Deconstructing Ideas Series
This is one of the most repeated phrases in science and data, but also one of the most misunderstood.
Next: why science communication itself often fails, even when the science is correct.
What does it mean?
Just because two things happen together does not mean one causes the other.
This is the difference between:
- Correlation → Two variables move together
- Causation → One variable directly causes the other
Example
Ice cream sales and drowning rates both rise in summer.
At first glance, it might look like one causes the other.
But in reality:
- Warmer weather increases swimming activity
- Warmer weather increases ice cream consumption
The shared cause is temperature, not ice cream or drowning; it influences both.
Why this matters
Confusing correlation with causation can lead to:
It is one of the most common errors in interpreting data.
Learning resources
- StatQuest: https://www.youtube.com/@statquest
- Khan Academy Statistics: https://www.khanacademy.org/math/statistics-probability
- Simply Statistics: https://simplystatistics.org
Simple summary
Correlation ≠ Causation means:
A statistical relationship does not automatically imply cause.
