While researching a previous book, a mushroom trip in Michael Pollan’s garden left him curious about the boundaries of consciousness. His latest project A World Appears explores the mystery of human consciousness through scientific, philosophical and psychedelic frameworks. In today’s episode, Pollan talks with Here & Now’s Indira Lakshmanan about the sentience of plants and animals vs. our own. They also discuss “lantern” vs. “spotlight” consciousness, AI and why Pollan sees the computer as a faulty metaphor for the human brain.
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The BBC hears from Iranian residents about life under bombardment, as the US says its military campaign is a "resounding success" - and ahead of schedule. Tehran accuses its enemies of targeting civilians. We also hear from one of the world's biggest shipping companies about how it's unwilling to risk its employees and vessels by sailing through the Strait of Hormuz. In other news, passenger trains are set to resume between China and North Korea. And why some people think it's important to distinguish between books written by humans and AI.
The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight.
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In Outlaw Podcast's first feature on ICHH, Olive talks with people detained and prosecuted for responding to ICE in Minneapolis during Operation Metro Surge. Clem and Ray describe being dragged from their car and taken into ICE detention, and Isavela Lopez and Lucy talk about catching charges and navigating ongoing cases. These conversations offer concrete insight into how federal agencies are responding to anti-ICE activity in the Twin Cities, and the impact that has on people's lives.
To learn more about how the law is used to crush dissent, check out the other episodes of Outlaw, an anti-repression podcast. Follow https://www.instagram.com/outlaw.pod/ on Instagram & @outlawpod.bsky.social Bluesky, & Substack https://outlawpodcast.substack.com/subscribe Get in touch: outlawpod@proton.me
In this episode, Rivers and Carter are hanging out at Disgraceland Studios with comedian and professional wrestling commentator Erik Barnes! Things kick off with a discussion about some peculiar personalities Rivers recently discovered on Instagram and Carter's awkward experiences dining at restaurants with "Daddy" in their name. Then, they chug an energy drink called "Gorilla Mind" made by the steroid enthusiast who brought down the "Liver King". Rivers shares the story of Edgar Laplante, the conman who spent the Jazz Age posing as "Chief White Elk," a decorated Indigenous war hero who was actually just a two-bit white criminal from Rhode Island. Zac Brown Band's "Toes" is our JAM OF THE WEEK! Tune in now, folks. Follow Erik on social media @ErikWBarnes Follow the show on social media @TheGoodsPod. Rivers is @RiversLangley Sam is @SlamHarter Carter is @Carter_Glascock Subscribe on Patreon for the UNCUT video version of this episode as well as TONS of bonus content! http://patreon.com/TheGoodsPod Pick up a Goods from the Woods t-shirt here: http://prowrestlingtees.com/TheGoodsPod
We discuss the breathless article in Jeff Bezo’s Washington Post about how Claude’s integration into the Palantir Maven Smart System has been used for rapid target generation and prioritization for missile strikes in Iran. Then we go deeper into the fraying relationship between the Gulf states and the tech industry and the highly concentrated forms of financial investment and physical infrastructure in the UAE and Saudi Arabia that are load-bearing pillars of the global economy. Pillars that are now, very surprisingly for folks living in the Dubai Geopolitics Slow Zone, suddenly at risk from the consequences of geopolitics.
••• TMK live show in San Francisco, 7pm on Thursday, March 19th, with our friends at Bay Area Current and DSA SF. Join us! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/decoding-the-tech-vibe-shift-a-night-of-left-wing-tech-criticism-tickets-1984745130112
••• Anthropic’s AI tool Claude central to U.S. campaign in Iran, amid a bitter feud https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2026/03/04/anthropic-ai-iran-campaign/
••• The Trillions of Dollars of U.S. Investment at Stake in the Gulf https://www.wsj.com/business/the-trillions-of-dollars-of-u-s-investment-at-stake-in-the-gulf-f66f7883
••• The Iran war is a jolt to Dubai’s business model https://www.economist.com/business/2026/03/03/the-iran-war-is-a-jolt-to-dubais-business-model
••• Big Tech’s Uncertain Future in the Persian Gulf https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/07/business/dealbook/iran-gulf-tech-investments.html
Standing Plugs:
••• Order Jathan’s book: https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520398078/the-mechanic-and-the-luddite
••• Subscribe to Ed’s substack: https://substack.com/@thetechbubble
••• Subscribe to TMK on patreon for premium episodes: https://www.patreon.com/thismachinekills
Hosted by Jathan Sadowski (bsky.app/profile/jathansadowski.com) and Edward Ongweso Jr. (www.x.com/bigblackjacobin). Production / Music by Jereme Brown (bsky.app/profile/jebr.bsky.social)
Folks, we are doing a TMK live show in San Francisco! Come join Jathan and Ed, along with our friends, Wendy Liu and Jimmy Wu, for a fun night of left-wing tech criticism as we decode the tech vibe shift. Thanks to Bay Area Current and DSA SF for sponsoring the event.
Entry is free, and they'll be drinks available with suggested cash donation.
••• Thursday, March 19th at 7:00pm
••• First Unitarian Universalist, Starr King Room
••• 1187 Franklin St, San Francisco
Registration is recommended but not required: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/decoding-the-tech-vibe-shift-a-night-of-left-wing-tech-criticism-tickets-1984745130112
Iran and the White House both denied that the US navy had escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz, contradicting an earlier claim made on X by America’s energy secretary, Chris Wright.
The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran showed no sign of slowing on Tuesday, with both sides trading strikes and vowing to keep up the attacks. U.S. officials said the campaign has destroyed most of Iran's ability to produce nuclear fuel, and President Trump said forces also struck sea mine targets tied to Iranian threats in the Strait of Hormuz. Stephanie Sy reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy