Author Michael Pollan joins Preet to discuss his new book, A World Appears: A Journey Into Consciousness, the “problem” of studying consciousness, psychedelics in therapy, and whether plants are sentient. They also break down whether artificial intelligence can be conscious and why we shouldn’t want it to be.
Then, Preet answers listener questions on possible insider trading ahead of Trump’s Iran announcements. Also, a surprising influence on Brandi Carlile’s songwriting. Spoiler Alert: it’s Thomas Jefferson.
In the bonus for Insiders, Preet and Pollan discuss why you can’t have life without death. Plus, whether it’s possible to control our own thoughts.
Join the Insider community for access to bonus content from Stay Tuned and weekly episodes of the Insider podcast hosted by Preet and Joyce Vance. Head to cafe.com/insider to sign up. Thank you for supporting our work.
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REFERENCES & SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS:
- Michael Pollan, “A World Appears: A Journey Into Consciousness,” Penguin Press, 2/24/26
