Based on “The Book of Why” by Judea Pearl and related works, we discuss causality in a formal sense. Specifically, why do we need to infer causality, and how would it help us? Thinking about this question itself requires thinking counterfactuals, one of the most important silver linings of using causal diagrams in science.  In this talk, we introduce:

1. Why causality?

2. How Pearl “does not” define causality

3. Interventional and Observational data

4. Pearson, Bayes, Pearl? A brief history of data-driven scientific debates

QUICKS (Quantifying Uncertainty and Inferring Causal Knowledge – Seminars) is a seminar series of the Causal Inference and Uncertainty Quantification Study Group by the IEEE Student Branch at Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG). The study group is free and open for all interested in learning and the scientific method.