EconTalk Steven Pinker on Common Knowledge
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Sep 22, 2025 
Get ready for an enlightening conversation with Steven Pinker, a renowned cognitive psychologist and Harvard professor known for his insights on language and human nature. He dives into the concept of common knowledge, discussing how it shapes societal coordination, from Super Bowl ads to driving norms. Pinker explores the psychological underpinnings of miscommunication, the role of laughter in social dynamics, and the dangers of uncertainty in totalitarian regimes. It's a thought-provoking exploration of how we connect and misunderstand each other.
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What Common Knowledge Really Is
- Common knowledge means everyone knows that everyone knows something, recursively ad infinitum.
- Pinker argues minds use a sense of salience or publicity, not infinite recursion, to represent common knowledge.
Coordination Vs. Cooperation
- Coordination differs from cooperation because it doesn't require incurring costs to help another.
- Public, salient signals or focal points solve coordination by converting private plans into common knowledge.
Apple's 1984 Super Bowl Gambit
- Apple solved a coordination problem by buying a Super Bowl commercial to make buying a Macintosh a public act.
- The ad created common knowledge that many Americans watched and would adopt the new interface together.
