Episode 358: The Knowledge Illusion

This week I'm speaking with authors of The Knowledge Illusion, Steve Sloman and Phil Fernbach.

Steven Sloman is a cognitive scientist at Brown University who studies how people think. Phil Fernbach is a cognitive scientist and professor of marketing at the University of Colorado, Boulder. The book explores why we think we know so much more than we do, and the profound implications for individuals and society.

Humans have built hugely complex societies and technologies, but most of us don’t even know how a pen or a toilet works. How have we achieved so much despite understanding so little?