Understanding Consciousness Is More Important Than Ever | Michael Pollan

I must say that this almost feels like you are gaslighting me with accusations of me engaging in "reflexive gainsaying".

Not a fan, especially when I have not done what you have even accused me of. You won't even give a good explanation, either.

I am frankly confused and disappointed. I thought you cared about intellectual debate...

What is consciousness? It's one of science's greatest unsolved questions, and one that Michael Pollan has spent years trying to answer it. Here, Pollan unpacks why the brain is not a computer, why AI cannot truly be conscious despite what Silicon Valley believes, and why our inner lives are under a very real threat from the algorithms built to exploit them.

Along the way he tackles the hard problem of consciousness, the 22 competing theories science is still arguing about, why the dream of mind uploading is built on a fundamental misunderstanding of what it means to be human, and what you can actually do to protect your own mind.