We are awash in data! Every week brings stories about scientific studies—especially those related to personal health. The news also brings stories about unscientific work that seems scientific, lending a veneer of importance to the work. Being scientifically literate means critically analyzing these types of reports. Issues or misconceptions related to analyzing and interpreting data come through clearly when students discuss newspaper articles. Among the most common issues is differentiating between cause and correlation. This month’s column offers some strategies for helping students to recognize this important distinction for themselves.