> But why is it dangerous, on balance, to make assumptions of causality from data and statistics alone? Well it all depends on the actions you take based upon

> But why is it dangerous, on balance, to make assumptions of causality from data and statistics alone? Well it all depends on the actions you take based upon those assumptions. If the action is low risk, low cost then it may be the wise choice. You need to remain aware of the uncertainty and that you are basically guessing until a better understanding is achieved. One of the dangers is that initial uncertainty is forgotten and wrong information becomes "common knowledge". Another danger is where there is there actually is causation but running the opposite way to that assumed. For example if a chemical substance is a useful form of self medication for sufferers of a condition there may be a correlation between the use of the chemical and the condition but banning/withdrawing/warning about the chemical would actually worsen the situation.