Here is a story of causation that I’ll tell using my colorful coffee mugs.
“Huh?”
Yes, don’t worry, it’s a short video on my Youtube channel. It will make sense when you watch it. I like to use props, often things in my kitchen, to explain public health concepts. I feel like they are easier for people to grasp that way. Growing up, it’s how I taught myself, mainly because my brain is like an amusement park. Sure, the concepts will be simplified, but that’s the point: these videos are about the fun, high-level “take-home” messages that hopefully inspire people to think about their health in new ways.
A couple things before I post the Story of Causation video:
In the video, I talk about a guy named Skip and what killed him. Skip doesn’t exist and the featured photo here is AI-generated. At the same time, I feel like everyone will know a Skip (or someone quite similar). Still, Skip was not killed, because Skip doesn’t really exist. So don’t get upset when Skip dies. ;)
While my video focuses on causation, individual health, public health, and mortality, I’ll share my more general, free-spirited , psychedelic-like philosophy on causation here:
We often grapple with the enigma of causation, wondering if it’s the final straw that breaks the camel’s back or a slow-growing underlying risk factor that truly matters. Is it about certain thresholds holding more significance than others, or is it a question of our own capacity to handle adversity? The lack of clear answers to what causes certain events is unsettling – it leaves us on edge, as we crave the addictive comfort of answers that boost our confidence, deserved or not. There are established methods to explore causation, and in the video I’ll demonstrate one approach, particularly related to mortality. However…in a philosophical sense, I believe that most of causation remains a mystery, eluding our current understanding. To me, it’s the love child of a cosmic smorgasbord and a game of dominoes, the grandchild of genetic soup and Pie in the Sky…and its godparents are Father Time and an unpredictable Leprechaun that likes to fill up pots, but not always with gold. The critical question is: what do we do with our understanding of causation? I suppose we can take studied patterns and documented risks and work to minimize them in our daily lives. Why not. But It will not solve the ultimate puzzle (After all, “Why do bad things happen to good people?”) but I suppose it helps us navigate the labyrinth of life’s uncertainties. Still, get used to the uncertainties…they aren’t going away anytime soon…no matter how many coffee mug videos I make.
Thanks for reading that. Video is posted below. Don’t forget to check out other portions of the blog, like this piece on Truth Serum.
And don’t forget to check out & subscribe to my Causes or Cures Health Interview Podcast!
And you can follow me on Instagram. I post more videos and “stuff” there. ;)
Here is the Story of Causation video: