Grounds for Thought: Correlation is not Causation

Join us on 7th December for Grounds for Thought, our lecture series with Blue Tokai, for a session that breaks down one of the most misunderstood ideas in the world of data. We hear “correlation is not causation” all the time, but what does it actually mean, and why do economists insist on it so much?

About the Lecture

This talk explores how easy it is to mistake patterns for truths in a world filled with numbers. From ice-cream sales that rise with drowning rates, to education curves that seem to predict GDP, coincidences are everywhere. The real question is whether one thing genuinely causes the other.

You’ll learn how economists think about causality in simple, approachable language and how they use tools like hypothesis testing to separate meaningful signals from noise. Through real examples from public policy and everyday life, the lecture shows how these methods help decide whether a new tax policy works, if a social program truly improves lives or if two trends are simply moving together by accident.

About the Lecturer

Parush Arora teaches economics at Ashoka University and spends much of his time helping students understand how data actually behaves. His work focuses on how we interpret patterns and how those interpretations influence policy and everyday decisions. Parush is known for making complex statistical ideas feel intuitive and grounded in real human behaviour. Beyond academia he is curious about the stories behind the choices people make and the subtle logic of daily life.

About unLecture

unLecture brings experts out of classrooms and into cafés, bars and neighbourhood spaces across Delhi. Created by three friends from St. Stephens, Delhi who wanted learning to feel warm, social and alive. unLecture turns an ordinary evening into a conversation you’ll think about long after it ends.