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Spurious correlation #3,995 · View random

A linear line chart with years as the X-axis and two variables on the Y-axis. The first variable is Air pollution in Cleveland and the second variable is The divorce rate in Ohio.  The chart goes from 1999 to 2021, and the two variables track closely in value over that time. Small Image
Download png
, svg

AI explanation

As the smog lifted, so did the marital fog. With cleaner air, it was easier for couples to breathe and mend their relationship instead of gasping for a breath of fresh AIRE. The spark of romance was no longer being extinguished by the smoky atmosphere, leading to a reduction in heated arguments. It seems like love wasn't the only thing in the air - there was also a clear correlation between a cleaner environment and happier marriages.

Model: dalle-3
Prompt: Show a minimalistic, serene image of a couple standing on a clean, empty street, facing each other holding hands. The backdrop is a faded outline of city buildings against a clear, blue sky. The focus is on the couple and the clear sky, with the absence of smog symbolizing the improved air quality and the sense of connection between people. The overall aesthetic is clean and calming, capturing the idea of reduced air pollution bringing people together. 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: Air pollution in Cleveland and The divorce rate in Ohio. 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: Minimalism 3D Pixar Style a funny image macro Whimsical illustration High-tech
ChatGPT: Minimalism

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 Air pollution in Cleveland and The divorce rate in Ohio, in the following situation: Because with less smog in the air, people could finally see each other clearly and just couldn't bear to be apart any longer.. Keep the description simple.
ChatGPT: In Cleveland, the skyline is enveloped in a thick layer of smog, obscuring the view of the city. However, as the pollution begins to clear, people can finally see each other clearly. In the background, a couple is standing face to face, holding hands, with a clear blue sky and the distant outline of city buildings in the background. It seems as if the reduced air pollution is bringing people together, and in Ohio, the divorce rate is declining as a result.

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: [ Minimalism ] and depicting this scene: In Cleveland, the skyline is enveloped in a thick layer of smog, obscuring the view of the city. However, as the pollution begins to clear, people can finally see each other clearly. In the background, a couple is standing face to face, holding hands, with a clear blue sky and the distant outline of city buildings in the background. It seems as if the reduced air pollution is bringing people together, and in Ohio, the divorce rate is declining as a result. Keep the visual depiction simple. Do not include any words or speech bubbles.
ChatGPT: Show a minimalistic, serene image of a couple standing on a clean, empty street, facing each other holding hands. The backdrop is a faded outline of city buildings against a clear, blue sky. The focus is on the couple and the clear sky, with the absence of smog symbolizing the improved air quality and the sense of connection between people. The overall aesthetic is clean and calming, capturing the idea of reduced air pollution bringing people together.

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

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

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

AI academic paper

(Because p < 0.01)
Particulate Breakup: Exploring the Relationship Between Air Pollution and Divorce Rates in Ohio

The Journal of Ecological Sociology

Jan 2024

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




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

Please draft the title and abstract of an academic research paper presenting the findings of the connection between Air pollution in Cleveland and The divorce rate in Ohio. You can't resist a good dad joke. Add a relevant dad joke related to the content every couple of sentences.

Make the title a clever pun.

Your research team used data from Environmental Protection Agency and CDC National Vital Statistics to assess this nagging question. You found a correlation coefficient of 0.8342722 and p < 0.01 for 1999 to 2021.

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

[[TITLE]]
Lorem ipsum dolor sit

[[ABSTRACT]]
Lorem ipsum dolor sit



ChatGPT:
[[TITLE]]
Particulate Breakup: Exploring the Relationship Between Air Pollution and Divorce Rates in Ohio

[[ABSTRACT]]
This study delves into the intriguing connection between ambient air pollution in Cleveland, Ohio, and the divorce rates across the state. Utilizing data from the Environmental Protection Agency and the CDC National Vital Statistics, our research team sought to address the causality behind this unlikely pair.

Our findings unveiled a remarkably strong correlation coefficient of 0.8342722 and a significant p-value of < 0.01 for the years 1999 to 2021. This statistical relationship suggests that a marriage's longevity is inversely proportional to the level of air pollutants. In other words, when air quality deteriorates, so does marital bliss – it seems that love truly is in the air, or rather, the lack thereof.

Upon deeper analysis, we discovered that as air pollution levels in Cleveland rose, so did the divorce rates across Ohio. This unexpected association prompts the question, "Is it the haze that causes the daze in marital harmony?" Perhaps it's not just the fog, but the smog that leads to a foggy future in matrimony.

In conclusion, our study provides compelling evidence of the intertwined nature of environmental factors and social dynamics. It also offers a possible new explanation for the phrase "irreconcilable differences" – it's not just about clashing personalities, but also about clashing air particles. This research adds a breath of fresh air to the field of environmental and social science, breathing life into an unexpected, albeit cloudy, connection.


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

Please make up the introduction section of an academic research paper presenting the findings of the connection between Air pollution in Cleveland and The divorce rate in Ohio. 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]]
Particulate Breakup: Exploring the Relationship Between Air Pollution and Divorce Rates in Ohio

[[ABSTRACT]]
This study delves into the intriguing connection between ambient air pollution in Cleveland, Ohio, and the divorce rates across the state. Utilizing data from the Environmental Protection Agency and the CDC National Vital Statistics, our research team sought to address the causality behind this unlikely pair.

Our findings unveiled a remarkably strong correlation coefficient of 0.8342722 and a significant p-value of < 0.01 for the years 1999 to 2021. This statistical relationship suggests that a marriage's longevity is inversely proportional to the level of air pollutants. In other words, when air quality deteriorates, so does marital bliss – it seems that love truly is in the air, or rather, the lack thereof.

Upon deeper analysis, we discovered that as air pollution levels in Cleveland rose, so did the divorce rates across Ohio. This unexpected association prompts the question, "Is it the haze that causes the daze in marital harmony?" Perhaps it's not just the fog, but the smog that leads to a foggy future in matrimony.

In conclusion, our study provides compelling evidence of the intertwined nature of environmental factors and social dynamics. It also offers a possible new explanation for the phrase "irreconcilable differences" – it's not just about clashing personalities, but also about clashing air particles. This research adds a breath of fresh air to the field of environmental and social science, breathing life into an unexpected, albeit cloudy, connection.

-------

Your response should start like this:

[[INTRODUCTION]]



ChatGPT:
[[INTRODUCTION]]

The relationship between air pollution and various health and societal outcomes has been a topic of extensive research in the field of environmental science. However, the association between air quality and divorce rates has been a relatively unexplored avenue, perhaps because no one wanted to air out their dirty laundry in public. Nevertheless, this study aims to shed light on this peculiar connection between two seemingly unrelated variables – the quality of the air and the quality of relationships, ultimately answering the age-old question: does love conquer smog?

It is commonly understood that air pollutants, such as particulate matter and ozone, have detrimental effects on respiratory health. Still, it appears that their impact on interpersonal relationships may extend beyond just leaving partners breathless. This brings a new perspective to the saying, "Love is in the air, but so is pollution"; one might find themselves wondering if it's a battle of hearts or lungs.

Drawing on data from the Environmental Protection Agency and the CDC National Vital Statistics, this study seeks to fill the gap in the literature by quantitatively examining the relationship between air pollution in Cleveland, Ohio, and divorce rates across the state. We embarked on this exploration with the hope that our findings will serve as a breath of fresh air for future research in environmental and social science, or at least provide a much-needed gasp of something unexpected in a field that can feel a bit stale at times.

The research hypothesis posits that as ambient air pollution in Cleveland increases, the divorce rates in the state of Ohio rise as well. If the results support this claim, it would offer a compelling argument for considering the air we breathe as not only a health concern but also a potential marital hazard. In other words, it's not just about catching your breath but also catching your partner's attention amidst the haze of pollution.

With this study, we aspire to add a bit of levity, or perhaps a slight whiff of mischief, to the often-serious realm of scholarly research. After all, what's an academic paper without a cleverly incorporated pun or a dad joke that makes your inner scientist chuckle? And so, with our lab coats buttoned up and our statistical tools in hand, we set out to explore the veritable "particulate breakup" – the connection between air pollution and divorce rates in Ohio.


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

Please make up a literature review section of an academic research paper presenting the findings of the connection between Air pollution in Cleveland and The divorce rate in Ohio. 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. Perhaps you also got inspiration from some board games that are vaugely related.

Here is the title and abstract of the paper:
[[TITLE]]
Particulate Breakup: Exploring the Relationship Between Air Pollution and Divorce Rates in Ohio

[[ABSTRACT]]
This study delves into the intriguing connection between ambient air pollution in Cleveland, Ohio, and the divorce rates across the state. Utilizing data from the Environmental Protection Agency and the CDC National Vital Statistics, our research team sought to address the causality behind this unlikely pair.

Our findings unveiled a remarkably strong correlation coefficient of 0.8342722 and a significant p-value of < 0.01 for the years 1999 to 2021. This statistical relationship suggests that a marriage's longevity is inversely proportional to the level of air pollutants. In other words, when air quality deteriorates, so does marital bliss – it seems that love truly is in the air, or rather, the lack thereof.

Upon deeper analysis, we discovered that as air pollution levels in Cleveland rose, so did the divorce rates across Ohio. This unexpected association prompts the question, "Is it the haze that causes the daze in marital harmony?" Perhaps it's not just the fog, but the smog that leads to a foggy future in matrimony.

In conclusion, our study provides compelling evidence of the intertwined nature of environmental factors and social dynamics. It also offers a possible new explanation for the phrase "irreconcilable differences" – it's not just about clashing personalities, but also about clashing air particles. This research adds a breath of fresh air to the field of environmental and social science, breathing life into an unexpected, albeit cloudy, connection.

-------

And here is the introduction section that led to this literature review:
[[INTRODUCTION]]
The relationship between air pollution and various health and societal outcomes has been a topic of extensive research in the field of environmental science. However, the association between air quality and divorce rates has been a relatively unexplored avenue, perhaps because no one wanted to air out their dirty laundry in public. Nevertheless, this study aims to shed light on this peculiar connection between two seemingly unrelated variables – the quality of the air and the quality of relationships, ultimately answering the age-old question: does love conquer smog?
It is commonly understood that air pollutants, such as particulate matter and ozone, have detrimental effects on respiratory health. Still, it appears that their impact on interpersonal relationships may extend beyond just leaving partners breathless. This brings a new perspective to the saying, "Love is in the air, but so is pollution"; one might find themselves wondering if it's a battle of hearts or lungs.
Drawing on data from the Environmental Protection Agency and the CDC National Vital Statistics, this study seeks to fill the gap in the literature by quantitatively examining the relationship between air pollution in Cleveland, Ohio, and divorce rates across the state. We embarked on this exploration with the hope that our findings will serve as a breath of fresh air for future research in environmental and social science, or at least provide a much-needed gasp of something unexpected in a field that can feel a bit stale at times.
The research hypothesis posits that as ambient air pollution in Cleveland increases, the divorce rates in the state of Ohio rise as well. If the results support this claim, it would offer a compelling argument for considering the air we breathe as not only a health concern but also a potential marital hazard. In other words, it's not just about catching your breath but also catching your partner's attention amidst the haze of pollution.
With this study, we aspire to add a bit of levity, or perhaps a slight whiff of mischief, to the often-serious realm of scholarly research. After all, what's an academic paper without a cleverly incorporated pun or a dad joke that makes your inner scientist chuckle? And so, with our lab coats buttoned up and our statistical tools in hand, we set out to explore the veritable "particulate breakup" – the connection between air pollution and divorce rates in Ohio.

-------

Your response should start like this:

[[LITERATURE REVIEW]]



ChatGPT:
[[LITERATURE REVIEW]]

The connection between air pollution and divorce rates has been a relatively underexplored topic in the academic literature, although it presents an intriguing avenue for investigation. In "Smith and Doe's Study on Air Quality and Social Dynamics," the authors find a significant correlation between air pollution levels and divorce rates in urban settings, providing initial insight into this unexpected relationship. Similarly, Jones et al.'s investigation on environmental influences on human behavior highlights the potential impact of air quality on social interactions and relationship dynamics, offering a theoretical basis for the current study.

Turning to non-fiction works, "The Air We Breathe" by Jonathan Gruber delves into the societal implications of air pollution, shedding light on its effects beyond the realm of physical health. In a similar vein, "Breathing Space" by Mark Bittman and Amber Shea Crawley explores the intersection of environmental factors and social dynamics, touching on the potential influence of air quality on personal relationships.

Moving beyond strictly academic sources, the fictional novel "Love in the Time of Smog" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez humorously intertwines romance with the atmospheric challenges of a polluted city, albeit in a different context. Additionally, the classic "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens offers an unconventional perspective on the impact of environmental factors on interpersonal relationships, albeit in a much more figurative sense.

In the world of board games, "The Polluted Path" offers a playful take on navigating environmental hazards while simultaneously managing interpersonal relationships, making for an unexpected source of inspiration for the present study.

While the academic literature provides a foundation for understanding the potential link between air pollution and divorce rates, it is clear that this connection remains relatively uncharted territory, leaving room for a breath of fresh air, or perhaps a whiff of comedic relief, in the scholarly discourse on environmental and social dynamics.

Now, to air is human. But to really foul things up, you need a pollutant!


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

Please make up the methodology section of an academic research paper presenting the findings of the connection between Air pollution in Cleveland and The divorce rate in Ohio. 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 Environmental Protection Agency and CDC National Vital Statistics . You used data from 1999 to 2021

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

Here is the title, abstract, and introduction of the paper:
[[TITLE]]
Particulate Breakup: Exploring the Relationship Between Air Pollution and Divorce Rates in Ohio

[[ABSTRACT]]
This study delves into the intriguing connection between ambient air pollution in Cleveland, Ohio, and the divorce rates across the state. Utilizing data from the Environmental Protection Agency and the CDC National Vital Statistics, our research team sought to address the causality behind this unlikely pair.

Our findings unveiled a remarkably strong correlation coefficient of 0.8342722 and a significant p-value of < 0.01 for the years 1999 to 2021. This statistical relationship suggests that a marriage's longevity is inversely proportional to the level of air pollutants. In other words, when air quality deteriorates, so does marital bliss – it seems that love truly is in the air, or rather, the lack thereof.

Upon deeper analysis, we discovered that as air pollution levels in Cleveland rose, so did the divorce rates across Ohio. This unexpected association prompts the question, "Is it the haze that causes the daze in marital harmony?" Perhaps it's not just the fog, but the smog that leads to a foggy future in matrimony.

In conclusion, our study provides compelling evidence of the intertwined nature of environmental factors and social dynamics. It also offers a possible new explanation for the phrase "irreconcilable differences" – it's not just about clashing personalities, but also about clashing air particles. This research adds a breath of fresh air to the field of environmental and social science, breathing life into an unexpected, albeit cloudy, connection.

[[INTRODUCTION]]
The relationship between air pollution and various health and societal outcomes has been a topic of extensive research in the field of environmental science. However, the association between air quality and divorce rates has been a relatively unexplored avenue, perhaps because no one wanted to air out their dirty laundry in public. Nevertheless, this study aims to shed light on this peculiar connection between two seemingly unrelated variables – the quality of the air and the quality of relationships, ultimately answering the age-old question: does love conquer smog?
It is commonly understood that air pollutants, such as particulate matter and ozone, have detrimental effects on respiratory health. Still, it appears that their impact on interpersonal relationships may extend beyond just leaving partners breathless. This brings a new perspective to the saying, "Love is in the air, but so is pollution"; one might find themselves wondering if it's a battle of hearts or lungs.
Drawing on data from the Environmental Protection Agency and the CDC National Vital Statistics, this study seeks to fill the gap in the literature by quantitatively examining the relationship between air pollution in Cleveland, Ohio, and divorce rates across the state. We embarked on this exploration with the hope that our findings will serve as a breath of fresh air for future research in environmental and social science, or at least provide a much-needed gasp of something unexpected in a field that can feel a bit stale at times.
The research hypothesis posits that as ambient air pollution in Cleveland increases, the divorce rates in the state of Ohio rise as well. If the results support this claim, it would offer a compelling argument for considering the air we breathe as not only a health concern but also a potential marital hazard. In other words, it's not just about catching your breath but also catching your partner's attention amidst the haze of pollution.
With this study, we aspire to add a bit of levity, or perhaps a slight whiff of mischief, to the often-serious realm of scholarly research. After all, what's an academic paper without a cleverly incorporated pun or a dad joke that makes your inner scientist chuckle? And so, with our lab coats buttoned up and our statistical tools in hand, we set out to explore the veritable "particulate breakup" – the connection between air pollution and divorce rates in Ohio.

-------

Your response should start like this:

[[METHODOLOGY]]



ChatGPT:

[[METHODOLOGY]]

The methodology employed in this study involved a combination of air pollution data collection and statistical analysis, providing a breath of fresh air, or perhaps a breath of statistical certainty, to our exploration of the link between air pollution in Cleveland and divorce rates in Ohio.

First, daily concentrations of particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) and ozone (O3) in Cleveland, Ohio, were obtained from the Environmental Protection Agency's Air Quality System database. This meticulous data collection process made us feel like we were sifting through a pile of air particles in search of meaningful connections – a true breath of fresh air for our research team.

Simultaneously, divorce rates across Ohio were sourced from the CDC National Vital Statistics System, capturing the number of divorces per 1,000 residents. It was a divorce data treasure hunt, and we were determined to uncover any correlation between these seemingly unrelated variables despite the occasional air of skepticism.

After acquiring the data, the statistical analysis began with the calculation of annual average concentrations of air pollutants in Cleveland. This involved some complex number crunching – our calculator certainly got its workout – as we aimed to capture the full essence of the air quality over each year, no matter how particulate it may have been.

Following this, the divorce rates were also averaged annually. We meticulously separated the marital unions statistically, hoping to shed light on any potential causal links between the air and the affairs. This step was crucial in preparing the data for further analysis, displaying the divorce rates like a puzzle waiting to be solved – a chance to assemble the pieces and reveal the bigger picture of this relationship.

To assess the relationship between air pollution in Cleveland and divorce rates in Ohio, we then employed bivariate correlation analysis. This statistical technique allowed us to measure the strength and direction of the relationship between the two variables. The correlation coefficient emerged as the hero of our analysis, dispatching any doubts about the strength of this peculiar connection. It evident with every calculation that our findings were not just blowing in the wind, but rather standing firm like a lighthouse in the mist of statistical uncertainty.

In addition to calculating the correlation coefficient, we also conducted a linear regression analysis to explore the predictive power of air pollution on divorce rates. This model allowed us to estimate the impact of changes in air pollution on the likelihood of marital dissolution. It was a process of uncovering the hidden patterns, painting the potential influence of air pollutants on the future of relationships with statistical brushes, blending insight with inquiry.

Finally, a significance test was performed to gauge the reliability of our findings. This served as the ultimate validation, ensuring that our results were not just statistical flukes in the wind but solid evidence of the bond between air pollution and divorce rates. It was a moment of statistical truth, revealing the unmistakable presence of a connection that could not be swept under the rug, or in this case, blown away in the wind.

In summary, our methodology entailed a meticulous gathering of air pollution and divorce data, followed by a series of robust statistical analyses to elucidate the intricate relationship between these variables. Our approach was as rigorous as it was whimsical – a scientific pursuit peppered with statistical puns, and an unwavering dedication to uncovering the unexpected link between air pollution and divorce rates in Ohio.


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

Please make up the results section of an academic research paper presenting the findings of the connection between Air pollution in Cleveland and The divorce rate in Ohio. 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 Environmental Protection Agency and CDC National Vital Statistics .

For the time period 1999 to 2021, you found a correlation 0.8342722, r-squared of 0.6960102, 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]]
Particulate Breakup: Exploring the Relationship Between Air Pollution and Divorce Rates in Ohio

[[ABSTRACT]]
This study delves into the intriguing connection between ambient air pollution in Cleveland, Ohio, and the divorce rates across the state. Utilizing data from the Environmental Protection Agency and the CDC National Vital Statistics, our research team sought to address the causality behind this unlikely pair.

Our findings unveiled a remarkably strong correlation coefficient of 0.8342722 and a significant p-value of < 0.01 for the years 1999 to 2021. This statistical relationship suggests that a marriage's longevity is inversely proportional to the level of air pollutants. In other words, when air quality deteriorates, so does marital bliss – it seems that love truly is in the air, or rather, the lack thereof.

Upon deeper analysis, we discovered that as air pollution levels in Cleveland rose, so did the divorce rates across Ohio. This unexpected association prompts the question, "Is it the haze that causes the daze in marital harmony?" Perhaps it's not just the fog, but the smog that leads to a foggy future in matrimony.

In conclusion, our study provides compelling evidence of the intertwined nature of environmental factors and social dynamics. It also offers a possible new explanation for the phrase "irreconcilable differences" – it's not just about clashing personalities, but also about clashing air particles. This research adds a breath of fresh air to the field of environmental and social science, breathing life into an unexpected, albeit cloudy, connection.

-------

And here is the methodology section that led to this result:
[[METHODOLOGY]]
The relationship between air pollution and various health and societal outcomes has been a topic of extensive research in the field of environmental science. However, the association between air quality and divorce rates has been a relatively unexplored avenue, perhaps because no one wanted to air out their dirty laundry in public. Nevertheless, this study aims to shed light on this peculiar connection between two seemingly unrelated variables – the quality of the air and the quality of relationships, ultimately answering the age-old question: does love conquer smog?
It is commonly understood that air pollutants, such as particulate matter and ozone, have detrimental effects on respiratory health. Still, it appears that their impact on interpersonal relationships may extend beyond just leaving partners breathless. This brings a new perspective to the saying, "Love is in the air, but so is pollution"; one might find themselves wondering if it's a battle of hearts or lungs.
Drawing on data from the Environmental Protection Agency and the CDC National Vital Statistics, this study seeks to fill the gap in the literature by quantitatively examining the relationship between air pollution in Cleveland, Ohio, and divorce rates across the state. We embarked on this exploration with the hope that our findings will serve as a breath of fresh air for future research in environmental and social science, or at least provide a much-needed gasp of something unexpected in a field that can feel a bit stale at times.
The research hypothesis posits that as ambient air pollution in Cleveland increases, the divorce rates in the state of Ohio rise as well. If the results support this claim, it would offer a compelling argument for considering the air we breathe as not only a health concern but also a potential marital hazard. In other words, it's not just about catching your breath but also catching your partner's attention amidst the haze of pollution.
With this study, we aspire to add a bit of levity, or perhaps a slight whiff of mischief, to the often-serious realm of scholarly research. After all, what's an academic paper without a cleverly incorporated pun or a dad joke that makes your inner scientist chuckle? And so, with our lab coats buttoned up and our statistical tools in hand, we set out to explore the veritable "particulate breakup" – the connection between air pollution and divorce rates in Ohio.

-------

Your response should start like this:

[[RESULTS]]



ChatGPT:

[[RESULTS]]

The statistical analysis revealed a strong positive correlation between air pollution in Cleveland and the divorce rate in Ohio for the years 1999 to 2021, with a correlation coefficient of 0.8342722. This significant relationship suggests that as the air quality worsened, so did the matrimonial harmony across the state. It seems that when it comes to love, the air quality really took their breath away – and not in a good way. It's as if the air pollution said, "I've been working on my toxic relationships too, just at a different scale!"

Furthermore, the r-squared value of 0.6960102 indicates that approximately 69.6% of the variation in divorce rates can be explained by changes in air pollution levels. This substantial proportion underscores the influential role of air quality in shaping the dynamics of human relationships. One might say that the air pollution was playing not just a supporting role but a starring role in the drama of marital discord – it was truly a "smoggy performance."

The p-value of less than 0.01 further solidifies the significance of the correlation, providing strong evidence against the null hypothesis that there is no relationship between air pollution and divorce rates. This result leaves no room for doubt – the connection between these two variables is as clear as the polluted air over Cleveland. It's as if the data were saying, "I p-value you a lot, but the correlation between air pollution and divorce rates is just too significant to ignore!"

In Figure 1, the scatterplot vividly illustrates the strong positive correlation between air pollution levels and divorce rates. The data points form a clear upward trend, depicting the simultaneous increase in air pollution and divorce rates over the years. It's almost as though the scatterplot is singing, "Love is in the air, but so is pollution, and it's taking its toll on relationships across Ohio!"

In conclusion, this study provides compelling evidence of the unexpected yet robust association between air pollution in Cleveland and the divorce rate in Ohio. It breathes new life into the understanding of environmental and social dynamics and offers a fresh perspective on the intricate interplay between air quality and interpersonal relationships. In the grand scheme of things, it seems that when it comes to love and pollutants, the connection is as concrete as the data – it's a match made in statistical heaven, or perhaps statistical smog.


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

Please make up the discussion section of an academic research paper presenting the findings of the connection between Air pollution in Cleveland and The divorce rate in Ohio. 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]]
Particulate Breakup: Exploring the Relationship Between Air Pollution and Divorce Rates in Ohio

[[ABSTRACT]]
This study delves into the intriguing connection between ambient air pollution in Cleveland, Ohio, and the divorce rates across the state. Utilizing data from the Environmental Protection Agency and the CDC National Vital Statistics, our research team sought to address the causality behind this unlikely pair.

Our findings unveiled a remarkably strong correlation coefficient of 0.8342722 and a significant p-value of < 0.01 for the years 1999 to 2021. This statistical relationship suggests that a marriage's longevity is inversely proportional to the level of air pollutants. In other words, when air quality deteriorates, so does marital bliss – it seems that love truly is in the air, or rather, the lack thereof.

Upon deeper analysis, we discovered that as air pollution levels in Cleveland rose, so did the divorce rates across Ohio. This unexpected association prompts the question, "Is it the haze that causes the daze in marital harmony?" Perhaps it's not just the fog, but the smog that leads to a foggy future in matrimony.

In conclusion, our study provides compelling evidence of the intertwined nature of environmental factors and social dynamics. It also offers a possible new explanation for the phrase "irreconcilable differences" – it's not just about clashing personalities, but also about clashing air particles. This research adds a breath of fresh air to the field of environmental and social science, breathing life into an unexpected, albeit cloudy, connection.

[[LITERATURE REVIEW]]
The connection between air pollution and divorce rates has been a relatively underexplored topic in the academic literature, although it presents an intriguing avenue for investigation. In "Smith and Doe's Study on Air Quality and Social Dynamics," the authors find a significant correlation between air pollution levels and divorce rates in urban settings, providing initial insight into this unexpected relationship. Similarly, Jones et al.'s investigation on environmental influences on human behavior highlights the potential impact of air quality on social interactions and relationship dynamics, offering a theoretical basis for the current study.
Turning to non-fiction works, "The Air We Breathe" by Jonathan Gruber delves into the societal implications of air pollution, shedding light on its effects beyond the realm of physical health. In a similar vein, "Breathing Space" by Mark Bittman and Amber Shea Crawley explores the intersection of environmental factors and social dynamics, touching on the potential influence of air quality on personal relationships.
Moving beyond strictly academic sources, the fictional novel "Love in the Time of Smog" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez humorously intertwines romance with the atmospheric challenges of a polluted city, albeit in a different context. Additionally, the classic "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens offers an unconventional perspective on the impact of environmental factors on interpersonal relationships, albeit in a much more figurative sense.
In the world of board games, "The Polluted Path" offers a playful take on navigating environmental hazards while simultaneously managing interpersonal relationships, making for an unexpected source of inspiration for the present study.
While the academic literature provides a foundation for understanding the potential link between air pollution and divorce rates, it is clear that this connection remains relatively uncharted territory, leaving room for a breath of fresh air, or perhaps a whiff of comedic relief, in the scholarly discourse on environmental and social dynamics.
Now, to air is human. But to really foul things up, you need a pollutant!

[[RESULTS]]
The statistical analysis revealed a strong positive correlation between air pollution in Cleveland and the divorce rate in Ohio for the years 1999 to 2021, with a correlation coefficient of 0.8342722. This significant relationship suggests that as the air quality worsened, so did the matrimonial harmony across the state. It seems that when it comes to love, the air quality really took their breath away – and not in a good way. It's as if the air pollution said, "I've been working on my toxic relationships too, just at a different scale!"
Furthermore, the r-squared value of 0.6960102 indicates that approximately 69.6% of the variation in divorce rates can be explained by changes in air pollution levels. This substantial proportion underscores the influential role of air quality in shaping the dynamics of human relationships. One might say that the air pollution was playing not just a supporting role but a starring role in the drama of marital discord – it was truly a "smoggy performance."
The p-value of less than 0.01 further solidifies the significance of the correlation, providing strong evidence against the null hypothesis that there is no relationship between air pollution and divorce rates. This result leaves no room for doubt – the connection between these two variables is as clear as the polluted air over Cleveland. It's as if the data were saying, "I p-value you a lot, but the correlation between air pollution and divorce rates is just too significant to ignore!"
In Figure 1, the scatterplot vividly illustrates the strong positive correlation between air pollution levels and divorce rates. The data points form a clear upward trend, depicting the simultaneous increase in air pollution and divorce rates over the years. It's almost as though the scatterplot is singing, "Love is in the air, but so is pollution, and it's taking its toll on relationships across Ohio!"
In conclusion, this study provides compelling evidence of the unexpected yet robust association between air pollution in Cleveland and the divorce rate in Ohio. It breathes new life into the understanding of environmental and social dynamics and offers a fresh perspective on the intricate interplay between air quality and interpersonal relationships. In the grand scheme of things, it seems that when it comes to love and pollutants, the connection is as concrete as the data – it's a match made in statistical heaven, or perhaps statistical smog.

-------

Your response should start like this:

[[DISCUSSION]]



ChatGPT:

[[DISCUSSION]]

The findings of our study support and extend prior research on the relationship between air pollution and divorce rates. As anticipated, our results align with the work of Smith and Doe, who also observed a significant correlation between air pollution levels and marital dissolutions in urban areas. Similarly, the investigation by Jones et al. on environmental influences on human behavior provided a theoretical foundation for our study's outcomes. It appears that our research has added a breath of fresh air by not only corroborating but also enhancing the existing understanding of this unexpected connection.

The unexpected association between air pollution and divorce rates prompts the question: what exactly is in the air that leads to such cloudy marital prospects? It seems that when it comes to love, the particles were truly "up in the air" – pun intended – and their influence on relationships was far-reaching. It's almost as if the air pollution particles were saying, "We may be small, but when it comes to breaking up marriages, we have a large impact!"

Moreover, our substantial correlation coefficient and r-squared value indicate that changes in air pollution levels explain a sizable proportion of the variation in divorce rates. This further confirms the influential role of ambient air quality on the dynamics of marital stability. It's as though the air pollution wasn't just a minor variable in the equation of marital happiness – it played a major role, perhaps even taking the marriage vows of "for better or for worse" quite literally.

The statistically significant p-value solidifies the robustness of the observed relationship, leaving no room for doubt that air pollution and divorce rates are intricately linked. The air pollution might as well have been saying, "I don't mean to p-value in, but the correlation between air pollution and divorce rates is just too significant to ignore!" The evidence is as clear as the polluted air over Cleveland – or perhaps, as clear as the lack of polluted air in a successful marriage.

In summary, our research not only substantiates the established link between air pollution and divorce rates but also sheds light on the extent of this unexpected association. It seems that when it comes to love and pollutants, the data unequivocally concur – it is a match made in statistical smog.


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

Please make up a short conclusion of an academic research paper presenting the findings of the connection between Air pollution in Cleveland and The divorce rate in Ohio. 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]]
Particulate Breakup: Exploring the Relationship Between Air Pollution and Divorce Rates in Ohio

[[ABSTRACT]]
This study delves into the intriguing connection between ambient air pollution in Cleveland, Ohio, and the divorce rates across the state. Utilizing data from the Environmental Protection Agency and the CDC National Vital Statistics, our research team sought to address the causality behind this unlikely pair.

Our findings unveiled a remarkably strong correlation coefficient of 0.8342722 and a significant p-value of < 0.01 for the years 1999 to 2021. This statistical relationship suggests that a marriage's longevity is inversely proportional to the level of air pollutants. In other words, when air quality deteriorates, so does marital bliss – it seems that love truly is in the air, or rather, the lack thereof.

Upon deeper analysis, we discovered that as air pollution levels in Cleveland rose, so did the divorce rates across Ohio. This unexpected association prompts the question, "Is it the haze that causes the daze in marital harmony?" Perhaps it's not just the fog, but the smog that leads to a foggy future in matrimony.

In conclusion, our study provides compelling evidence of the intertwined nature of environmental factors and social dynamics. It also offers a possible new explanation for the phrase "irreconcilable differences" – it's not just about clashing personalities, but also about clashing air particles. This research adds a breath of fresh air to the field of environmental and social science, breathing life into an unexpected, albeit cloudy, connection.

[[INTRDUCTION]]
The relationship between air pollution and various health and societal outcomes has been a topic of extensive research in the field of environmental science. However, the association between air quality and divorce rates has been a relatively unexplored avenue, perhaps because no one wanted to air out their dirty laundry in public. Nevertheless, this study aims to shed light on this peculiar connection between two seemingly unrelated variables – the quality of the air and the quality of relationships, ultimately answering the age-old question: does love conquer smog?
It is commonly understood that air pollutants, such as particulate matter and ozone, have detrimental effects on respiratory health. Still, it appears that their impact on interpersonal relationships may extend beyond just leaving partners breathless. This brings a new perspective to the saying, "Love is in the air, but so is pollution"; one might find themselves wondering if it's a battle of hearts or lungs.
Drawing on data from the Environmental Protection Agency and the CDC National Vital Statistics, this study seeks to fill the gap in the literature by quantitatively examining the relationship between air pollution in Cleveland, Ohio, and divorce rates across the state. We embarked on this exploration with the hope that our findings will serve as a breath of fresh air for future research in environmental and social science, or at least provide a much-needed gasp of something unexpected in a field that can feel a bit stale at times.
The research hypothesis posits that as ambient air pollution in Cleveland increases, the divorce rates in the state of Ohio rise as well. If the results support this claim, it would offer a compelling argument for considering the air we breathe as not only a health concern but also a potential marital hazard. In other words, it's not just about catching your breath but also catching your partner's attention amidst the haze of pollution.
With this study, we aspire to add a bit of levity, or perhaps a slight whiff of mischief, to the often-serious realm of scholarly research. After all, what's an academic paper without a cleverly incorporated pun or a dad joke that makes your inner scientist chuckle? And so, with our lab coats buttoned up and our statistical tools in hand, we set out to explore the veritable "particulate breakup" – the connection between air pollution and divorce rates in Ohio.

[[RESULTS]]
The statistical analysis revealed a strong positive correlation between air pollution in Cleveland and the divorce rate in Ohio for the years 1999 to 2021, with a correlation coefficient of 0.8342722. This significant relationship suggests that as the air quality worsened, so did the matrimonial harmony across the state. It seems that when it comes to love, the air quality really took their breath away – and not in a good way. It's as if the air pollution said, "I've been working on my toxic relationships too, just at a different scale!"
Furthermore, the r-squared value of 0.6960102 indicates that approximately 69.6% of the variation in divorce rates can be explained by changes in air pollution levels. This substantial proportion underscores the influential role of air quality in shaping the dynamics of human relationships. One might say that the air pollution was playing not just a supporting role but a starring role in the drama of marital discord – it was truly a "smoggy performance."
The p-value of less than 0.01 further solidifies the significance of the correlation, providing strong evidence against the null hypothesis that there is no relationship between air pollution and divorce rates. This result leaves no room for doubt – the connection between these two variables is as clear as the polluted air over Cleveland. It's as if the data were saying, "I p-value you a lot, but the correlation between air pollution and divorce rates is just too significant to ignore!"
In Figure 1, the scatterplot vividly illustrates the strong positive correlation between air pollution levels and divorce rates. The data points form a clear upward trend, depicting the simultaneous increase in air pollution and divorce rates over the years. It's almost as though the scatterplot is singing, "Love is in the air, but so is pollution, and it's taking its toll on relationships across Ohio!"
In conclusion, this study provides compelling evidence of the unexpected yet robust association between air pollution in Cleveland and the divorce rate in Ohio. It breathes new life into the understanding of environmental and social dynamics and offers a fresh perspective on the intricate interplay between air quality and interpersonal relationships. In the grand scheme of things, it seems that when it comes to love and pollutants, the connection is as concrete as the data – it's a match made in statistical heaven, or perhaps statistical smog.

-------

Your response should start like this:

[[CONCLUSION]]



ChatGPT:

[[CONCLUSION]]

In summary, our research has uncovered a strong and statistically significant relationship between air pollution levels in Cleveland, Ohio, and the divorce rates across the state. It appears that as the air quality deteriorates, so does the marital bliss, proving that in the game of love, the air quality truly takes the breath away - and not in a romantic way. This connection between air pollution and divorce rates might lead one to wonder if it's not just the dust settling but also the marriage ending.

Our findings emphasize the need to consider environmental factors not only in the context of physical health but also in the realm of interpersonal relationships. It seems that the phrase "irreconcilable differences" may have more layers than initially presumed - one of those layers being the atmospheric composition. Talk about bringing a breath of fresh air to social science research - quite literally!

In the words of a classic dad joke: Did you hear about the atmospheric scientist who got divorced? It turns out he just needed some space!

Ultimately, the results of our study provide a compelling argument for the integration of environmental considerations into the broader discussion of societal well-being. No longer can we overlook the air we breathe as a potential influence on our relationships. After all, it's not just about chemistry between partners; it's also about the chemistry in the air.

Thus, in light of these findings, it is clear that no further research in this area is needed. The connection between air pollution and divorce rates has been thoroughly established, leaving little room for doubt and providing a breath of fresh air to the field of environmental and social science. It seems this unlikely link has been well and truly aired out.


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 Particulate Breakup: Exploring the Relationship Between Air Pollution and Divorce Rates in Ohio. Respond only with the name of a fictional academic journal.

ChatGPT:

The Journal of Ecological Sociology


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 Particulate Breakup: Exploring the Relationship Between Air Pollution and Divorce Rates in Ohio. Respond only with the name of a fictional organization.

ChatGPT:

The Institute for Socio-Environmental Studies and Relationships


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 Particulate Breakup: Exploring the Relationship Between Air Pollution and Divorce Rates in Ohio with an abstract of This study delves into the intriguing connection between ambient air pollution in Cleveland, Ohio, and the divorce rates across the state. Utilizing data from the Environmental Protection Agency and the CDC National Vital Statistics, our research team sought to address the causality behind this unlikely pair.
Our findings unveiled a remarkably strong correlation coefficient of 0.8342722 and a significant p-value of < 0.01 for the years 1999 to 2021. This statistical relationship suggests that a marriage's longevity is inversely proportional to the level of air pollutants. In other words, when air quality deteriorates, so does marital bliss – it seems that love truly is in the air, or rather, the lack thereof.
Upon deeper analysis, we discovered that as air pollution levels in Cleveland rose, so did the divorce rates across Ohio. This unexpected association prompts the question, "Is it the haze that causes the daze in marital harmony?" Perhaps it's not just the fog, but the smog that leads to a foggy future in matrimony.
In conclusion, our study provides compelling evidence of the intertwined nature of environmental factors and social dynamics. It also offers a possible new explanation for the phrase "irreconcilable differences" – it's not just about clashing personalities, but also about clashing air particles. This research adds a breath of fresh air to the field of environmental and social science, breathing life into an unexpected, albeit cloudy, connection.

ChatGPT:

air pollution, divorce rates, Ohio, environmental factors, social dynamics, air quality, marriage longevity, correlation coefficient, causality, Cleveland, data analysis

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



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Data details

Air pollution in Cleveland
Detailed data title: Percentage of days with air quality at 'unhealthy for sensitive groups' or worse in Cleveland-Elyria, OH
Source: Environmental Protection Agency
See what else correlates with Air pollution in Cleveland

The divorce rate in Ohio
Source: CDC National Vital Statistics
See what else correlates with The divorce rate in Ohio

Correlation r = 0.8342722 (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 = 0.6960102 (Coefficient of determination)
This means 69.6% of the change in the one variable (i.e., The divorce rate in Ohio) is predictable based on the change in the other (i.e., Air pollution in Cleveland) over the 23 years from 1999 through 2021.

p < 0.01, which is statistically significant(Null hypothesis significance test)
The p-value is 7.5E-7. 0.0000007524126049671153000000
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 0.83 in 7.5E-5% of random cases. Said differently, if you correlated 1,329,058 random variables You don't actually need 1 million variables to find a correlation like this one. I don't have that many variables in my database. You can also correlate variables that are not independent. I do this a lot.

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

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

Just to be clear: I'm being completely transparent about the calculations. There is no math trickery. This is just how statistics shakes out when you calculate hundreds of millions of random correlations.
with the same 22 degrees of freedom, Degrees of freedom is a measure of how many free components we are testing. In this case it is 22 because we have two variables measured over a period of 23 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.

[ 0.64, 0.93 ] 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.
19992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021
Air pollution in Cleveland (Bad air quality days)20.547915.027320.27415.616413.424710.382518.08227.397267.945216.83063.5616411.23297.9452113.11481.643842.739733.01373.825141.643843.561641.917813.005462.19178
The divorce rate in Ohio (Divorce rate)3.94.2443.73.63.53.53.43.33.33.43.43.43.294843.174793.071363.029872.922652.905962.768732.472892.62012




Why this works

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




Try it yourself

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

    return correlation, r_squared, p_value

# These are the arrays for the variables shown on this page, but you can modify them to be any two sets of numbers
array_1 = np.array([20.5479,15.0273,20.274,15.6164,13.4247,10.3825,18.0822,7.39726,7.94521,6.8306,3.56164,11.2329,7.94521,13.1148,1.64384,2.73973,3.0137,3.82514,1.64384,3.56164,1.91781,3.00546,2.19178,])
array_2 = np.array([3.9,4.2,4,4,3.7,3.6,3.5,3.5,3.4,3.3,3.3,3.4,3.4,3.4,3.29484,3.17479,3.07136,3.02987,2.92265,2.90596,2.76873,2.47289,2.62012,])
array_1_name = "Air pollution in Cleveland"
array_2_name = "The divorce rate in Ohio"

# 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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Correlation ID: 3995 · Black Variable ID: 20476 · Red Variable ID: 19816
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