Detective Momo noticed something odd: in the weeks when the most ice cream gets eaten in the forest, there's also the most sunburn. Does ice cream cause sunburn? Of course not – so what's really going on?
Ice cream eating and sunburn rise and fall together – that's called correlation. But the ice cream doesn't cause the sunburn! Both share the same cause: lots of sun and heat.
The sun causes both – not one causing the other.
Here are some kids from the forest school. Each dot is one kid: further right = bigger feet, further up = better reading.
→ Shoe size ↑ Reading ability
The dots rise from bottom-left to top-right – bigger feet, better reading. Sounds like a connection! But think about it: what else changes about kids as they get older?
Exactly: age! Older kids have bigger feet and more reading practice at the same time. Feet don't make anyone smarter – both things simply come from growing up.
Correlation: Two things change together.
Causation: One actually causes the other.
Before you say "A causes B," ask yourself: could there be a shared reason C that causes both? Or is it just coincidence?
Tap a sentence first, then tap the basket it belongs in.