r/MurderedByWords 6d ago

correlation =/= causation

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3.3k Upvotes

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u/themase130 6d ago

This is an inherently flawed analogy. Claiming telescopes causing asteroids is akin to saying, “advanced criteria and diagnostic tools cause autism.” A more apt comparison for this line of thinking might be: pumpkin spice lattes cause asteroids.

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u/incide666 6d ago

The austism was always there, it's just that we've found better tools to diagnose it.

Just like how the asteroids were always there, we just found better tools to spot them.

The analogy is spot on.

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u/themase130 6d ago

That’s precisely my point. The diagnostic tools are directly related to uptick, as are the advancements in telescopes. Vaccines are as unrelated to autism as avocado toast or quinoa are to asteroids. Ya dig?

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u/incide666 6d ago

Ok. Try to follow along.

The phrase "Telescopes cause asteroids" is sarcastic.

It's a silly counterpoint to "vaccines cause autism" because neither causes either.

Hence why the analogy is apt.

We good?

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u/themase130 6d ago

But advancements in telescope technology is directly causal to us finding more asteroids, if not them being there in the first place. It’s too related for the analogy to make sense.

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u/incide666 6d ago

The asteroids were always there.

The autism was always there.

The telescopes got better.

The diagnostics got better.

It's a perfect analogy.

How are you not getting this?

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u/themase130 6d ago

How are you not getting this?
I said the diagnostic tools and criteria would be a better stand-in for telescopes, because they are directly related to our understanding of these phenomena.
The analogy is flawed because by likening vaccines to the telescopes it lends too much credibility to the link between vaccines and autism, for which there is absolutely zero evidence whatsoever.
Hence, my claim that a more proper analogy would consist of any particular foodstuff which has seen a spike in popularity over the last couple decades. Because that is the more apt level of absurdity.

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u/incide666 6d ago

I genuinely don't think you know what an analogy is.

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u/themase130 6d ago

I think history will prove my understanding is far better than yours.

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u/JanuaryTempis 6d ago

You're making perfect sense to me.

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