, when the internet speaks, apparently Nebraskans listen, especially when it comes to their personal finances.


Spurious Correlations (72)

What else correlates?
Popularity of the 'y u no' meme · all memes
The number of loan interviewers and clerks in Nebraska · all cccupations

View details about correlation #1,362

Stirring Up a Storm: Exploring the Correlation Between Butter Consumption and Wind Power Generation in Lithuania
As butter consumption increased, people naturally became more gaseous, creating a higher demand for wind power in Lithuania. The connection is quite a-moo-sing! More butter, more tootin’, more wind power spoutin’ in Lithuania! The correlation is udderly undeniable!


Spurious Correlations (76)

What else correlates?
Butter consumption · all food
Wind power generated in Lithuania · all energy

View details about correlation #1,532

Sleep in Law Enforcement: A Correlational Investigation of Bachelor's Degrees Awarded and Google Searches for 'Sleepwalking'
As more officers received their degrees, they also started sleepwalking through crime scenes to truly grasp the evidence. And sadly, this led to an increase in sleepwalking incidents among the general public.


Spurious Correlations (80)

What else correlates?
Bachelor's degrees awarded in law enforcement · all education
Google searches for 'sleepwalking' · all google searches

View details about correlation #1,205

Dissolution and Disney: Divorce Rates in the United Kingdom and Theatrical Tales of Tangled Ties
As the saying goes, 'happily ever after' took on a whole new meaning in the UK. It seems that as couples were splitting up less, they were sticking around to watch more heartwarming rom-coms instead of seeking solace in animated fairy tales. So, as divorce rates plummeted, Disney realized there were 'less separations, more animations' happening. It's a tale as old as time - love conquers all, even box office numbers!

Spurious Correlations (83)

Spurious Correlations (84)

What else correlates?
Divorce rates in the United Kingdom ·
Disney movies released ·

View details about correlation #5,920

Spreading Love and Margarine: An Examination of the Butter-Splitter Correlation in Maine
Perhaps as people used less margarine, they became less slippery in their relationships. The lack of artificial spread may have kept the couples from buttering each other up, leading to a decrease in overall marital strife. That's the reality when you can't believe it's not butter - it's a recipe for marital success. Alternatively, it could be that as the margarine consumption decreased, so did the overall slickness in the state, leading to fewer instances of partners feeling like they couldn't grip the marriage.


Spurious Correlations (88)

What else correlates?
Per capita consumption of margarine · all food
The divorce rate in Maine · all random state specific

next page →

Discover a new correlation
View random correlation
View all correlations
View all research papers
Get permission to re-use these charts

  1. Data dredging: I have 25,237 variables in my database. I compare all these variables against each other to find ones that randomly match up. That's 636,906,169 correlation calculations! This is called “data dredging.”Fun fact: the chart used on the wikipedia page to demonstrate data dredging is also from me. I've been being naughty with data since 2014.
    Instead of starting with a hypothesis and testing it, I instead tossed a bunch of data in a blender to see what correlations would 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 no direct connection between these variables, despite what the AI says above.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.
    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. You will often see trend-lines form. 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 naive p-value calculation does not take this into account. You will calculate a lower chance of "randomly" achieving the result than represents reality.

    To be more specific: p-value tests are probability values, where you are calculating the probability of achieving a result at least as extreme as you found completely by chance. When calculating a p-value, you need to assert how many "degrees of freedom" your variable has. I count each year (minus one) as a "degree of freedom," but this is misleading for continuous variables.

    This kind of thing can creep up on you pretty easily when using p-values, which is why it's best to take it as "one of many" inputs that help you assess the results of your analysis.

  4. Y-axes doesn't start at zero: I truncated the Y-axes of the graphs 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. If you click on any of the charts that abuse this, you can scroll down to see a version that starts at zero.
  5. Confounding variable: Confounding variables (like global pandemics) will cause two variables to look connected when in fact a "sneaky third" variable is influencing both of them behind the scenes.
  6. Outliers: Some datasets here have outliers which drag up the correlation.In concept, "outlier" just means "way different than the rest of your dataset." When calculating a correlation like this, they are particularly impactful because a single outlier can substantially increase your correlation.

    Because this page is automatically generated, I don't know whether any of the charts displayed on it have outliers. I'm just a footnote. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

    I intentionally mishandeled outliers, which makes the correlation look extra strong.
  7. Low n: There are not many data points included in some of these charts.You can do analyses with low ns! But you shouldn't data dredge with a low n.
    Even if the p-value is high, we should be suspicious of using so few datapoints in a correlation.

Pro-tip: click on any correlation to see:

  • Detailed data sources
  • Prompts for the AI-generated content
  • Explanations of each of the calculations (correlation, p-value)
  • Python code to calculate it yourself

Spurious Correlations (2024)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Corie Satterfield

Last Updated:

Views: 6200

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (62 voted)

Reviews: 93% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Corie Satterfield

Birthday: 1992-08-19

Address: 850 Benjamin Bridge, Dickinsonchester, CO 68572-0542

Phone: +26813599986666

Job: Sales Manager

Hobby: Table tennis, Soapmaking, Flower arranging, amateur radio, Rock climbing, scrapbook, Horseback riding

Introduction: My name is Corie Satterfield, I am a fancy, perfect, spotless, quaint, fantastic, funny, lucky person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.