"Bob Officer" -*-*.@.*-*- wrote in message ...
On Sat, 30 Oct 2010 13:53:02 -0400, in misc.health.alternative,
dr_jeff wrote:



Oh, I see where you're going wrong bob. You don't understand the meaning of the word "correlation".

One meaning of correlation is that if you know one value something, you can use that value to predict the value of something
else.
So, if you know the number of cars sold in one year, you can predict the number of cases of autism or vice versa. In this case,
the correlation has a common cause - both the sales of cars and the number of cases of autism is going up over time. One is not
causing the other.

That would be a "proven correlation", whereas something can show a correlation without understanding any cause or effect.


Yes, I know what correlation means.

If something shows a correlation, it can be looked at as a likely cause and studies done.

No, why would a correlation mean that something is a likely cause? The
vast majority of correlations are either coincidence (like autism and
vaccines) or have a common cause, but one doesn't cause the other (like
ice cream sales and rape - both go up with increased temperatures).

Correlation doesn't mean there is a cause and effect, merely that as one moves one way, so does the other.
It is then said to show a correlation.

Exactly.

Not always.

the Great Pyramid of Giza's base is 1460mters
the length of a Bic's (crustal) pen is 1460mm

No, not always brother bob, but a valid definition all the same.

Spare us the illustration.
We all know how you like to baffle with bull**** and that you are a moron. grin


--
Carole
www.conspiracee.com
"The members of skeptical societies often operate from a faith, a faith known today as scientism, which is the worship of science,
believing its methods to be the only valid path to knowledge." --Wade Frazier, The Medical Racket.
http://www.ahealedplanet.net/medicine.htm