09/03/2026
Two trends rising together doesn’t mean one caused the other. Ice-cream sales and sunburn rates both increase in summer. At first glance, it might look like one causes the other.
But they are both responding to a third factor: heat.
The relationship is correlation, not causation.
This type of mistake appears constantly in headlines and research summaries.
Before accepting a causal claim, ask:
• Was the study observational or experimental?
Observational studies can identify patterns, but they cannot reliably prove cause and effect.
• Were confounding variables controlled?
A hidden third factor may be driving both outcomes.
• Has the result been replicated?
Strong claims require consistent evidence across multiple studies.
Learning to ask these questions filters out a huge amount of misleading interpretation.
Good science isn’t just about collecting data.
It’s about understanding what the data can — and cannot — prove.
At Inform Me, we focus on the tools of reasoning.
We teach how to think — not what to think.
