---
slug: "Causation"
name: "Causation"
type: "Primitives"
layer: "Physics"
ref: "Causation#ed6c"
sema_id: "sema:Causation#mh:SHA-256:ed6cdeb5f2972a180d13c58e1b51957e7309cd78052a029a56e34dad9a8a6850"
tags: ["Physics","Primitives"]
updated: 2026-11-11
mindscape: "bootstrap"
index_url: https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap.json
url: https://mindscape.world/bootstrap/Causation/
related: ["Correlation","EffectDelayCheck","Ripplelag","EffectDelayCheck#bfff","Ripplelag#8edf","ConfoundedAttribution"]
---

# Causation

Direct force relationship

Layer: Physics · Category: Primitives

## Mechanism

A relationship where manipulating one event directly forces another to occur — a directed edge in the causal graph. The definitional property is intervention-responsiveness: an external change to the cause alters the effect, which distinguishes causation from mere co-movement.

## Invariants

- Intervention-responsive: an external change to the cause alters the effect.
- Directed: intervening on the effect does not alter the cause along the same edge.

## Failure modes

- Asserted without intervention: where no intervention is possible, the definitional property is claimed rather than tested.
- Confounded: a third variable drives both, so intervening on the named cause would not move the effect.

## Builds on

—

## Used by

- [Correlation](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Correlation.md) (Infrastructure; References)
- [EffectDelayCheck](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/EffectDelayCheck.md) (Mind; References)
- [Ripplelag](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Ripplelag.md) (Physics; References)

## Identity

- Sema ID: `sema:Causation#mh:SHA-256:ed6cdeb5f2972a180d13c58e1b51957e7309cd78052a029a56e34dad9a8a6850`
- Ref: `Causation#ed6c`
- Supersedes:
  - `sema:Causation#mh:SHA-256:63e1089ee47f39bb6e2aeb8de41bb1f5a36666053833d0f198be91aea7d58dbc`
  - `sema:Causation#mh:SHA-256:e47b8f36ae5e8b43d3e3f521fc75c2a70f0355cbe062f794ecbe93a4c608921c`

## Links

- [Pattern page](https://mindscape.world/bootstrap/Causation/)
- [View in the interactive graph](https://mindscape.world/bootstrap/#Causation)
- [JSON](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Causation.json)
- [Index of all patterns](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap.json)