Cum hoc ergo propter hoc

Or… Correlation implies causality. This is a logical fallacy. Keep this in mind when analyzing data. There are numerous cases of how people use this logical fallacy nowadays (most typically in newspapers). For example, the following graph

shows a correlation between global warming and the number of remaining pirates. But this does not imply (of course), any causality between them.

By the way, this graph appears in a Bobby Henderson’s clever parody of the type of arguments in Intelligent Design. Bobby Henderson’s parody is a joke religion also known as Pastafarianism. Caution: if you read the last link, you could be touched by the Flying Spaghetti Monster noodly appendage…