Today's news that obesity could be linked to sleeping in a room with too much light may or may not be scientifically sustainable but it did make me think about some of the odder correlations that have been shown such as this one
How on earth did 5886 people manage to die by becoming entangled in their bedsheets? In fact how do you die that way? I'm sorry but I think I am just about to make a request that if I die that way it's not declared. I want people to be happy at my funeral and celebrate my life but I don't want them so completely struck down with mirth that they can't even participate in the service.
I finished a rather smelly camembert last night before I went to bed. I slept soundly (and had no nightmares) and woke up this morning with the bedsheets as pristine as when I went to bed. So far as I am concerned this was a Good Thing because I am here to finish this post and I haven't become a bed sheet statistic and my fridge no longer has that terrible smell (which was there even though the camembert was in two sealed plastic containers).
The correlation came from one of 244,470 correlations on the site tylervigen.com (and one is free to copy anything on the site).
I was going to wash my fridge out and you reminded me of my week old Camembert. That is that little conundrum solved I'll eat it for lunch with some olives.
ReplyDeleteWho has so much time on their hands to bother gathering and co-relating such rubbish? I suppose I do.
Glad to be of assistance Adrian.
DeleteThe correlations were most probably not found by hand.
DeleteWell there you go...are you sure the case of the death by tangled sheets isn't due to the eating too much smelly cheese in the company of others I wonder?
ReplyDeleteI'm sure about very little in this life Serenata.
DeleteMy self-confidence is shattered. Here I've been ascribing my weightloss to my own strength of character (and a lot of chopping of vegetables), and now you inform me it might be the curtains in my bedroom that did the trick... Ah well. Whatever. At least I did not wake up (or not) strangled by my bedsheets either.
ReplyDeleteI have to say, Monica, that I remain sceptical about the new claims.
DeleteGB,
ReplyDeleteSo here's the thing: The numbers of death by bed sheet almost doubled in six years, whereas the consumption of cheese increased by a moderate ten percent What is the correlation between cheese and duvet sales, then, do you think? Just saying'
McGregor
McGregor
Hi McGregor. It's not, of course, for me to defend the correlation and it's almost 50 years since I did stats at Uni but I seem to recall that where there is a statistical relationship between variables that leads to dependence and a correlation occurs when there is a number of those dependent relationships. There need be no causal relationship for a correlation. As for duvet sales and cheese I am in blissful ignorance. Although I am considering buying a new cover for my duvet. Could that mean anything do you think?
DeleteThere is an interesting article at the BBC with the maintainer of the site, and the take away comment is that the graphics are what make the things seem convincing, although there is no causation.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I wonder who in their right minds channels funds into such ridiculous scientific studies...what silly correlations.
ReplyDeleteCheers to you my friend for making it out alive after consuming a good helping of Camembert and going to bed surrounded by sheets.
I think this is a project someone has done in his spare time.
DeleteFound this article on the subject:
Deletehttp://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/OAP-died-tangled-bed-sheets/story-11597751-detail/story.html