Correlation Does Not Imply Causation: A One Minute Perspective on Correlation vs. Causation

Whenever the "correlation vs. causation" topic comes along, it’s easy to imagine a tongue-in-cheek comment by let’s say an economics or philosophy professor, who explains that correlation does not imply causation.

And, indeed, the fact that correlation does not imply causation is well known but… well, improperly understood. It’s one of those expressions that is repeated so frequently that it becomes void of meaning.

Ask ten people about correlation vs. causation and all ten will tell you that yes, they know all about correlation not implying causation. Ask them to explain what this actually means and you will most likely be on the receiving end of ten completely different explanation. There’s a world of difference between kind of, sort of understanding a concept and truly internalizing it.

In one minute, this video explains why correlation does indeed not imply causation in a way that ensures you won’t forget it. Furthermore, you’ll be able to weigh in on quasi-inevitable future "correlation vs. causation" debates in a more authoritative manner and teach your friends what you have just learned.

Remember: the name of the game when it comes to such frequently discussed/mentioned but just as frequently misunderstood topics revolves around meaningfully giving thought to the concept. Not just memorizing it, not just repeating it when you think it kind of makes sense. Repeating does not imply understanding and correlation does not imply causation, to end with a corny joke :)