Detecting Causality in Complex Ecosystems

Cause or Correlation? Three centuries ago, Bishop Berkeley's 1710 classic “A treatise on the nature of human knowledge,” first spelled out the “correlation vs. causation” dilemma. Sugihara et al. (p. 496 , published online 20 September) present an approach to this conundrum, and extend current discussions about causation to dynamic systems with weak to moderate coupling (such as ecosystems). The resulting method, convergent cross mapping can detect causal linkages between time series.