> How is this different than typical multi-variable regressions with control variables? As different as astrology and astronomy. Multi-variable regressions wit

> How is this different than typical multi-variable regressions with control variables? As different as astrology and astronomy. Multi-variable regressions with control variables are known to incapable of supporting causal inference. The network based techniques of Pearl et. al. do permit causal inferences. Notice though that the network based techniques will quite often rigorously prove that the data you have are inadequate to make a causal inference. They do this by discovering multiple causal networks, all consistent with the patterns of correlation and conditional correlation in the data, but with causal links going one way in one net work and the other way in another network.