this post was submitted on 03 Oct 2025
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Do you know of an effective way how to explain to a person that correlation doesn't imply causation? (lemmy.bowyerhub.uk)
submitted 10 months ago by gezero@lemmy.bowyerhub.uk to c/ask@piefed.social
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[–] Praxinoscope@lemmy.zip 26 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

Monthly deaths from drowning correlate to ice cream sales.

Ice cream doesn't cause drowning, but both numbers go up at the same time of year (summer)

[–] damnthefilibuster@lemmy.world 1 points 10 months ago

That’s brilliant!

[–] ada@piefed.blahaj.zone 24 points 10 months ago

[–] jonathan7luke@lemmy.zip 19 points 10 months ago (1 children)

https://www.tylervigen.com/spurious-correlations

Have fun! :)

[–] damnthefilibuster@lemmy.world 1 points 10 months ago

“Butter consumption correlates with the number of epidemiologists in Colorado”

Wtf Colorado!

[–] shittydwarf@piefed.social 15 points 10 months ago (1 children)

[–] Gork@sopuli.xyz 11 points 10 months ago

We must increase the pirate population dramatically!

[–] TaterTot@piefed.social 9 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Every single person who confuses correlation with causation ends up dying.

[–] threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works 7 points 10 months ago (1 children)

We don't know that for sure. There several bililon people who have not died yet.

[–] TaterTot@piefed.social 6 points 10 months ago

Sounds like none of them have confused the two then... yet!

[–] Lodespawn@aussie.zone 3 points 10 months ago

100% of people who drink water will die?

[–] jacksilver@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago

Ever time you see a house on fire, you're almost guaranteed to see firemen.

So clearly firemen must be the leading cause of house fires.

[–] deadbeef79000 2 points 10 months ago

Do things that happen to stupid people keep happening to you?

Does your period start at the same phase of the Moon each time?