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'The deep sea will come to me': The blackwater diver who photographs the creatures of the deep
When photographer Jialing Cai plunged into the ocean in the dead of night, she found creatures of the deep had risen up to meet her.
RFK Jr. Appears Disengaged on Many Health Department Matters Beyond Vaccines
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has demonstrated little interest in managing his sprawling department as he focuses on food and vaccine policies, according to colleagues.
A Stanley Cup Final built on weirdness hit new heights in Game 3
After squandering a 4-0 lead, the Vegas Golden Knights managed to win in double overtime 5-4 and lead the Carolina Hurricanes, 2-1, in the Stanley Cup Final.
Golden Knights regain Finals lead despite late flair for the dramatics
The only word that could properly describe the 2026 Stanley Cup Final so far would be unhinged and Game 3 was easily the craziest game of a classic series.
Business roundup: Mountain Bike Specialists sells, oyster bar looking for buyer and fine dining spot files for bankruptcy
In this week’s roundup: One Durango business has changed hands, another is for sale and a third is filing for bankruptcy. Saslow said Mountain Bike Specialists “continues under new ownership wi...
Recruiting update (May 30-June 6)
From Saturday, May 30, to Saturday, June 6, the recruiting for class of 2027 has increased in size from seven to 14. Drew Aagesen Hailing from Goodrich, Michigan, Drew Aagesen pledged his commitment to the Cyclones on May 30. Though he was a versatile standout on both sides of the ball in high school, Iowa […]
Assessing Tencent Music Entertainment Group (NYSE:TME) Valuation After A Prolonged Share Price Decline
Recent performance snapshot Tencent Music Entertainment Group (TME) has been under pressure, with the stock down 2.4% on the day, 1.5% over the past week, and 33.9% over the past 3 months. Over the past year, the stock has declined 48.1%. The current share price is US$9.08 and the market value is about US$14.3b, with reported annual revenue of CN¥33,441 and net income of CN¥8,856. See our latest analysis for Tencent Music Entertainment Group. For context, the stock’s 1 year total shareholder...
Senators Warn of Intelligence Gaps if Surveillance Program Expires
Two senior Republicans urged the Trump administration to prepare for the possible expiration of a contentious intelligence-gathering authority.
Former Arizona mental health counselor arrested by ICE for producing of CSAM, officials say
A former Tucson mental health counselor was arrested by ICE Homeland Security Investigations agents for allegedly producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Spencer Pratt's Race for Mayor Shows How Climate Disasters Can Fuel Anti-Establishment Politics
Research has long shown that poorly managed disasters foment distrust in institutions.
Motherhood made me love the World Cup for a different reason
Motherhood changed how I experience the World Cup, turning it into a celebration of family, heritage, and connection.
D‑day’s secret weapon: How wetland science stopped Normandy landings from getting bogged down
Beneath the roar of gunfire and the chaos of D-day, an unlikely hero played a vital role — wetland science. Often overlooked amid military strategies and troop movements, the study of mud proved critical to the success of the largest amphibious invasion in history.
4-star WR Demare Dezeurn decommits from Oklahoma
Four-star Westlake (Calif.) wide receiver Demare Dezeurn has decommitted from Oklahoma, he tells Rivals. Dezeurn had been pledged to the Sooners since September, when he chose them over offers from USC, Nebraska, Michigan, Texas Tech and a host of other programs. However, other schools have remained in contact with him since that initial commitment, pushing […]
Dear Abby | Boss's new fiance certainly has a way with words
Dear Abby: My boss doesn't set boundaries between work and our personal lives. I adore her, but the job is very stressful and comes first. She recently became engaged, and
Labor bill looms large in South Jordan House clash. Here’s where they are on other big issues.
Rep. Jordan Teuscher, who sponsored a bill limiting union's bargaining ability that labor groups were able to get repealed, is being challenged by Scott Stephenson, executive director of the Fraternal Order of Police, one of the groups that fought for its repeal. Here is where they stand on other important issues.
How ‘grocery store politics’ changed one state Senator’s mind on data centers
State Sen. Joey Garcia, D-Marion, voted for data center-friendly legislation. Conversations with his constituents have since changed his stance.
New mock drafts offer possibilities for potential Penguin picks
It’s getting to be mock draft season with the event now three weeks away, let’s check on a few of them. 22. Pittsburgh Penguins: Adam Novotny, LW (Peterborough Petes, OHL) Novotný would be a stellar pick here. He’s a rugged forward with an excellent shot – something we saw plenty of times with Peterborough. Novotný surpassed the […]
After decades of pelvic pain and 100-plus doctor visits, one question changed it all
Jabbing pangs and constant headaches followed him for years, but the blood tests always came back normal — until one day a specialist thought to ask something new.
Susquehanna Stage offering Shakespeare, Sondheim, ‘Mean Girls’ and more in 2026
For Susquehanna Stage in Marietta, this is a season for expanding the vision of how and where its shows are staged.
What Changed For Red Wings Larkin?
The post What Changed For Red Wings Larkin? appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now. Shortly after the Detroit Red Wings again failed to make the playoff grade this spring, captain Dylan Larkin was emphatically […] The post What Changed For Red Wings Larkin? appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.
Scientists map more than 200 years of nature's progress
Armed with trail cameras, artificial intelligence, and a powerful national research network, scientists are revisiting Lewis and Clark's legendary journey to see how America's wildlife has changed over ...
Car smashes into business in Volusia County
A car slammed into the lobby of a Little Caesars Pizza in Edgewater, leaving the business heavily damaged but sparing employees and customers from injury.
Monster Hunter Wilds confirmed for Nintendo Switch 2
After it was heavily rumored for the platform, Monster Hunter Wilds has finally been confirmed for Nintendo Switch 2. A release date will be given later. Many fans thought that Capcom was tinkering with a port following a datamine. However, this is the first time a port has been officially acknowledged. Monster Hunter Wilds initially launched last year. Here’s an...
2 Ohio men, business charged in illegal dumping investigation
Akron residents DeShawn Dixon and Zachary Dupert, along with the business SOS Junk Removal, were indicted on illegal dumping and open burning charges.
Weed removal business helps local find the right path
FAIRMONT – While the Curly Leaf Pondweed issue in Fairmont has affected many, removing it has helped one resident stay clean and keep the lakes clean. Dominic Hill of ClearShore Solutions said he was a troublemaker in his younger years and struggled with drug and alcohol addiction. That all changed four years ago when he […]
Fans Outraged by Bears’ Controversial Stadium Decision
Chicago Bears brass had been waffling between Arlington Heights, Illinois, and Hammond, Indiana, for their new stadium.
Several vehicles damaged as fire spreads to Tri-State business
Local 12 WKRC-TV is the local station for breaking news, weather forecasts, traffic alerts, community news, Cincinnati Bengals, Reds and FC Cincinnati sports updates, and CBS programming for the Cincinnati , Ohio area, including Avondale, Blue Ash, Bond Hill, Camp Washington, Cheviot, Cleves, Colerain Township, Columbia-Tusculum, Corryville, Norwood, Delhi, East Price Hill, Golf Manor, Hyde Park, Lebanon, Loveland, Lower Price Hill, Madeira, Mariemont, Mount Adams, Mount Airy, Mount Healthy, Mount Lookout, Mount Washington, Oakley, Over-The-Rhine, Reading, Sedamsville, Sharonville, Springdale, St. Bernard, South Cumminsville, Symmes Township, Mason, Hamilton, Union Township, Walnut Hills, West Chester, Wyoming, West Price Hill, Westwood, Winton Hills, Alexandria, Bellevue, Covington, Crescent Springs, Erlanger, Fort Mitchell, Fort Thomas, Fort Wright, Florence, Hebron, Highland Heights, Newport, Southgate, Villa Hills, Walton, Aurora, Greendale, and Lawrenceburg.
Business card found near school leads to Bridgeport brothel investigation
What started with a business card left on a parent's vehicle during school pickup has led to an investigation into an alleged brothel operating out of a home in Chicago's Bridgeport neighborhood.
Myles Garrett to Rams? A.J. Brown to Patriots? CBS Sports picks favorite NFL trades of 2026 offseason
Several stars have changed teams this offseason and we're breaking them down here.
2 men, business charged, accused of illegal dumping in Copley
A Summit County grand jury has indicted two men and a junk-removal business accused of illegal dumping in Copley Township, a state official says.
Chief of staff to House member charged with carrying a gun into US Capitol complex
The chief of staff for Rep. Pete Sessions, a Texas Republican, was charged Wednesday with bringing a firearm into the US Capitol complex, according to court documents obtained by CNN.
Platner ex-girlfriend blasts New York Times story detailing alleged abuse
Lyndsey Fifield said the Times twisted her accounts and betrayed her trust in the paper.
SC health department employee charged with threatening state lawmaker
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) charged a Richland County man with threatening the life of a public official.
‘Beyond broke’: Angel Reese facing massive criticism for shooting form
The Atlanta Dream fell to the Indiana Fever in a Commissioner’s Cup game on Thursday night. Despite losing the game, Dream star Angel Reese turned in another dominant two-way performance, recording yet another double-double as she scored 11 points and snagged 10 rebounds. Reese is averaging a double-double on the season, but as impressive as…
'Diners, Drive-Ins, And LIES': Guy Fieri Slammed For Allegedly Not Swallowing Any Food
There's a fun conspiracy theory going around on the internet right now that claims Guy Fieri never actually swallows any of the food he eats on his show.
Structure fire in Irmo leaves business heavily damaged
Irmo Fire District and the Columbia Fire Department responded to a structure fire on Friday.
Here’s an early look at the Steam Frame Welcome Tour after Valve officially announces summer release window
Valve's Steam Frame is arriving this summer alongside the Steam Machine. Users have managed to get an early glimpse of its setup procedure.
‘No known exposures’ after measles detected in Brookings county child, health department says
South Dakota health officials have flagged the state’s ninth case of measles this year, according to the state Health Department.
Boston Celtics insider drops surprising Giannis Antetokounmpo reality check
The Boston Celtics have emerged as a potential wild card in the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade conversation. Following Jaylen Brown’s unusual comments on Twitch after Boston’s postseason exit, some around the league have speculated that he may be open to seeking a situation where he can lead his own team. Antetokounmpo has also been mentioned as [...]
Platner denies an ex-girlfriend's report of alleged abuse
An ex-girlfriend alleges U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner repeatedly grabbed her hard enough to leave marks, pulled her from a cab by the wrist, and, in one incident, twisted her arm behind her back and held her in a room when they dated more than a decade ago.
Mike Leach changed football. That’s only Hall of Fame stat that matters
Finally something to celebrate in offseason of turmoil: Mike Leach is on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot.
Is it possible to die of grief? Science confirms that intense bereavement raises the risk of death
Prolonged sadness after the loss of a loved one nearly doubles the likelihood of death within 10 years, although the risk is higher in the first six months
Charges dismissed against California woman accused of poisoning radiologist
A grand jury previously indicted dermatologist Emily Yu, MD, PhD, in 2023, charging her with four felony counts for allegedly poisoning her former husband with Drano.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50 SUPER is 'back on track', RTX 5060 12GB reportedly planned
NVIDIA RTX 50 SUPER refresh reportedly returns to active plans MEGAsizeGPU says RTX 5070 SUPER and RTX 5080 SUPER specs remain unchanged. According to
Graham Platner to hold Maine rally with Rep. Ro Khanna as scandals shake up campaign
Maine Senate hopeful Graham Platner is hosting his first major campaign event since media reports surfaced that he previously exchanged sexually explicit text messages with several women while he was married
Democrats spar over big tech during debate for coveted congressional district in Manhattan
Democrats competing over a coveted congressional district in Manhattan have slugged it out during a heated debate
Stanley Cup Final Game 1 draws biggest audience since 2019
The NHL’s strong television run continued with Game 1 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final drawing its largest audience in seven years. Game 1 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final between the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes averaged 4.8 million viewers on ABC, the largest audience for a Stanley Cup Final Game 1 since…
Ravens Urged to Trade $36M Star After ‘Personal Matter’
Following a personal matter, the Baltimore Ravens could be motivated to a Rashod Bateman trade before the 2026 season.
Scientists are seriously asking if bees and ChatGPT are conscious
New studies suggest consciousness can't be judged solely by behavior, whether it's a chatbot discussing philosophy or a bee searching for nectar. Researchers are increasingly focusing on the internal mechanisms of brains and computers, concluding that today's AI is likely not conscious while leaving open the possibility for both conscious insects and future machines.
Farmers turn social media videos into revenue stream to support business
Farmers Zoe Kent and Nick Welker explain how they’ve leveraged social media to generate significant income on ‘The Bottom Line.’
New business center to assist underserved entrepreneurs
A new business center opened its doors in downtown Erie in hopes to serve historically disadvantaged businesses and entrepreneurs in the region.
California's slow ballot count makes it a target for critics. It doesn't mean elections are rigged
Days after the state’s primary, California voters are in a familiar position -- waiting to find out which candidates will go on to the general election in their most high-profile races, for governor and Los Angeles mayor.
Eastern Kentucky addiction, behavior health center owner indicted on federal charges in fraud scheme
Timmy G. Robinson Jr. faces one count of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering in a scheme to allegedly defraud two potential buyers of a multi-million dollar Employee Retention Credit offered to certain employers by the Internal Revenue Service, who paid workers qualified wages during and were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Eastern Kentucky addiction, behavior health center owner indicted on federal charges in fraud scheme
Timmy G. Robinson Jr. faces one count of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering in a scheme to allegedly defraud two potential buyers of a multi-million dollar Employee Retention Credit offered to certain employers by the Internal Revenue Service, who paid workers qualified wages during and were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Luxury cars seized amid alleged $30 million fraud ring involving children's health services
Rare type of Lyme disease found for the first time in New York
The bacteria, which can cause more severe symptoms, have only been detected in the upper Midwest.
Swimmers urged to stay out of Lake Nokomis over health risks
The Minneapolis Park Board issued an advisory due to elevated levels of blue-green algae at the lake’s beaches.
AP report: Ex-national security adviser John Bolton will plead guilty in classified information case
The deal would resolve a criminal case filed in October that charged Bolton with 18 counts of either retaining or disseminating classified information, including diary-like notes from his time in government that officials say he shared with his family members as he was preparing a memoir about his time in office.
Music Producer’s Widow’s Drops Royalties Suit vs Amaru Entertainment
The widow of a musician and producer who worked with Tupac Shakur has dropped her lawsuit against a company formed by the late mother of the slain rapper in which the plaintiff alleged she was wrongfully denied royalty payments. Capucine Jackson, the widow of Johnny Lee Jackson, sought compensatory damages in her breach-of-contract action against […]
Producer’s Widow’s Drops Royalties Suit vs Amaru Entertainment
The widow of a musician and producer who worked with Tupac Shakur has dropped her lawsuit against a company formed by the late mother of the slain rapper in which the plaintiff alleged she was wrongfully denied royalty payments. Capucine Jackson, the widow of Johnny Lee Jackson, sought compensatory damages in her breach-of-contract action against […]
Luxury cars seized after alleged $30 million fraud ring involving children's health services busted, officials say
Federal authorities have busted what they say is a $30 million fraud conspiracy involving billing for children's behavioral health services that were never provided, officials announced.
Politics, public safety collide as feds investigate MARTA security
GOP campaigns embrace probe ahead of early voting, while critics argue the White House is using tragedy for political points.
NY state government helped shape American ideals. How we reported it
USA TODAY Network-New York spotlighted the historical links between political leaders in Albany and American rights forged over the past 250 years.
Scientists find an elusive vibration — a Higgs mode
Argonne scientists discovered a Higgs mode — a rare, complex vibration and mathematical analog to the Higgs boson — that changed the symmetry of a semiconductor crystal. The results could help researchers control material properties using light.
How Rachel Carson's Silent Spring changed the world in 1962
Rachel Carson’s look at the dire effects of industrial and agricultural pollution birthed the modern environmental movement when it was first published – and remains as crucial a read today, finds Rowan Hooper
Mexicana Emprende Program helps women grow business acumen
Through thirteen required lessons, participants learn foundational business concepts, including financial management, operations, marketing, and strategic planning.
Minjae and South Korea win World Cup warm-up
The South Korean national team have won their final warm-up ahead of the 2026 World Cup. In the erarly hours of 4 June, at BYU South Field in Provo, Utah, coach Hong Myung-bo’s side edged a 1-0 win ...
ACT Entertainment’s DisplayStations support CMU School of Drama
Pittsburgh-based Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama utilised several MA Lighting grandMA3 consoles for lighting control and DisplayStations for designer stations on its latest production, Stephen Sondheim’s iconic musical Company, staged in the Philip Chosky Theater. The CMU School of Drama produces a dozen or more shows annually, at least one of them a musical,
Shanghai urged to unify incentives as EU firms in China flag rising challenges
European chamber pushes for ‘one Shanghai’ policy as survey reveals cross-border capital flow and market access barriers weigh on operations.
Opinion | Alleged fraud by United Healthcare undermines trust in health system
Insurer accused of making patients appear sicker to inflate payments.
Minister dismisses ‘two-tier justice’ claim in light of Henry Nowak tragedy as ‘slur’ on police
Politicians on the right have politicised Novak’s death and suggested there is a ‘two-tier’ policing system that victimises white people
Lindsay Cross won’t seek re-election to HD 60, expects ‘strong Democratic nominee’ to run in her stead
'I look forward to being more engaged locally year-round and empowering a new generation of leaders who can represent us.'
Chelsea’s former record goalscorer Bobby Tambling dies aged 84
Tambling made his debut for the Stamford Bridge club as a 17-year-old in 1959
The $3 Million Player Who Changed The Spurs Season
The Spurs went 39–11 with Julian Champagnie as a starter.
Woman accused of trying to steal $52K through fraudulent refunds at Northwest Freeway business
April Timberlake was arrested after allegedly attempting to process fraudulent refunds totaling approximately $52,000 at her workplace on the Northwest Freeway, according to Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office.
Orange County business owner supplied Iran with U.S. technology, federal prosecutors say
A Newport Coast man running a business out of Iran was arrested and charged with violating federal law Wednesday after prosecutors say he spent years illegally importing American technology into the country, including to Iran's nuclear establishment, without notifying the U.S. government.
Unsafe food causes 866 million illnesses and 1.5 million deaths annually, young children at highest risk
Children aged less than five years face almost three times the risk of illness from unsafe food than older children and adults, according to new estimates released today by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Health department investigates tuberculosis case at Lloyd Memorial High School
The Northern Kentucky Health Department is investigating a case of active tuberculosis linked to a student at Lloyd Memorial High School, with contact tracing underway for those who had prolonged exposure.
U.S. Congressman tells Endeavor Health to stop retaliating against unionizing nurses
Democratic Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia is calling on Endeavor to reinstate two nurses who were allegedly fired from Evanston Hospital and to respect workers rights to organize.
U.S. Congressman tells Endeavor Health to stop retaliating against unionizing nurses
Democratic Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia is calling on Endeavor to reinstate two nurses who were allegedly fired from Evanston Hospital and to respect workers rights to organize.
Regional health agency issues measles alert for World Cup
As World Cup fever rises in the Americas, countries are urged to strengthen measles surveillance and vaccination amid ongoing outbreaks across the region.
Biggest diesel shock since 2022 deals another blow to farmers
In Illinois, the top US soybean-producing state, farm diesel averaged a record $5.41 a gallon at the start of May, nearly double the price a year earlier.
Trump admin cracks down on Colorado school district that allegedly put up to 61 males on girls' sports teams
The U.S. Department of Education warns Jefferson County Public Schools in Colorado over allegedly placing up to 61 male students on girls' sports teams.
Senators urge quick action to halt college sports decay
Senators and college officials on Wednesday urged swift action on a bipartisan measure that aims to overhaul college athletics system they say hemorrhages money and hinders student-athletes — even as two powerful conferences said they would seek changes. During a much-anticipated Senate Commerce Committee hearing, both the bill’s authors — Chair Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and […]
US economic activity and inflation both up in recent weeks, Fed survey shows
U.S. economic activity increased a bit in recent weeks, employment was little changed, and the fallout from higher energy prices due to the war in the Middle East was pervasive, the Federal Reserve said on Wednesday, two weeks before Kevin Warsh convenes his first policy meeting as head of the U.S. central bank.
Fertitta Entertainment to Acquire Caesars Entertainment, Inc. (CZR): A Top Sin Stock to Buy
Caesars Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ:CZR) is one of the best sin stocks to buy now. On May 15, reports emerged indicating Tillman Fertitta is moving closer to acquiring Caesars Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ:CZR). Several banks have already committed to a multi-billion-dollar debt financing package. Following these reports, on May 28, Caesars Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: CZR) officially announced […]
AHA to celebrate Community Health Improvement Week, June 8-12
The AHA and health care organizations across the country will celebrate Community Health Improvement Week, June 8-12. CHI Week honors those working in partnership to improve the health and well-being of individuals and communities throughout the country. Hospitals and health systems are encouraged to plan in-person or virtual events to highlight and increase awareness of their work. LEARN MORE
Sharks As Climate Scientists?Here’s How They Improve Ocean Forecasts.
A new study shows that data from tagged sharks can improve ocean forecasts by up to 40 percent in some regions, offering a surprising new tool for understanding and predicting climate patterns.
May returns for hedge funds like Millennium and Balyasny
Big-name hedge funds mostly did well in May when equity markets surged.
Dion Dawkins And Wegmans Teach Kids Healthy Eating And Activity!
In partnership with Wegmans, the Buffalo Bills invited St. Lawrence Catholic to the Wegmans Conference Center in Rochester, NY as part of the Play 60 Charged Up By Wegmans Field Trip Grand Prize! The event included an hour of physical activity stations as
Scientists reveal Ötzi the Iceman's dynamic microbial world
Ötzi the Iceman died violently roughly 5,300 years ago in the Alpine region of the modern border between Italy and Austria. An arrowhead was found lodged in his left shoulder, having caused fatal bleeding when he was attacked in mountainous terrain. But, in some sense, Ötzi still lives, as new research shows.
SFA business students gain global edge through immersive study abroad tour of Spain and Portugal
NACOGDOCHES, Texas –– Nearly 50 students from Stephen F. Austin State University’s Nelson Rusche College of Business participated in an intensive, faculty-led study abroad program in Spain and Portugal May 10-21.Led by Dr. Matthew Lindsey, chair of the Department of Management and Marketing, and Dr. Mikhail Kouliavtsev, chair of the Department of Economics and Finance, the experiential learning trip bridged classroom business theory with real-world international operations across the Iberian Peninsula.
The cult of objectivity has broken consciousness science
With 22 competing theories and no consensus in sight, the science of consciousness is lost. In this exclusive IAI interview, Berkeley psychedelics researcher and bestselling author of a new book on consciousness Michael Pollan insists that even though consciousness lies beyond traditional forms of scientific investigation, we should resist becoming dualists who see it as something radically different from ordinary stuff in the world. Instead, he makes the case for reimagining science itself: it must stop reaching for objective descriptions of physical reality, and instead embrace subjectivity as the indispensable core of all inquiry. Alasdair Craig: How did your experiences with psychedelics get you interested in consciousness?Michael Pollan: One of the things that happens on psychedelics is that they foreground consciousness. What formerly seemed perfectly transparent and ever present—and yet, non-existent, as water is to fish—suddenly you see it. The metaphor I use in the book is that psychedelics sponge the windscreen. Suddenly you realize: wow, there’s a windscreen, there is this phenomenon that’s mediating my relationship to reality. This is not an unusual realization on psychedelics. I think a lot of people are called to think about consciousness after psychedelic experiences. So that was the proximate inspiration for A World Appears: A Journey Into Consciousness (2026).And then there was a more specific way in which psychedelics influence the book. That was a particular experience I had on psilocybin. I had the sensation that the plants in my garden were conscious and returning my gaze, with their own point of view and agency, and I got curious as to how to evaluate an insight like that. I mean, what’s the truth quotient of insights you have on psychedelics? And I was reading William James—who, of course, wrote beautifully about mystical experience—and he said, we can’t judge the metaphysics here, but we should pay attention to two criteria: (1) How useful is it to think this is true? He was a pragmatist, of course. And (2) can we subject it to other ways of knowing to validate it? Because maybe we should treat these insights as hypotheses. And that’s kind of how I approach psychedelics, as a great generator of hypotheses, but they need to be tested against other ways of knowing. And so that led me down this long path exploring the science of plant intelligence and plant sentience.AC: I love your phrase, “smudging the windowpane of conscious experience.” So do you now start to think, actually, even when I’m not on psychedelics, I’m just seeing a screen all the time, which is not reality, but rather is my conscious experience, behind which reality is hidden?MP: Well, you know, not when I’m brushing my teeth and making breakfast! But yes, in meditation, certainly. I mean, one of the things you realize is that my experience happens to be this way now, but it could be another way. And many things can affect it. My morning coffee changes the screen in various ways, sharpens certain things.___The only tool we have to understand consciousness is consciousness.___There’s this wonderful metaphor in Aldous Huxley’s book, The Doors of Perception, where he thinks we channel consciousness, and that what the brain does is edit it, and there’s a reducing valve. And psychedelics open the reducing valve wider. I don’t know that I’m ready to buy into the idea that consciousness exists outside brains, but I do love that metaphor because there are times when you are more conscious than others. I know I’ve switched from window pane to valve, but you know, a camera aperture can open wider or narrower. And I do have a sense of that. I have a sense of when I’m being less conscious, and when I’m being more conscious, by which I mean, you know, more present, taking in more sensory information. So when you start thinking about consciousness as a matter of degree, that changes things also.I think when we scroll on social media, obviously, we’re conscious. But minimally so, because we don’t have to generate our own thoughts. We’re basically taking these little hits from other people and thinking their thoughts.The process of writing this book made me kind of relativize everyday consciousness as just one type, which is exactly what William James said. Normal consciousness is one type, separated by the flimsiest of screens from the other types.AC: If we stick with the metaphor of the smudge on the window that you get when you take psychedelics, it seems like we’re saying that consciousness has become like an object that you’re looking at, right? You’re looking at the smudge and that just is consciousness. But sometimes we’ll talk about consciousness as a state that you’re in, rather than an object you can perceive. You’re either conscious or you’re not conscious. So it’s difficult to really know what sort of thing we’re talking about when we talk about consciousness, right?MP: Yeah. When you say that consciousness is an object, what’s the subject? Consciousness also? The only tool we have to understand consciousness is consciousness. So we’re in a closed loop and when we get a perspective on consciousness, we’re not achieving any distance from it. That’s one of the problems with studying consciousness. Science is predicated on an objective, God’s eye view of things, and you never get that. There’s no such thing. SUGGESTED VIEWING The brain filters consciousness With Àlex Gómez-Marín But, yeah, there is this sense, I think, that consciousness is something you can approach. Certainly, when you’re writing and trying to recreate a conscious experience, it’s a fiction, but you’re standing back from it, and looking at it. But there’s no real subject-object distinction.AC: That’s so interesting, because when philosophers start talking about consciousness, they often talk about what they call “qualia”, which is their word for the felt experience of, say, the color red. And I think that way of speaking often makes us think of the qualia as an object, which you can see out there: the redness of red. But, as you say, we also want to collapse the subject-object distinction when we talk about consciousness. So there’s something strange going on here…MP: Oh, yeah, there are many strange things going on! *AC: Let’s talk about the varieties of consciousness. Apart from perceptions, there are, pains, emotions, thoughts, and so on. What is it that holds all this diversity together so that they all count as instances of consciousness? What is it that they all have in common?MP: Yeah, that’s a really good question. I mean, there is sensory information, right? Which we perceive coming from the world outside ourselves. And then there’s internal information, which is what’s called interoception. And this is very important too. This is where feelings come from—what are sometimes called homeostatic feelings—that are intended to get the brain to keep us in these narrow ranges of temperature and glucose and so on. That’s a very important part of consciousness. And according to some researchers, who I think are probably right, this is where consciousness begins, with these very primal feelings, like hunger and thirst and warmth and itch, and things like that. And then there’s this third thing, which is our thinking about thinking.And what holds all this together is, I think, the sense of self. Consciousness generates a self: it is probably an organizing principle. All this stuff is happening to the self. It’s a construct, I think, but it is very useful. It can connect all these different streams of consciousness to a single being or a place, metaphorically speaking.* AC: The first half of your book is about the science of consciousness. Is consciousness just another thing, like black holes or the origin of life, which we don’t yet understand, but which we should have every hope that science will one day get to the bottom of, or is there something special about consciousness that makes this unlikely?MP: It depends how you define science. As we define science now, it’s going be very difficult. Science since Galileo has had a set of rules or assumptions, which is that the proper remit of science is to deal with the objective, quantifiable, third-person world. And the physical sciences have done amazing work under that set of limitations. Galileo—for tactical reasons, not for philosophical reasons—said science should not deal with the soul, which at the time was what consciousness was considered to be. So what is subjective, what is qualitative, what is first person, we’re going to leave to the church, he said. And this was a good agreement, and it probably kept many scientists from getting burned at the stake. But it leaves science in an awkward spot, now that it wants to venture into that territory of qualities, of first-person experience. And I don’t think it has the proper tools. I think it will have to add to its toolkit in some way, and find a way to bring in phenomenology, or lived experience and introspection, which science is usually dismissive of.The challenge—we alluded to it earlier—is that the only tool you have to study consciousness with is consciousness. And what I mean by that is, the whole scientific enterprise is a manifestation of consciousness. As much as scientists like to flatter themselves with this idea that they attain a godlike perspective on what they study, when it comes to consciousness, there’s no such thing. And it’s fine for all the things you can step outside of and study from that perspective. But two areas it won’t work are consciousness and cosmology.___It could be that we live in this anomaly of not believing nature is conscious. And maybe psychedelics are teaching us something we’ve forgotten.___With cosmology, too, you have to study the universe from inside the universe. It’s not that cosmologists haven’t made progress. We know a lot about the age of the universe and expansion and things like that. But we can’t penetrate what happened before the Big Bang. We just don’t have the tools because we can’t stand outside.The fact that there are 22 full-scale theories of consciousness tells you all you need to know: we’re kind of lost. And I was surprised to find that we are more lost than I thought we were when I started this. I thought that there’d be leading theories, or that we had experiments that we could conduct that would nail some of this down. And the fact is, we don’t.So, I don’t know if science can solve it. But, of course, we can change the rules of science. A really influential book for me was a book called The Blind Spot, by two physicists, Marcello Gleiser and Adam Frank, and a philosopher, Evan Thompson. It’s a reminder that science is a social practice. It’s organized in a certain way and it can be organized in a different way. But it has this huge blind spot at the center of it, which is its failure to recognize that it is a form of consciousness itself, and it doesn’t have a good way of taking account of lived experience.AC: On the one hand, I think you want to resist traditional dualism, which would say that consciousness is something magical, something supernatural, right? But on the other hand, you’re accepting that there is this division in reality between the stuff that you can investigate objectively and measure, and so on—the stuff that science has been good at finding out about—and consciousness, which, for some reason, you can’t objectively measure. Some would take this to suggest that the dualism is actually right. Is there a way of reconciling these two strands of your thinking?MP: To call it magical is full of value judgement. I mean, you could just say immaterial. The interesting thing is, I think, that intuitively we’re all dualists. And I don’t know whether that’s because we’re children of Descartes and other cultures are less dualist than we are. Or it may be because that’s how consciousness feels. It feels different than the body. It feels separate from the body. But I don’t think we should trust that intuition.AC: So let’s think about ways that science might be changed to get at consciousness. I suppose the starting point would be the way that you begin the second half of your book. You have this nice line from William James, where he says, “We now begin our study of the mind from within.” Could you give us some sense of the ways of studying the mind from within? What does this involve?MP: I don’t know what that science looks like. But one of the points I’m making is that it depends on the humanities. I found that I learned as much, if not more, about consciousness, from reading novels and poetry. There is a sense of the fullness and complexity of consciousness that you don’t get in any scientific account. I interviewed this stream-of-consciousness writer and I approached her as an expert on consciousness, and she is. So I think that dialogue is really important.I’m reading Ben Lerner’s new novel, Transcription. Just read the first page of this novel: it’s a man falling asleep on a train, going to conduct an interview, and there is the experience of being in the train, facing backwards, there’s the view outside, but there’s a reflection of himself through which he’s seeing outside. There’s the memory of dropping his kids off at school. All this is going on in one moment of consciousness. Scientists aren’t going anywhere near that. But I think it’s useful for them to think about. That’s where we’re trying to go: like, how does such a layered experience happen? You know, it also makes you wonder, could a computer ever do this? And it gives you some doubt.*AC: Before we get to computers, perhaps we could talk briefly about plants. How did you come to feel that they are sentient?MP: Well, it was a psychedelic experience, and it’s not unusual on psychedelics. In fact, there’ve been studies about how people become animists during psychedelic experience. Their belief in animism arises after a single psychedelic experience.You know, most scientists would say this is all a myth. But we have only 400 years of the age of enlightenment and science. Before that, we were animists, and if you go around the world, most indigenous cultures are still animists, and children are animists, by and large, until they go to school. So it could be that we live in this anomaly of not believing nature is conscious. And maybe psychedelics are teaching us something we’ve forgotten.As I said, I wanted to test this idea, and see whether there was conventional scientific evidence for it. And there’s fascinating work going on in a field that calls itself—in a rather cheeky way—plant neurobiology. These are people who fully realize there are no neurons in plants, but they’re trolling conventional botanists! And they’re doing experiments that are demonstrating that plants can learn and remember, which is kind of amazing: how do you store a memory without neurons? They’re finding plants that can solve problems, that can hear and see. In fact, they have 20 senses to our five or six. For example, a bean plant looking for something to twine, and given a pole within eight inches or so of it, knows where that pole is and will aim its spiraling reach at that pole. What is that about? Is it bouncing signals off of it?One of the spookiest things is the fact that the same anesthetics that put us out put plants out. You might think that plants are already out, but they’re not. They’re just slow. If you take a plant with a fast behavior, like a Venus flytrap, and give it an anesthetic, it will stop reacting. So you have to ask yourself, what is lost when the plant is anaesthetized? Some state of alertness, of awareness, of its environment, of reactivity. I’m not prepared to call that consciousness, but maybe it’s sentience—which is a simpler form of consciousness, and involves the ability to sense what’s going on in your environment and assess what’s good and bad for you and act appropriately. That may be a universal quality of life.AC: Let’s turn from plants to AI. You point out that LLMs are trained on the internet rather than direct interactions with reality. You put this really nicely when you say the internet is not the world so much as a shadow cast by the world. So LLMs are living in this kind of shadow world, or in Plato’s cave, as you put it. What’s the significance of this for AI consciousness and moral consideration? And, to recall the beginning of our conversation, if we’re stuck behind a veil or screen of consciousness, are we also stuck in a kind of shadow world?MP: I don’t think they’re the same shadow worlds because our world includes nature and other people. And even if it’s mediated in some ways... There is a reality out there, and we are in relation to it, through consciousness. There’s friction with it. What’s missing from the LLMs is that friction with the real world. There’s more to the world than human representation, which is what they’re dealing with. And that means that so far, AI is a cultural technology for combining thoughts we’ve already had. SUGGESTED VIEWING Cracking the code for thought With Roger Penrose, Sabrina Gonzalez Pasterski, Max Tegmark, Güneş Taylor Genuine creativity is more than collage. A lot of what AI does now is tantamount to collage, putting this with that and you know, that’s part of art, certainly. But there are also genuinely new ideas that come into the world that don’t come in through manipulating the representations we already have. So it remains to be seen whether AIs can be truly creative in that more radical sense.But my arguments against AI becoming conscious have to do with the fact that the idea of AI consciousness is based on this faulty metaphor that the brain is a computer. There are dimensions in which the brain is like a computer—it certainly does its share of computation. But computers have this sharp distinction between hardware and software, and brains don’t. In a brain, hardware and software are identical. Every memory is a physical change to the brain. Brains are not interchangeable in the way computers are. So this idea that you could take the consciousness out and somehow run it on another substrate, a silicon substrate, seems foolhardy.Anyway, it’s a more extended argument, and I may be wrong. And when we move to computers that aren’t based on silicon—neuromorphic computers and things like that—all bets may be off.AC: Regarding your point about LLMs being stuck in the world of our representations—the internet or whatever—and not being able to interact with reality, are these representations, the world of the internet, themselves part of reality? We’ve created the internet, but it’s still a real thing that exists. And so while the LLMs may be trapped within that part of reality, they’re nevertheless within reality and interacting with it and so on. So it’s not obvious that there’s a barrier there to them becoming conscious and being creative.MP: Yeah, I mean, if our consciousness is built out of human culture, which is what we’re talking about with all those representations. But I tend to think consciousness comes a bit more out of nature and friction with the natural world, but...AC: So there’s a fundamental divide between the natural world and human artefacts?MP: And we lose track of that, and especially people in this computer world. You know, the people who are creating these AI systems, my guess is they’ve been into video games since the age of three, and they didn’t go outside a lot. And their own contact with nature is somewhat limited. I could be wrong, it’d be a very interesting thing to ask, all the wizards of AI, whether they like to go fishing and hiking and do things like that. Or were they on computers from a very early age? I interviewed Blake Lemoine, the Google engineer who came to believe that LaMDA, the Google LLM out at the time, was conscious and deserved personhood. It was very clear that he didn’t see a distinction between this bubble in which he lived and the real world. And I think we’ve all been distanced from the natural world, and this is taking us even further away. But it’s still there, you know, and we still have bodies, and we’re still mortal, and we don’t live in a simulation.AC: I think that’s a great place to finish. Michael Pollan, thank you very much!
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