Correlated things aren’t necessarily related to each other. In other words, correlation doesn’t imply causation – and a website highlights just that. Tylergiven.com publishes a lot of apparently correlated things, which obviously have nothing in common, like for example US spending on science, space, and technology and Suicides by hanging, strangulation and suffocation.

 

There’s a 0.992082 correlation between the two, but of course, they aren’t connected in any way. But hey, there are even better examples – how about comparing the evolution between Number people who drowned by falling into a swimming-pool and Number of films Nicolas Cage appeared in:

 

Still not convinced? Let’s have a look at how the Age of Miss America correlates with Murders by steam, hot vapours and hot objects:

 

So there you have it people – correlation and causation are two different things, don’t draw any conclusions causation based on correlation alone!

Enjoyed this article? Join 40,000+ subscribers to the ZME Science newsletter. Subscribe now!