Philip Fernbach Books
Philip Fernbach is a cognitive scientist and professor of marketing at the University of Colorado Boulder, focusing on consumer behavior and collective intelligence.
Known for: The Knowledge Illusion: Why We Never Think Alone
Books by Philip Fernbach
The Knowledge Illusion: Why We Never Think Alone
The Knowledge Illusion explores how human understanding is deeply collective rather than individual. Cognitive scientists Steven Sloman and Philip Fernbach argue that most of what we think we know resides not in our own minds but in the minds of others. The book examines how this 'illusion of understanding' shapes our decisions, beliefs, and society, and how recognizing our cognitive limitations can lead to better collaboration and reasoning.
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The Cognitive Division of Labor: Where Minds Meet
When we suggest that knowledge is distributed, we do not mean that you personally understand less than you think—we mean that humanity as a species thrives by submitting to the labor of others’ minds. Consider plumbing, electricity, or the code behind your smartphone. You 'know' these tools work—but...
From The Knowledge Illusion: Why We Never Think Alone
The Illusion of Explanatory Depth: Why We Think We Know
One of the most revealing experiments in cognitive science asked subjects to rate how well they understood ordinary mechanisms like toilet flushes or ballpoint pens. After being asked to explain them step-by-step, people rated their understanding far lower. This is the illusion of explanatory depth:...
From The Knowledge Illusion: Why We Never Think Alone
About Philip Fernbach
Philip Fernbach is a cognitive scientist and professor of marketing at the University of Colorado Boulder, focusing on consumer behavior and collective intelligence.
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Philip Fernbach is a cognitive scientist and professor of marketing at the University of Colorado Boulder, focusing on consumer behavior and collective intelligence.
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