Distortion field guide
Causal overreach
A correlation or association presented as cause and effect.
How it enters the chain
Observational studies report associations. Somewhere between the abstract and the post, is linked to becomes causes or prevents.
How to spot it
Check the study design. If nobody was randomized, be suspicious of any claim that X does Y rather than X is associated with Y.
Specimens on record (56)
TS-5E74F61015 Sept 2026Regular aerobic exercise produces measurable structural changes in the human brain via three mechanisms (hippocampal volume, cerebral vasculature, microglial regulation of inflammation), and these…TS-9F9D813B12 Sept 2026A 2026 observational cohort study from Oxford Population Health's Cancer Epidemiology Unit reported that people who said they usually drank tea or coffee "very hot" had roughly three times the rate…TS-5ADD30E510 Sept 2026Persimmons contain the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin. These accumulate in the macula and absorb short-wavelength (blue) light. Observational studies associate higher dietary lutein and zeaxanthin…TS-3E1D2CF19 Sept 2026A recent study reported associations between higher habitual coffee consumption and lower body fat, higher skeletal muscle mass, more favorable insulin measures, and higher total testosterone.TS-D94290067 Sept 2026An observational analysis of UK Biobank data covering roughly 90,900 adults, presented as a conference abstract at ESC Congress 2024, reported that participants in the quartile with the most weekend…TS-E5070ACC6 Sept 2026A 2010 study reported that the tripeptide GHK, queried against a gene-expression database, was associated with reversal of the expression pattern of a 54-gene prognostic signature derived from…TS-7F671E7D6 Sept 2026Recent research reports statistical associations between endometriosis and non-reproductive conditions including migraine, asthma, and gastrointestinal disorders, supporting a view of endometriosis…TS-217CD3953 Sept 2026Consuming three dates before any other food in the morning supplies glucose that is required to initiate a daily hepatic detoxification process, and it suppresses the normal morning rise in cortisol,…TS-75DA33C63 Sept 2026A study found that men who habitually consume green tea had testosterone levels approximately 16 percent higher than men who do not consume it.TS-FACFE60C1 Sept 2026A published review of research on fermented foods reports that compounds produced during fermentation, including GABA, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory molecules, have been associated with…TS-AE86FDCD30 Aug 2026Disney's newly appointed chief executive reversed the company's gender-neutral language policy, reinstated the phrase "ladies and gentlemen" in parks, and carried out 1,000 layoffs, and did so as…TS-12FCF6DF29 Aug 2026Tap water supplied to homes in Dubai damages hair, causing dryness, breakage, and hair loss.TS-E88C7CB728 Aug 2026An observational study of 40,725 US adults, published in the European Heart Journal in 2025 with a median follow-up of 9.8 years, reported that a coffee drinking pattern concentrated in the morning…TS-2508B89626 Aug 2026Sourdough bread is uniquely capable, among all breads, of (a) reducing blood glucose rather than raising it, (b) increasing mineral absorption by eliminating phytic acid, and (c) acting as a…TS-6B7A55BD25 Aug 2026A dataset attributed to Protege DataLab reports that in 2026, hospitals with the highest measured clinician use of AI tools had in-hospital mortality of roughly 1,010 per 100,000 patients, while…TS-91F1270325 Aug 2026A 2023 study by Doherty and colleagues reported that consuming two kiwifruit one hour before bed for four weeks was associated with increased total sleep time, reduced wake time after sleep onset,…TS-6ECC9FB424 Aug 2026Practising DJing produces neuroplastic changes in the brain comparable to those produced by learning a musical instrument, involving auditory processing, multiple memory systems, executive function…TS-17E5EBDC23 Aug 2026Aggregate positioning data shows institutional futures traders holding a record net short position of approximately $18 billion in Nasdaq 100 futures as of mid-August 2026.TS-A215867723 Aug 2026Consuming wild salmon two times per week supplies sufficient DHA to cause an individual's hippocampus to be measurably larger by age 70 compared with people who do not eat it.TS-9AD6D1CE21 Aug 2026Two separable propositions. (A) Descriptive: A widespread online narrative holds that seed oils (sunflower, canola/rapeseed, soybean) cause obesity and inflammation and are "poison" because they are…TS-2D79C25520 Aug 2026Consuming spirulina followed by sauna-induced sweating causes microplastic particles to be excreted from the human body through sweat.TS-852CE04920 Aug 2026DJing engages several cognitive processes concurrently, including beat prediction, working memory for multiple tracks, fine timing correction, audience monitoring, and distractor suppression. The…TS-B9DE8EFF20 Aug 2026A study reported that people with higher blood ergothioneine levels had a lower incidence of dementia, including Alzheimer's and non-Alzheimer's subtypes, and that this association was present across…TS-B721233019 Aug 2026Physical affection is associated with improvements in mood, anxiety, skin, and immune function, and a hug must last at least 20 seconds for oxytocin release to be complete.TS-54B4865019 Aug 2026Linen fabric emits or possesses a measurable vibrational frequency of 5,000 Hz, and wearing linen raises the wearer's own body frequency in a way that accelerates healing.TS-557B3F5719 Aug 2026Approximately 76 to 80 percent of the general population has blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels classified as deficient or insufficient.TS-02E9D90A18 Aug 2026Performing 30 pushups within five minutes of waking causes a distinct hormonal cascade that does not occur in people who do not perform this action.TS-BC43853D18 Aug 2026Research exists demonstrating that increased chickpea consumption improves spinal health and reduces back pain in people who experience back pain.TS-72B513FC17 Aug 2026Consumption of berries, citrus fruits, watermelon, pomegranate, and avocado increases penile size by increasing blood flow to the penis.TS-2BD08F4415 Aug 2026Bryan Johnson, an individual self-experimenter, reported that his measured microplastic concentrations in blood and semen fell by roughly 85 to 88 percent between late 2024 and mid 2025, and he…TS-A3DC0B0915 Aug 2026Two separate assertions: (1) egg yolk consumption does not contribute to atherosclerosis, and (2) egg yolk consumption supports brain health and hormone health.TS-255DB39015 Aug 2026Oral protein supplements and creatine monohydrate supplements cause structural or functional kidney injury in people who take them.TS-57A0F52014 Aug 2026A 2026 UC Davis study analyzed 54 packaged foods labeled as containing avocado oil and found 48 had chemical profiles inconsistent with authentic avocado oil. Primal Kitchen products were included in…TS-0ED224B213 Aug 2026A 2023 study reported an association between higher sugar-sweetened beverage intake and self-reported male pattern hair loss in young men, and also examined anxiety as a related factor.TS-0C78BBC112 Aug 2026A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis reported an association between artificial light at night and depression risk. The post uses it to support two propositions: (a) complete darkness is…TS-2837270E11 Aug 2026Consumption of Samyang Buldak instant noodles or Buldak sauce causes cancer in humans.TS-90F016EF11 Aug 2026Men with vitamin D deficiency have, on average, 14.43 million/mL lower sperm concentration, lower motility, and worse semen quality than men with adequate vitamin D, and the deficiency is the cause.TS-5371660B9 Aug 2026A small pilot study of pugs, reported as published in Veterinary Record Open, measured DNA methylation-based epigenetic age estimates before and after a 6-month diet period. The fresh-food group's…TS-F72A8B878 Aug 2026Regular egg consumption has been shown by research, specifically by Harvard researchers, to increase human life expectancy by approximately 10 years.TS-BED5A7A38 Aug 2026A study published in Diabetes reported that after one month of overnight exposure to 19°C (66°F), participants showed roughly a 42% increase in brown adipose tissue volume and about a 10% increase in…TS-7975A51F7 Aug 2026Three separable assertions: (A) Tomatoes rank among the highest-lycopene foods in the diet. (B) Lycopene is fat-soluble, and co-consuming tomatoes with a fat source such as avocado increases lycopene…TS-F4157BD26 Aug 2026A 2025 meta-analysis of randomized trials comparing saffron with SSRIs found no statistically significant difference in reduction of depressive or anxiety symptoms, and found fewer reported adverse…TS-76A558055 Aug 2026Three separable assertions: (1) research shows an association between marriage and lower poverty rates; (2) financial outcomes of marriage vary by income, education, employment, and household…TS-23021BD25 Aug 2026A Japanese study reported that higher quadriceps strength measured as a percentage of body weight was associated with lower all-cause mortality, with roughly 23% lower risk per 10-percentage-point…TS-7B0639BA4 Aug 2026Hip stiffness in adults is caused by disuse rather than aging, and holding a deep squat for one minute daily improves hip mobility, ankle flexibility, and posture, decompresses the spine, and this is…TS-F43DEDAC4 Aug 2026Weak or poorly coordinated pelvic floor musculature is the main cause of women's difficulty reaching orgasm through vaginal penetration or of experiencing more than one orgasm per encounter, and…TS-71EA8AF54 Aug 2026A meta-analysis (PubMed ID 34417979) reported that each additional 1,000 steps per day was associated with roughly a 12% lower risk of death from any cause, across a specified range of daily step…TS-7B596CEF3 Aug 2026Chronic psychological stress reduces intestinal mucus layer thickness, and eating one medium sweet potato three times per week supplies enough provitamin A and fiber to rebuild that mucus barrier in…TS-BD6603243 Aug 2026Consuming a banana with added salt shortly before resistance training (a) provides rapidly available energy, (b) increases blood flow, (c) prevents muscle fatigue via sodium, and (d) increases the…TS-89045C5C1 Aug 2026(1) The U.S. government has advised American citizens to leave the Middle East. (2) The reason is probably a planned joint U.S.-Israeli military operation against Iran. (3) That operation is reported…TS-906553C11 Aug 2026Sustained forward head posture, rounded shoulders and spinal "compression" cause muscle overload, joint misalignment, restricted movement and stiffness, and eventually neck pain, back pain and…TS-0A9F65B629 Jul 2026Swimming pool operators once used copper as a water purifier, then discontinued this practice specifically because copper was too effective at disinfecting water without producing the negative…TS-4D3456AE21 Jul 2026Doing moderate incline walking after a resistance training session may increase the proportion of energy derived from fat, may avoid large acute cortisol spikes associated with high-intensity work,…TS-9E4EBD2C10 Jul 2026A hypothetical news headline linking sunscreen use to higher skin cancer rates would reflect confounding by phenotype and sun exposure behavior, not causation. Correctly applied and reapplied…TS-F1BD35C91 Jul 2026Eating within 3 hours of bedtime harms sleep quality and contributes to weight gain.TS-19611A8F29 Jun 2026Habitual physical activity is associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.