Near-Earth asteroids discovered per yearAmericans identifying as LGBTQ+
Between 2012 and 2023, more Americans identified as LGBTQ+ and more near-Earth asteroids were cataloged, and the two quantities have risen together (r = 0.957) in a combination so delightfully unrelated that it feels like proof that the universe is composed of many simultaneous census projects. One telescope surveys the sky; one survey surveys the populace. Both keep finding more than they expected.
The share of Americans identifying as LGBTQ+ grew from about 3.5% in 2012 to over 7.6% by 2023, almost entirely driven by Gen Z's willingness to specify bisexual, pansexual, and other previously-underreported categories; near-Earth asteroid discoveries grew from about 9,400 cumulative known objects to over 32,000 in the same window, as survey telescopes (Pan-STARRS, ATLAS, Catalina Sky Survey) matured. Both are categories in which the 'true' number was always larger than the reported number, and both grew because the instruments — social and optical — became more sensitive and less stigmatizing to use.
A census box is checked. A dot is resolved against a star field. Both, eventually, become part of the record.
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