Spurious Correlation and Data that Lies
Numbers might not lie—but they definitely mislead. In our data-obsessed age, we love to uncover patterns that seem to explain everything, from the stock market to human happiness. But without context or critical thinking, even the cleanest datasets can tell absurd (and dangerous) stories. This post dives into the world of spurious correlations—where margarine predicts divorce, cheese dictates stock prices, and journalists mistake coincidence for causation. Through humor and hard truths, it explores how data can both amuse and misinform—and why every correlation needs a thoughtful human interpreter.
Behind the Buy
The tension between counterfeit and genuine communities is clear: the former offers convenience without reciprocity, while the latter thrives on complexity, mutual care, and shared investment. Real communities aren’t just neat consumer experiences—they’re messy, meaningful, and built on connections.
Taylor Swift concerts exemplify this: more than music, they foster shared cultural bonds. Similarly, brands like Barnes & Noble thrive by shifting from corporate individualism to nurturing in-person connections. Successful brands don’t create communities; they support and amplify existing ones, turning shared values into enduring relationships.
Hotdogs Are Not Sandwiches: A Ridiculous, Relatable, Somewhat Serious Case for Context
If you understand context, you realize that a hotdog is not a sandwich in any useful sense. Obviously there are much more important questions, and they are often no less convoluted. How critical is it, then, that we understand the context in which we deploy social impact programs? How can we enact education interventions without understanding the classroom, teachers, students, and their home lives? How can we create and deliver products/solutions that make a difference if we don’t understand the context in which they will be used?