Trust remains humanity’s most essential yet least understood social technology—an invisible framework that enables cooperation, reduces transaction costs, and makes complex society possible. We navigate trust constantly, from accepting restaurant food without watching its preparation to believing strangers will stop at red lights, yet rarely examine how this fragile system actually functions. Trust operates through a fascinating combination of cognitive shortcuts and social mechanisms. Our brains develop trust heuristics—quick rules about whom to trust based on appearance, credentials, or social proof. These mental shortcuts evolved for efficiency but create vulnerabilities when exploited by bad actors. Meanwhile, society builds trust architectures through institutions, reputational systems, and cultural norms that help strangers…