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Every article like this should mention that observation can only show correlation, but cannot prove causation. I personally do believe causation is more likely
by xixixao 6y ago
Every article like this should mention that observation can only show correlation, but cannot prove causation.
I personally do believe causation is more likely here, but I cannot be sure based on the study.
- analog31 6y agoIn addition, simply knowing that there's a causal relationship doesn't identify the cause. For instance you could discover that a sick person traveling to a distant town caused the people in that town to become sick, without knowing whether the underlying cause was an infectious agent, witchcraft, or a punishment from the gods for impious thoughts. And not knowing the root cause severely limits your ability to manage the issue from a policy perspective. For instance you could launch a social campaign to persuade people to be more pious. That's close to level we're at in our understanding of parenting.