factual
Illusion of explanatory depth in everyday knowledge
People hold beliefs they cannot actually justify (why brush teeth twice daily, why finish antibiotics) under an 'illusion of explanatory depth' that stops them from probing further—for example, the intuition that finishing antibiotics prevents superbugs is undermined by the observation that incomplete courses would leave the most resistant bacteria—demonstrating that we acquire interfaces to interact with the world rather than true causal models.
factualpending
Speaker
Michael MuthukrishnaEvidence Quote
“you have an illusion of explanatory depth that stops you from checking further... surely finishing your course of antibiotics would have the most resistant bacteria left.”
Created: 6/13/2026, 12:15:31 AM
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