Some of the chief goals of science are understanding, explanation, prediction, and application in new technologies. Only if the world has some significant degree of constancy in what follows from what can these activities be conducted with any purpose. But what is the source of such predictability and how does it operate? This is a question that goes beyond science itself and inevitably requires a philosophical approach. It is argued in such terms that causation is the main foundation upon which the possibility of science rests. But what methods should we adopt in order to identify causes in science? The choice of methods will inevitably reflect what one takes causation to be, making an accurate account of causation an even more pressing matter. The enquiry concerns the correct norms for the empirical study of the world. This matters a lot. Some of the greatest challenges that we face will only be solved if we understand what has caused the problem and what, if anything, could then cause its alleviation.