“We wanted causality from observational data. That was the dream.”

“The Desperation of Causal Inference in Ecology,” by Lizzie Wolkovich.

Some gems in here:

“And that’s the other problem — the bigger one: how much people want this causality. They want to believe that we have the data and methods to show that a disease that wipes out bats leads to an 8% increase in infant mortality.”

“I fear the next 10 years I will live in a sea of piranhas where lots of ecological problems explain 5-10% of infant mortality and plant productivity.”

“… be less gaga over any statistical method (and I do love my own statistical methods so I could practice a little more of what I preach) and teach everyone basic mathematical notation and basic biological models.”

I am not now, nor have I ever been, an ecologist, but this all sounds very familiar from cognitive neuroscience.

Currently reading: THE IMPENDING BLINDNESS OF BILLIE SCOTT, by Zoe Thorogood.