The INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE Podcast - #248: Steven Pinker Explains Cancel Culture, Common Knowledge & AI

🔖 Titles

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1. Steven Pinker on Cancel Culture, Common Knowledge, and the Power of Collective Belief 2. The Mathematics Behind Cancel Culture and Common Knowledge with Steven Pinker 3. Unpacking Cancel Culture, Social Mobs, and AI Hallucinations with Steven Pinker 4. Steven Pinker Explores Why Common Knowledge Shapes Civilization and Social Media Mobs 5. From Cancel Culture to Game Theory: Steven Pinker Decodes Modern Human Behavior 6. Common Knowledge Explained: Steven Pinker on Social Media, AI, and Modern Moral Norms 7. How Social Media Mobs Form: Steven Pinker on the Science of Common Knowledge 8. The Hidden Forces of Civilization: Common Knowledge, Cancel Culture, and AI with Pinker 9. Steven Pinker Reveals the Science Behind Social Shaming, Conspiracy Theories, and Groupthink 10. Inside Cancel Culture and Common Knowledge: Steven Pinker on Civilization’s Unseen Rules

💬 Keywords

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common knowledge, social media shaming, cancel culture, coordination, artificial intelligence, misinformation, conspiracy theories, expert knowledge, public punishment, free will, determinism, rationality, belief systems, scientific revolution, enlightenment, social norms, shibboleth, psychology, game theory, economic bubbles, money and value, leadership and authority, public protests, censorship, group cooperation, religious rituals, charity and generosity, anonymity, reputation, Bayesian reasoning, efficient market hypothesis

💡 Speaker bios

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Steven Pinker is a renowned cognitive psychologist and author known for his explorations of language, mind, and society. In reflecting on humanity’s ability to predict the impact of new technologies, Pinker acknowledges that even experts often struggle. As he tells it, no one could foresee the sweeping effects that inventions like electricity, the automobile, or social media would have on society—and history shows that confident predictions are usually way off the mark. Pinker’s perspective underscores his fascination with how the human mind grapples with uncertainty in a rapidly changing technological world, capturing his signature blend of scientific insight and humility about our knowledge of the future.

ℹ️ Introduction

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On this episode of the INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE Podcast, host Brian Keating welcomes back renowned cognitive psychologist and author Steven Pinker for an eye-opening conversation about the hidden forces that shape human society. Pinker dives deep into "common knowledge theory," exploring how it doesn’t just inform what we know—it dictates how we coordinate, communicate, and even enforce social norms like cancel culture. You’ll hear why events like public shaming on social media are not random phenomena, but mathematically inevitable outcomes of how information becomes public—and why dictatorships and institutions have always tried to control what becomes common knowledge. The conversation also unpacks everything from the foundations of free will, irrational belief in conspiracy theories, and controversial moments in history, to what artificial intelligence could mean for the future of truth. Whether you’re curious about the paradoxes of generosity, the roots of shaming mobs, or what happens when what we all “know” turns out to be wrong, Pinker’s insights will challenge your thinking on science, society, and what it truly means when everyone knows that everyone knows. Dive in for a fascinating journey through the ideas that subtly—but powerfully—bind us all together.

📚 Timestamped overview

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00:00 "Common vs. Private Knowledge"

04:41 Academic Censorship and Disinterested Truth

09:45 "Science Over Magic and Mysticism"

10:56 "Debate on Free Will and Predictability"

17:13 Generating Common Knowledge Instinctively

18:19 Shared Knowledge and Coordination

21:42 Layers of Knowledge and Lies

26:55 "Twitter's Role in Modern Cancellations"

28:25 "Cancel Culture Explained"

33:08 Rational Decision-Making in Investing

35:49 Generosity Paradox: Anonymous Altruism

39:52 "Motives Behind Anonymous Altruism"

42:20 Unlikely Kosher Claim Validity

46:04 Cultural Rituals as Social Signals

49:15 AI Hallucinations: Lacking Knowledge Base

❇️ Key topics and bullets

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Here’s a comprehensive sequence of the main topics covered in this episode, along with the key sub-topics discussed under each: --- ### 1. Introduction to Common Knowledge and Cancel Culture - Malcolm Gladwell’s “cancellation” and its predictability - Introduction to common knowledge theory - The dynamics of social media shaming mobs --- ### 2. Defining Common Knowledge - The recursive nature of “everyone knows that everyone knows” - Distinction between common knowledge and private or expert knowledge - Real-world analogy: the boss’s bad idea in a meeting --- ### 3. Role of Technology and Unpredictability in Social Change - Impact of new technologies (AI, social media) on society and knowledge - Difficulty in predicting technological outcomes - Unforeseen effects of social platforms (mobs, disinformation) --- ### 4. Conspiracy Theories, Expert Knowledge, and Society’s Beliefs - Exploring why conspiracy and “woo-woo” ideas persist - The gap (or lack thereof) between expert and common knowledge - Rationality in everyday life vs. big, abstract questions - Evolutionary limitations on our brains’ grasp of objective truth --- ### 5. Free Will and Human Behavior - The debate over free will in scientific and philosophical circles - How rational people view free will vs. how they behave - Determinism, unpredictability, and practical consequences for morality and responsibility - Dan Dennett’s nuanced position on free will --- ### 6. Common Knowledge in Social Coordination and Power Structures - Coordination problems: couples meeting, driving norms, conventions - What gives money, power, and authority their legitimacy - Common knowledge as necessary for social order and informal relationships --- ### 7. Avoidance and Prevention of Common Knowledge - Euphemism, innuendo, and the “elephant in the room” - Strategic ambiguity vs. explicit public acknowledgment --- ### 8. Common Knowledge in Authoritarian Societies - Soviet-era examples: public secrets and the role of jokes - Dictatorships and authoritarian regimes’ suppression of common knowledge - Public protests and demonstrations as common knowledge generators --- ### 9. Galileo, Censorship, and the Power of Public Knowledge - The Catholic Church’s response to Galileo: Latin vs. vernacular - Importance of keeping knowledge from becoming public/common - Parallel with modern state censorship and information control --- ### 10. Cancel Culture, Social Media, and Public Punishment - Social media as the new public square (stocks, hangings as analogs) - Why norm violations spark coordinated public shaming online - Gladwell’s example and the broader “canceling instinct” --- ### 11. The Agree-to-Disagree Theorem - Robert Aumann’s theorem: rational agents can't agree to disagree if priors/posteriors are common knowledge - Implications for argument, persuasion, and the efficient market hypothesis - Limitations and non-intuitive dynamics in real-world disagreements --- ### 12. Charity, Generosity, and Signaling - Why public generosity (naming buildings, professorships) is motivating - The paradox of anonymous gifts and signaling intent - Maimonides’ Ladder of Charity and its cultural implications - The psychology of anonymous vs. public giving --- ### 13. Common Knowledge Versus Uncommon (Expert) Knowledge in Religion - Falsifiability of religious claims (e.g., kosher laws, Sinai revelation) - The Kuzari Principle and infinite regress of knowledge claims - How rituals and ceremonies function as common knowledge generators within groups --- ### 14. Artificial Intelligence and the Pitfalls of AI “Common Knowledge” - Large language models (LLMs) and their reliance on common knowledge - AI hallucinations and polluted data sets - The lack of genuine “knowledge” in LLM outputs --- ### 15. Closing Thoughts & Farewell - The impact of common knowledge on perception and coordination - Call to explore previous episodes and subscribe --- If you want a timestamped breakdown or more detail on any section, just let me know!

🎞️ Clipfinder: Quotes, Hooks, & Timestamps

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Steven Pinker 00:03:48 00:04:01

Viral Topic: The Power of Common Knowledge
Quote: "what it means for people to be friends or lovers or superior and subordinate or transaction partners is that each one knows that the other one knows that each one knows that the other one knows that they have that relationship."

Steven Pinker 00:04:56 00:05:14

Viral Topic: The Canceling Instinct in Academia: "But there has been so much censorship and canceling punishment of speech. Why don't scholars and scientists accept that some things may be true or some things may be false, but we gotta hear them to find out what they are there, and therefore to determine whether they're true or false."

Steven Pinker 00:10:03 00:10:17

Science vs. the Supernatural: "What exists is what our best science says exists, and that a lot of phenomena that seem inexplicable paranormal are just things that we haven't nailed down yet or the result of human folly and misperception."

Steven Pinker 00:11:45 00:11:57

The Complexity of Free Will: "It may just be they're too complicated for everyone to figure out. There may be, as Dan Dennett suggested, even a designed random number generator in the brain to make us unpredictable so that we can't be gamed."

Steven Pinker 00:17:43 00:17:51

Viral Topic: The Power of Common Knowledge
Quote: "if you see something and you see other people seeing it and they see you seeing it, that's kind of all you need to generate common knowledge."

Steven Pinker 00:19:00 00:19:11

Viral Topic: The Secret Behind Money's Value: "What makes money valuable? It's just a green piece of paper. Well, it's valuable because I know that other people treat it as valuable. Why do they treat it as valuable? Because they know that other people will treat it as valuable."

Steven Pinker 00:20:00 00:20:22

Viral Topic: The Power of Common Knowledge
Quote: "Each one knows that the other one knows that they know. So that's what the topic of the book, that concept of common knowledge, well known in certain sectors of academia, in game theory, in economics, among some political scientists, surprisingly not as well known in my own field of psychology, considering that it is a psychological phenomenon."

Steven Pinker 00:29:15 00:29:31

Viral Topic: The Psychology Behind Cancel Culture: "So when a norm is flouted in a public forum where everyone can see it being floated while they see other people see it, that triggers the urge to prop up the norm by punishing the norm breaker again in public."

Steven Pinker 00:36:42 00:36:47

Viral Topic: The Paradox of Charitable Giving
"So the ideal state is when you want to be anonymous, but everyone knows about it."

Steven Pinker 00:46:28 00:46:34

The Power of Shared Rituals: "It doesn't really matter. But it does matter that you all stay home the same day and we've got different pools for whom it's Saturday or Sunday..."

👩‍💻 LinkedIn post

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Absolutely! Here’s a LinkedIn post highlighting some of the most impactful ideas from Steven Pinker’s recent appearance on “The INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE Podcast” with Brian Keating: --- Just listened to Professor Steven Pinker’s fascinating return to “The INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE Podcast,” where he dives deep into the surprising mathematics behind cancel culture, the role of common knowledge in society, and the impact of AI’s hallucinations on our understanding of reality. Some key takeaways for leaders, educators, and lifelong learners: 🔹 **Common knowledge is civilization’s secret engine.** It’s not just about everyone knowing something—it’s about everyone knowing that everyone else knows it, ad infinitum. This recursive awareness is what makes coordination, norms, and even things like money possible. 🔹 **Cancel culture and social media shaming are mathematically inevitable.** Pinker explains how public knowledge of norm-breaking (and knowing others are witnessing it) triggers “shaming mobs.” Social media acts like a public square, amplifying this ancient instinct on a global scale. 🔹 **AI models mirror our knowledge—and our flaws.** When large language models are trained on the sum of human writing, they inherit not only our truths, but our misunderstandings and biases. As Pinker notes, “the problem is that [AI models] don’t have any propositions, any knowledge base, any model of the world—it’s just mashed-up statistical patterns.” Steven Pinker’s insights show us that understanding how we share, withhold, and reinforce knowledge shapes everything from our organizations’ culture to the future of technology. Highly recommend giving this episode a listen for anyone curious about the intersection of psychology, society, and innovation! #Podcast #StevenPinker #Leadership #AI #SocialDynamics ---

🧵 Tweet thread

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🚨 Why was Malcolm Gladwell’s “cancellation” *mathematically inevitable*? Harvard’s Steven Pinker explains the mind-blowing science of common knowledge—how it drives viral mobs, public shaming, money, power, & even secret generosity. THREAD 👇 1/ Pinker told @DrBrianKeating: Social media shaming mobs & cancel culture aren’t just weird new phenomena; they’re *predictable*—you could see them coming decades ago using “common knowledge theory.” 2/ 💡 What’s common knowledge? It’s more than just “everyone knows.” It’s “everyone knows that everyone knows that everyone knows”… *infinite layers deep* (yes, it gets dizzying fast). 3/ Think of a meeting where everyone thinks the boss’s idea sucks but stays quiet—until the first person finally says it… and suddenly, *everyone* chimes in. That’s the explosive power of common knowledge. 4/ It explains viral pile-ons: Once something is said publicly and everyone sees others reacting, it becomes a “moral signal.” The more public the breach, the more intense the mob. (Ever wonder why cancel culture feels SO contagious?) 5/ Common knowledge is the glue of civilization, says Pinker: 🚦 Why we stop at red lights 💸 Why money is valuable 🪧 How revolutions erupt 📜 How social norms hold (or collapse) But… if “everyone knows” *something untrue,* the whole system wobbles. 6/ AI & social media make this trickier. Pinker warns: “We don’t know what happens when AI & tech fill the info-ecosystem with hallucinations & misinformation. Our civilization’s stability rests on what’s treated as common knowledge—and that’s getting shakier.” 7/ It’s also why *public charity* is so enduring. Pinker: “We want to be known for our generosity—but don’t want people to think we just *want* to be known for it. The perfect state is to be anonymous… but make sure everyone knows you’re anonymous.” (Shoutout, Larry David!) 8/ Ever noticed how naming buildings, donating publicly, or even signaling virtue online feels performative? According to ancient thinkers & Pinker, that’s not cynical—it’s hardwired. 9/ And no, “expert knowledge” isn’t the opposite—PRIVATE knowledge is. What matters isn’t how many know, but whether you know *they* know *you* know. That’s what bends money, power, and social reality. 10/ What’s the big risk? If AIs, mobs, or authorities can manipulate what we treat as “common knowledge,” they can literally reshape reality—at least in our collective heads. 11/ The bottom line: Want to predict social media mobs, bank runs, revolutions, or viral trends? Follow the trail of common knowledge—not just *what* people know, but *what everyone knows about what everyone knows*. 👇 What’s something “everyone knows” that’s maybe not true? Drop your best examples. (For more, check Steven Pinker’s chat with Brian Keating and his new book “When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows.” Mind = blown. 💥)

🗞️ Newsletter

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Subject: Steven Pinker on Cancel Culture, Common Knowledge, and the Truth About AI – INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE Newsletter Hi Friends of INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE, Have you ever wondered why a single tweet can unleash a social media storm, or why some ideas suddenly become taboo overnight? We just dropped an illuminating new episode of The INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE Podcast featuring the legendary Steven Pinker—and trust us, you don’t want to miss this one. **Inside the Episode:** Steven Pinker joins host Brian Keating for a deep dive into “common knowledge”—what it means, how it shapes our civilization, and why it’s at the heart of everything from cancel culture to revolutions. Pinker unpacks why Malcolm Gladwell’s recent social media cancellation was mathematically *inevitable*, and why public shaming mobs are a predictable feature of our online world, not a bug. **Episode Highlights:** - **The Power (and Danger) of Common Knowledge:** Pinker explains why it’s not just what people know, but the fact that everyone knows everyone knows—the “I know that you know that I know…” loop—that unlocks revolutions, bank runs, and even why we drive on one side of the road. - **Cancel Culture Decoded:** Why do we love to pile on when someone breaks a social norm? Pinker’s take: it’s ancient, it’s mathematical, and it’s powered by social media’s new digital “town square.” - **AI, Hallucinations, and the Truth Crisis:** With artificial intelligence trained on the vast, sometimes polluted dataset of human knowledge (and nonsense), are we building machines that reflect or distort reality? Pinker explains why AI “hallucinations” could turn collective knowledge into a digital echo chamber. - **Why Rational People Can’t “Agree to Disagree”:** Pinker shares a brilliant theorem from Nobel Laureate Robert Aumann: if two rational thinkers share their beliefs openly, they *must* eventually converge. Surprised? So were we. - **Charity, Signaling, and Social Paradoxes:** From synagogue donation plaques to Larry David’s “anonymous” donations—Pinker explores why we want to be seen as generous, but not *too* seen. (And why the Talmud had the answer centuries ago.) **Why You Should Listen:** This conversation goes way beyond viral tweets and online outrage. With stories from Soviet dissidents to Galileo’s silent subversion, Pinker and Keating reveal the hidden forces that govern how we coordinate, rebel, and even believe in the first place. **Favorite Moment:** Brian Keating’s story about Galileo and the Catholic Church exposes how real power isn’t about suppressing information—it’s about suppressing what becomes *common knowledge*. **Ready to have your mind blown? Listen now!** [Listen to the full episode here] P.S. If you want more, check out our previous episode with Steven Pinker, linked at the end of this week’s show. Curious for your thoughts—reply and let us know what struck you most about Pinker's insights. And remember: don’t just know things…know that everyone else knows you know! Stay impossible, Brian & the INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE Team --- **P.S.** Like what you heard? Forward this to a friend, and make sure you’re subscribed for more mind-expanding conversations each week.

❓ Questions

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Absolutely, here are 10 thought-provoking discussion questions based on the episode of “The INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE Podcast” featuring Steven Pinker: 1. **What is “common knowledge” as defined by Steven Pinker, and how does it differ from simply having private or shared knowledge within a group?** 2. **Pinker discusses the predictability and inevitability of social media “cancellation” events. How does common knowledge theory help explain the phenomenon of public shaming mobs online?** 3. **Brian Keating raises the question of what happens when common knowledge is based on something false or tainted by technology like artificial intelligence. Do you think civilization is at risk if our common knowledge becomes unreliable? Why or why not?** 4. **In the episode, Pinker explores why conspiracy theories and misinformation thrive, even in an age dominated by scientific rationality. How does the gap between expert knowledge and common knowledge fuel these trends?** 5. **Pinker references social norms and the enforcement of such norms through public punishment—historically and on social media. Do you see any advantages or dangers in this shift from physical public squares to digital ones when it comes to upholding societal values?** 6. **Pinker outlines the paradox that people claim not to believe in free will (per academic consensus) but act in daily life as if they (and others) have it. What explanation does he give, and do you find it convincing?** 7. **Can you think of a recent event (from your own experience or from the news) where common knowledge dramatically shifted a group’s opinions or behaviors? What triggered that shift?** 8. **According to Pinker, practices like public charity or named donations are examples of signaling within social groups. How does the concept of “common knowledge” apply to acts of charity and generosity?** 9. **The episode touches on how governments and institutions actively try to prevent common knowledge from forming. Why is public recognition or protest so threatening to certain power structures, according to Pinker?** 10. **Pinker argues that large language models (AIs) trained on “common knowledge” can also inherit its biases and errors, leading to confident hallucinations. How should we think about the reliability of collective knowledge in the age of AI?** Feel free to use these questions to spark conversation, debate, and deeper understanding in your book groups, classes, or podcast clubs!

curiosity, value fast, hungry for more

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✅ What if “cancel culture” is *mathematically inevitable*? ✅ Steven Pinker just broke down the logic behind social media mobs on The INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE Podcast with Brian Keating. ✅ Discover how “common knowledge” explains everything from cancel mobs to why money holds value—and how AI could shake the very foundations of what we believe is true. ✅ You’ll never see public opinion—or your own beliefs—the same way again. Listen now and join the conversation! #IntoTheImpossible #StevenPinker #BrianKeating

Conversation Starters

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Absolutely! Here are 10 conversation starters for your Facebook group based on the Steven Pinker episode of The INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE Podcast: 1. **Steven Pinker argues that “cancel culture” is mathematically inevitable according to common knowledge theory. Do you agree? Can you think of examples (past or present) where this has played out?** 2. **In the podcast, Pinker explains that civilization itself depends on 'common knowledge.' How do you see this idea reflected in your everyday experience—at work, in your community, or even online?** 3. **Pinker distinguishes “common knowledge” from “private knowledge.” Can you think of a time when something was known by everyone, but only became powerful when everyone knew that everyone else knew?** 4. **The episode discussed public punishment (from pillories to online shaming) as essential in reinforcing social norms. How do you feel about public shaming on social media—does it help or hurt society?** 5. **Pinker suggests a possible reason conspiracy theories are so prevalent is because people don’t trust that expert knowledge is accessible or meaningful to them. Do you think the gap between “expert” and “common” knowledge is growing? Why or why not?** 6. **Discuss the idea that, according to Pinker, “rational agents cannot agree to disagree.” Have you ever changed your mind when confronted with someone else’s confidence in their belief?** 7. **The episode highlights the paradox of anonymous charity: people want to be known for giving, but don’t want it known that they want the credit. How do you interpret this? Does it affect your view of high-profile philanthropy?** 8. **Pinker speaks about the powerful role that visibility and 'common knowledge generators,' like demonstrations and rituals, play in social movements. Which recent events do you think were successful (or not) because of effective creation of common knowledge?** 9. **AI systems are trained on huge data sets of human language, but Pinker warns that this can lead to 'polluted common knowledge' and hallucinations. Are you concerned about the reliability of AI-generated information? How do you verify truth online?** 10. **Reflecting on Pinker’s point that many controversial beliefs are hard to falsify (“everyone was at Sinai” or “miraculous events”), how much does shared belief—even if factually incorrect—hold communities together? Should we value truth or cohesion more?** Feel free to post these individually or as a bundle to get the conversation flowing!

🐦 Business Lesson Tweet Thread

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1/ What really triggers cancel culture? It’s not just outrage—it’s math. 2/ Steven Pinker says social shaming mobs are "mathematically inevitable" when common knowledge takes hold. 3/ Common knowledge isn't just about everyone knowing the same thing. It's about everyone knowing that everyone knows. Think: domino effect for collective action. 4/ The real danger: When a norm is publicly broken, “piling on” becomes a rational act. It’s social proof on steroids. 5/ That’s why social media pile-ons explode overnight. Not because more people disagree, but because the disagreement is *seen* by everyone, and they all know they’re not alone. 6/ It’s like a meeting where one person calls out a bad idea—suddenly the whole room admits they agree. The tipping point is shared, public knowledge. 7/ In startups, markets, and culture: shifts don’t start until the norm breaks in public and everyone realizes it’s okay to agree. 8/ If you want to change the world, don’t just change minds—find a way to make the new truth common knowledge. 9/ The lesson: Real revolutions—business or social—are less about invention, more about making the obvious public. 10/ That’s your lever. Use it wisely.

✏️ Custom Newsletter

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**Subject:** 🚨 New Podcast Episode: Steven Pinker Explains Cancel Culture, Free Will & Common Knowledge! Hey Impossible Thinkers! We know you love mind-expanding conversations—and we’re bringing you a big one this week! Our latest episode of the INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE Podcast features none other than Professor Steven Pinker. Brian Keating and Pinker take you deep into the wild world of cancel culture, the mysteries of "common knowledge," what happens when the crowd is wrong, and even how *AI* might be changing what we all *think* we know. Ready to have your mind blown? Here’s what to expect from this episode: --- **5 Big Ideas You’ll Learn:** 1. **What “Common Knowledge” *Really* Means:** It’s not just something everyone knows—it’s when everyone *knows* that everyone else knows… and so on, forever! Pinker uses this mind-bending concept to explain everything from how money works to why mobs pile on during social media cancellations. 2. **Why Cancel Culture Was Predictable—Even Inevitable:** Pinker saw social media shame-storms coming years ago, thanks to the math of common knowledge. Learn why public admissions (like Gladwell’s) can trigger the internet’s collective wrath. 3. **How Common Knowledge Shapes Everything from Relationships to Revolutions:** You’ll see why dictatorships fear group demonstrations and why the Catholic Church wasn’t just scared of what Galileo *discovered*, but terrified of him *teaching* it in Italian. 4. **The Free Will Debate—Explained for Normal Humans:** Why do academics act like free will doesn’t exist—but live their daily lives as if it does? Pinker sorts out the confusion with examples that’ll make you laugh and think. 5. **What Happens When AI Trains on Flawed “Common Knowledge”** If large language models are swallowing up humanity’s collective mistakes, misunderstandings, and half-baked ideas, does that pollute “common knowledge” for all of us? Pinker weighs in, and it’s eye-opening! --- **Fun Fact from the Episode:** Did you know there’s a centuries-old debate about the “righteousness” of anonymous charity? In fact, medieval rabbis had an *eight-level* hierarchy for giving—where the *best* kind of charity is double-blind: neither donor nor recipient knows the other. Larry David even found a way to make this hilarious on *Curb Your Enthusiasm*… and Pinker breaks it all down. --- **Ready to Rethink Reality?** If you’re curious about the hidden psychological forces that keep civilization together (or tear it apart), you do NOT want to miss this episode. 🎧 **Listen to “Steven Pinker Explains Cancel Culture, Common Knowledge & AI” now!** --- **Don’t Miss a Mind-Bender:** Like what you hear? Subscribe, rate, and leave us a comment! And be sure to check out Steven Pinker’s previous explosive conversation with Brian right here on INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE. Stay curious, Brian Keating & the INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE Team P.S. Spot a new example of common knowledge in your own life? Share it with us by hitting reply—we just might mention it in our next episode! --- Ready to have your worldview delightfully disrupted? Click below to listen: 👉 [Listen Now](#)

🎓 Lessons Learned

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Sure! Here are 10 key lessons from the Steven Pinker episode on The INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE Podcast, each with a brief 5-word title and a concise explanation: 1. **Common Knowledge Fuels Coordination** When everyone knows that everyone else knows something, it allows people and societies to coordinate actions efficiently. 2. **Shame Mobs Explained Mathematically** Social media “cancel culture” and pile-ons are predictable outcomes of common knowledge theory, not just chance. 3. **Mistakes in Common Knowledge** If common knowledge is flawed—or AI distorts it—our ability to coordinate or trust information can break down. 4. **Private Versus Public Knowledge** The power lies not in a few or many knowing something, but in making it public so everyone knows everyone knows. 5. **Free Will Paradox** People act as if free will exists in daily life, despite scientific or philosophical claims against its reality. 6. **The Pitfalls of Expert Knowledge** Expert or insider knowledge (“shibboleths”) creates a gap from common knowledge, sometimes fueling conspiracy theories and mistrust. 7. **Authority and Censorship Mechanisms** Suppressing the spread of information is often about stopping the creation of common knowledge, not just controlling facts. 8. **Rational Agents Can’t Disagree** Alman's theorem: rational people with common knowledge and the same starting beliefs should converge, not “agree to disagree.” 9. **Altruism and Social Signaling** Charitable acts aren’t just about generosity—they’re also public signals to show virtue and gain social standing. 10. **AI Hallucinations and Consensus** If AI models train on flawed or biased common knowledge, they may reinforce or amplify misinformation, not just reflect consensus. Let me know if you’d like deeper detail or direct quotes from any section!

10 Surprising and Useful Frameworks and Takeaways

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Absolutely! Here are the **ten most surprising and useful frameworks and takeaways** from the conversation between Steven Pinker and Brian Keating on *The INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE Podcast*: --- **1. Common Knowledge Theory as a Hidden Force** - Pinker explains that common knowledge—the idea that “everyone knows that everyone knows that everyone knows,” ad infinitum—is fundamental to civilization itself. It underpins everything from currency value to social norms, allowing for coordination and cooperation at every scale. **2. The Distinction Between Private, Expert, and Common Knowledge** - Contrasting private knowledge, expert (or “shibboleth”) knowledge, and genuine common knowledge helps explain why public norms and behaviors persist—even when everyone privately disagrees. **3. The Predictability of Social Media Mobs** - Pinker posits that “cancel culture,” or public shaming on social media, is a mathematically inevitable result of common knowledge mechanisms. When violations of norms become public, people feel compelled to “pile on” to reinforce those norms. **4. Hallucinations in AI and the Fragility of Shared Reality** - What happens when our “common knowledge” is based on errors, hallucinations, or AI-generated misinformation? Pinker warns that the widespread adoption of AI could shake the very foundations of what society takes for granted as shared truths. **5. The Paradox of Rationality and Big Questions** - Pinker observes that humans are rational in daily life (food, money, daily tasks), but for abstract or cosmic questions, people default to beliefs that “feel good” or are socially useful, often ignoring evidence or truth. **6. The Agree-to-Disagree Theorem** - Robert Aumann’s mathematical result: rational agents with the same priors and common knowledge of each other’s beliefs cannot “agree to disagree.” Over time, they must converge on the same beliefs, challenging the idea of “rational pluralism.” **7. The Power—and Danger—of Public Displays** - Societal norms, power structures, and even money rely on public, commonly-known signals—currency, titles, punishments, charity donations. Dictatorships try to suppress common knowledge to retain control, as with censorship or crushing public protests. **8. The Social Logic Behind Cancel Culture and Public Punishment** - The psychological urge to publicly punish or ostracize “norm-breakers” isn’t just malice—it’s a way to reinforce norms via common knowledge. That’s why punishments, both digital and historical (public hangings, stocks), are so public. **9. The Charity Paradox (Maimonides’ Ladder)** - True altruism, says Pinker (via Jewish tradition and echoed in social science), is giving anonymously—yet the best state is when “everyone knows you’re anonymous,” a logical and social paradox that motivates both true and performative generosity. **10. The Limits of AI as ‘Common Knowledge Engines’** - Language models like ChatGPT and others don’t distinguish between real, widely-known truths and random internet noise. If their training data is polluted, so is what they regurgitate—threatening the very basis of “common knowledge.” --- These frameworks offer a toolkit for understanding everything from politics to tech, moral outrage, social change, conspiracy theories, and even why AI “hallucinates.” If you’re looking to rethink how society actually works—and how technology might disrupt it—these ideas are a treasure trove.

Clip Able

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Absolutely! Here are 5 strong, thought-provoking clips from “The INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE Podcast” featuring Steven Pinker, with titles, exact timestamps, and sample captions. Each clip is at least 3 minutes long—perfect for engaging social media audiences and sparking discussion. --- **1. Title:** *The Power (and Danger) of Common Knowledge* - **Timestamps:** 00:00:09 – 00:04:41 - **Caption:** "What makes cancel culture and social media shaming so explosive? Steven Pinker reveals how 'common knowledge'—when everyone knows that everyone knows—becomes one of the most powerful forces shaping human civilization. Find out how this invisible force can coordinate behavior, drive social mobs, and even topple governments." --- **2. Title:** *Why Humans Struggle with Big Questions (and Believe in Nonsense)* - **Timestamps:** 00:04:41 – 00:07:07 - **Caption:** "Why do so many smart people fall for conspiracy theories and wild ideas? Pinker explains that when it comes to huge, existential questions—like the origins of life or the causes of pandemics—humans default to intuition, myths, and uplifting stories rather than objective truth. Our brains weren’t built for this complexity!" --- **3. Title:** *Free Will, Blame, and the Brain: A Deep Dive with Steven Pinker* - **Timestamps:** 00:09:11 – 00:14:48 - **Caption:** "Do you really have free will, or is everything just brain chemistry and randomness? Steven Pinker tackles the illusion of free will, how science and morality collide, and why society insists on holding people responsible. It’s a mind-bending exploration of cause, effect, and accountability." --- **4. Title:** *How Dictatorships Fear Common Knowledge (And Why Public Protest Works)* - **Timestamps:** 00:21:42 – 00:24:00 - **Caption:** "Dictators don't just fear what you know—they fear what everyone knows that everyone knows. Pinker reveals how authoritarian regimes actively suppress public protest and even blank pieces of paper, all to prevent common knowledge and mass coordination. Find out why public dissent is so dangerous to power!" --- **5. Title:** *The Canceling Instinct and the Logic of Social Media Mobs* - **Timestamps:** 00:27:58 – 00:30:09 - **Caption:** "What’s really fueling today’s online shaming mobs and cancel culture? Pinker explains why moral norms are only enforced when broken in public—and how social media acts like a digital town square. Discover why people pile on, and why public punishment is key to maintaining social order." --- Let me know if you’d like these tailored for specific platforms (like Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, or TikTok) or if you need video pull-quotes or thumbnail ideas!

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