Things can very much be co-related without one causing the other (e.g. when both are consequences of a third cause). And of course, correlated things can be completely unrelated still.
(And to emphasise: yes, it is also possible that there is a causal relation between correlated things.)
Oh absolutely. My favorite example of it is there’s a co-relation between domestic abuse and alcoholism, but the alcohol may not be causing the abuse so much as exacerbating an already violent mindset of the abuser. The actual problem of the abuse isn’t the alcohol… but it doesn’t help.
Thanks for the spurious correlations! Those are delightful. The “slaps roof of the car” meme and divorce rates… Who knew! LOL!
Yup. There’s a reason it’s called co-relation.
Things can very much be co-related without one causing the other (e.g. when both are consequences of a third cause). And of course, correlated things can be completely unrelated still.
(And to emphasise: yes, it is also possible that there is a causal relation between correlated things.)
Oh absolutely. My favorite example of it is there’s a co-relation between domestic abuse and alcoholism, but the alcohol may not be causing the abuse so much as exacerbating an already violent mindset of the abuser. The actual problem of the abuse isn’t the alcohol… but it doesn’t help.
Thanks for the spurious correlations! Those are delightful. The “slaps roof of the car” meme and divorce rates… Who knew! LOL!