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What's a true fact that is so misleading it's borderline misinformation? (lemmy.world)
submitted 3 years ago by to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml
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What would be some fact that, while true, could be told in a context or way that is misinfomating or make the other person draw incorrect conclusions?

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[โ€“] 1 point 3 years ago (2 children)

Do you have an example? I'm pretty sure correlation cannot be caused by coincidence.

Coincidence is describing two things happening at the same time but with separate causes. Correlation is describing two things having a common cause.

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  • [โ€“] 2 points 3 years ago (1 child)

    First thing you learn in a statistics course is that correlation doesn't equal causation.

    Correlation: two thing happening at the same time or one thing happening right after the other, regardless of whether the things are at all connected

    Causation: one thing happening BECAUSE of the other

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  • [โ€“] 2 points 3 years ago* (last edited 3 years ago)

    Oh yes I got my definition of correlation slightly wrong. Correlation doesn't necessarily mean that two things have the same cause but they do relate in some way either by having a common cause or by occuring in the same system. They definitely have more in common than happening just at the same time or right after each other like a coincidence.

    I didn't claim that correlation equals causation and I hope you didn't get the impression because this would be oviously wrong.

    Edit: I stand corrected and today I learned that "correlation" means that two things have a statistical relation without any causal relation implied. There can be a causal relation but it's not necessary. The key takeaway for me is that correlation describes a statistical relationship.

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