Causes

When reading or writing, certain words act as signposts for causal relationships:

Humans are biologically wired to look for patterns and causes. This drive is at the heart of our most important disciplines: causes

: Identifying the cause of a disease is the first step toward a cure. When reading or writing, certain words act as

: A proximate cause is the immediate trigger—for example, a match lighting a fire. The ultimate cause is the deeper reason—why the oxygen, fuel, and heat were all in that place at that time. The ultimate cause is the deeper reason—why the

: A necessary cause must be present for an effect to occur (you need oxygen for fire), while a sufficient cause is enough on its own to produce the effect (a lightning strike is enough to start a forest fire).