<p>Example: The Wright brothers did not invent the glider or the internal combustion engine. They invented the roll control system, which became the final element for controlled flight of the aircraft. Moreover, half a year later, independently of them, Santos Dumont came to similar constructive decisions. But in the public consciousness, the Wright brothers represent a single figure who single-handedly invented the entire airplane.</p>
<p>Is there a special name for cognitive biase that moves us to identify with the whole industry a specific scientist who has carried out finalizing technical research?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-12-14T17:29:40.417Z
I don't think this is a bias. Biases are unfair weightings given to known quantities, whereas this is just that most people don't know the history of aviation. Lack of knowledge is not generally considered a bias.
Arnon Weinberg
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-12-15T18:01:09.470Z
I'll agree and disagree with Arnon: I think this is a *bias*, but I don't think it's really a *cognitive bias*, it's more of a specific example of the bias towards simplification and storytelling in education. Some level of simplification is necessary in education because there's just too much human knowledge for everyone to digest everything, and if you spend all your time on the details students will never get a big picture. Similarly, most people learn better in *stories*, and the story of some inventor working on a problem is easier to understand than the complicated reality.
Bryan Krause
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-12-15T18:02:59.313Z
There's also an element of propaganda in a school in the U.S. attributing invention of the airplane to a U.S.-based inventor which identifies aspects of U.S. cultural values leading to success.
Bryan Krause
<bias>
Is there a special name for cognitive biase that moves us to identify a specific scientist with some industry?
Arseniy
# Is there a special name for cognitive biase that moves us to identify a specific scientist with some industry?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-12-14)

Example: The Wright brothers did not invent the glider or the internal combustion engine. They invented the roll control system, which became the final element for controlled flight of the aircraft. Moreover, half a year later, independently of them, Santos Dumont came to similar constructive decisions. But in the public consciousness, the Wright brothers represent a single figure who single-handedly invented the entire airplane.

Is there a special name for cognitive biase that moves us to identify with the whole industry a specific scientist who has carried out finalizing technical research?

**Tags:** bias

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I don't think this is a bias. Biases are unfair weightings given to known quantities, whereas this is just that most people don't know the history of aviation. Lack of knowledge is not generally considered a bias.  
> **username_2**: I'll agree and disagree with Arnon: I think this is a *bias*, but I don't think it's really a *cognitive bias*, it's more of a specific example of the bias towards simplification and storytelling in education. Some level of simplification is necessary in education because there's just too much human knowledge for everyone to digest everything, and if you spend all your time on the details students will never get a big picture. Similarly, most people learn better in *stories*, and the story of some inventor working on a problem is easier to understand than the complicated reality.  
> **username_2**: There's also an element of propaganda in a school in the U.S. attributing invention of the airplane to a U.S.-based inventor which identifies aspects of U.S. cultural values leading to success.  

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## 0 answers

