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sharks make people buy ice cream? Or does buying ice cream attract sharks?
==Correlation and causation==
==Correlation and causation==
A [[correlation]] between two variables does not always mean that one variable has caused a change in the other. It is a [[logical fallacy]] to assume that correlation implies causation.
A [[correlation]] between two variables does not always mean that one variable has caused a change in the other. Often a third variable is causing both, such as shark attacks and ice cream sales. These two factors may correlate, but they are not directly related. Rather, both go up each summer as people go swimming at ocean beaches.
It is a [[logical fallacy]] to assume that correlation implies causation.
The following is a flawed argument:
The following is a flawed argument: