S5E2: Setting the table for Season 5

About this episode

The episode introduces the fifth season of SERious Epidemiology, focusing on foundational concepts of causal inference from the textbook 'Causal Inference: What If'.

Welcome back to SERious Epidemiology! This is the first official episode of the fifth season of SERious Epidemiology. This season we’ll be discussing the textbook Causal Inference: What If . Chapter 1 discusses foundational concepts of causal inference, including identifiability assumptions, counterfactuals, individual vs. population-level causal effects, and null effects. We talk about the example of Greek gods and goddesses and the notation (e.g., Y for the outcome) used throughout the textbook. In this episode, we hope to highlight the concept that causal effects involve a comparison. Matt also offers a hot take comparing the identifiability assumptions to the Marvel cinematic universe: exchangeability is Captain America, consistency is the Hulk, positivity Ironman, the no interference assumption is Groot. Do you agree?

People in this episode

Host: Sue Bevan

Topics covered

• causal inference
• identifiability assumptions
• counterfactuals
• individual vs. population-level causal effects
• null effects
• Greek mythology
• Marvel cinematic universe

Keywords

• causal inference
• identifiability
• counterfactuals
• population-level effects
• Greek gods
• Marvel
• exchangeability
• consistency

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Causal Inference: What If

More episodes of SERious EPI

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• S5E4: Mind the Modifier: When Causal Effects Refuse to Be Average · April 15, 2026 · 56 min
• S5E3: From Cashew Nuts to Counterfactuals · March 15, 2026 · 56 min
• S5E1: A Casual Conversation with Miguel Hernán · January 15, 2026 · 31 min
• S4E13: Agent Based Models · August 15, 2025 · 50 min
• S4E12: Agent Based Models with Dr. Brandon Marshall · July 15, 2025 · 1h 1m