This letter comments on the report “Forensic Science in Criminal Courts: Ensuring Scientific Validity of Feature-comparison Methods” released in September 2016, by the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). The report advocates a two-stage procedure for evaluation...

We present an overview of the decision-theoretic framework of statistical causality, which is well suited for formulating and solving problems of determining the effects of applied causes. The approach is described in detail, and it is related to and contrasted with other current formulations,...

We describe and contrast two distinct problem areas for statistical causality: studying the likely effects of an intervention (effects of causes) and studying whether there is a causal link between the observed exposure and outcome in an individual case (causes of effects). For each of these, we...

Social scientists are increasingly engaging in experimental research projects of importance for public policy in developing areas. While this research holds the possibility of producing major social benefits, it may also involve manipulating populations, often without consent, sometimes with...