03 MAR 2014 by ideonexus
Correlation != Causation; However, It is Often All We Have
> correlation doesn't mean causation. As a statistician, I guess I should be happy that more people are aware of this. But I also think too many people are taking "correlation != causation" superficially. I mean, almost all of science is based on significant correlational findings, especially when the traditional way to prove causation (i.e. via randomized trial) is unethical (i.e. we can't randomly assign people to be insured vs. uninsured). Along these lines, I often find people who sa...Examples of when correlation should be taken seriously.
29 MAY 2012 by ideonexus
The Elegance of Scientific Equations
Perhaps we see equations as simple because they are easily expressed in terms of mathematical notation already invented at an earlier stage of development of the science, and thus what appears to us as elegance of description really reflects the interconnectedness of Nature's laws at different levels....may merely reflect the interconnectedness of nature.