The Book of Why: The New Science of Cause and Effect

by Judea Pearl

such causal estimates produced by observational studies may be labeled “provisional causality,” that is, causality contingent upon the set of assumptions that our causal diagram advertises.

“In the pursuit of ‘pure science’ a well-meaning investigator may be perceived as—and may be—aiding and abetting a social order he abhors.”

the cultural shocks that emanate from new scientific findings are eventually settled by cultural realignments that accommodate those findings—not by concealment. A prerequisite for this realignment is that we sort out the science from the culture before opinions become inflamed.

one of the major accomplishments of causal diagrams is to make the assumptions transparent so that they can be discussed and debated by experts and policy makers.

I would like to be able to lead a machine into temptation and have it say, “No.”