Michael Pollan Returns (on consciousness)
4/1/20262 hr 10 min
Michael Pollan (A World Appears: A Journey Into Consciousness) is a science and environmental journalist. Michael returns to the Armchair Expert to discuss why choosing surrender is liberating in both psychedelics and life, what the “hard problem” of consciousness is and how we get to it, and how sentience serves homeostasis in living beings. Michael and Dax talk about asking what the world would be like without consciousness, the remarkable fact that plants can see, hear, and fight, and experimental evidence via the ginger test that disgust originates in the gut. Michael explains the qualitative redness of red, that there’s so much more going on in consciousness besides computation, and what strange places to visit our minds are.
Take printer ink off your to-do list with HP Smart Tank | hp.com/SmartTank
Check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds: https://www.allstate.com/
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Clips
Showing 10 of 12Transcript preview
First 90 secondsDax Shepard· Host0:00
Welcome, welcome, welcome to Armchair Expert, Expertson Expert. I'm Dan Shepherd, and I'm joined by Miniature Mouse.
Monica Padman· Host0:06
Hi.
Dax Shepard· Host0:06
Tweet, tweet. Returning guest, but first time in person. I think it was a Zoomy.
Monica Padman· Host0:11
He was Zoomy, yeah.
Dax Shepard· Host0:12
It was, he had the Zoomies.
Monica Padman· Host0:13
He...
Dax Shepard· Host0:14
[laughs] Um, but he's here in person. He's wearing a very cute sweater, and it was very fun to have him in 3D. Michael Pollan, an award-winning author and journalist. How to Change Your Mind, a movement.
Monica Padman· Host0:27
Mm.
Dax Shepard· Host0:27
A sociological phenomena.
Monica Padman· Host0:29
Yeah, changed people's minds.
Dax Shepard· Host0:31
That's right. This Is Your Mind on Plants, I think that's what we spoke to him about. The Omnivore's Dilemma, another big huge hit. In Defense of Food, and his new book, which is the trippiest by far, I enjoyed the hell out of it, A World Appears: A Journey into Consciousness. Please enjoy Michael Pollan. We are supported by Helix. So a little while back, Helix sent Monica and me mattresses. Neither of us really knew what to expect, but I have to say, it's been a few months now, and I genuinely notice a difference. What I'm noticing is I run so much cooler on it.
Monica Padman· Host1:08
Mm-hmm. I agree. And just the sleep quality is nice. Like, when you wake up, you feel like you really are refreshed.
Dax Shepard· Host1:15
Yes. 'Cause otherwise, I wake up so sweaty. I'm taking blankets off, and then I get cold, and then I'm putting them back on.
Monica Padman· Host1:20
Yeah.
Dax Shepard· Host1:20
It's a nightmare.
Monica Padman· Host1:21
And then you're getting no sleep.
Dax Shepard· Host1:22
Here's the thing about Helix. They match you to a mattress based on how you sleep. Side sleeper, back sleeper, you run hot, whatever it is, there's a mattress