Editing Causal Markov condition (section)

== Motivation ==
{{Main|Probabilistic causation}}
Statisticians are enormously interested in the ways in which certain events and variables are connected. The precise notion of what constitutes a cause and effect is necessary to understand the connections between them. The central idea behind the philosophical study of probabilistic causation is that causes raise the probabilities of their effects, [[all else being equal]]. 

A [[Causal Determinism|deterministic]] interpretation of causation means that if ''A'' causes ''B'', then ''A'' must ''always'' be followed by ''B''. In this sense, smoking does not cause cancer because some smokers never develop cancer. 

On the other hand, a [[Probabilistic causation|probabilistic]] interpretation simply means that causes raise the probability of their effects. In this sense, changes in meteorological readings associated with a storm do cause that storm, since they raise its probability. (However, simply looking at a barometer does not change the probability of the storm, for a more detailed analysis, see:<ref>{{Cite book|title=Causality|last=Pearl|first=Judea|date=2009|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9780511803161|location=Cambridge|doi = 10.1017/cbo9780511803161}}</ref>).