this post was submitted on 23 Nov 2025
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[–] foodandart@lemmy.zip 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

When data correlates, that means that there is a liklihood that there is some connection.

Yup. There's a reason it's called co-relation.

[–] Vincent@feddit.nl 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Things can very much be co-related without one causing the other (e.g. when both are consequences of a third cause). And of course, correlated things can be completely unrelated still.

(And to emphasise: yes, it is also possible that there is a causal relation between correlated things.)

[–] foodandart@lemmy.zip 3 points 1 day ago

Oh absolutely. My favorite example of it is there's a co-relation between domestic abuse and alcoholism, but the alcohol may not be causing the abuse so much as exacerbating an already violent mindset of the abuser. The actual problem of the abuse isn't the alcohol.. but it doesn't help.

Thanks for the spurious correlations! Those are delightful. The "slaps roof of the car" meme and divorce rates.. Who knew! LOL!