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William Floyd High School Science Students Win Second Consecutive LI Water Quality Challenge
For the second consecutive year, a team of William Floyd High School science students under the direction of Christopher Orlando were selected as winners in the Long Island Regional Planning Council’s (LIRPC) annual Long Island Water Quality Challenge. The team received a $2,500 grant to implement its proposal at the school, and earned WFHS the recognition of being the first school to earn back-to-back victories in the competition!
Xtreme One Entertainment Granted Summary Judgment; Court Orders Williamsburg Venture Holdings to Return 6.6 Million Shares Sold in Alleged Fraudulent Transfer of $XONI Stock
Xtreme One Entertainment, Inc. (OTCQB: XONI) (“Xtreme One”), a diversified media and live-event
Sports quiz of the week: World Cup, Knicks, T20, Giro and Serena Williams
Have you followed the big stories in football, cricket, cycling, tennis, motor sport, basketball and athletics?
Prince William meets recipients of mental health project
The prince is praised for his compassion as he finds out about a wellbeing scheme he co-funded.
Using AI for medical advice; pelvic floor exercises; the hidden dangers of burning incense; plus other stories with Vanderbilt Health sources
Colin Walsh, MD,Associate Professor of Biomedical Informatics, was on WTVF News Channel 5‘s “Morningline” show in an interview about whether or not it is safe to use AI for medical advice. Time magazine reporter Stacey Colino interviewed Elisabeth Sebesta, MD, Assistant Professor of Urology, for a story about pelvic floor exercises for issues including menopause, erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence in men. “Each Breath,” published by the American Lung Association, quoted Brian Christman, MD, Adjunct Professor of Medicine, for a story about the hidden dangers of burning incense. William Schaffner, MD, Professor of Preventive Medicine, was quoted by several news outlets about public health issues, including: Healthline (low vaccination rates lead to more cases of measles, whooping cough and other preventable diseases); ABC News (U.S. measles cases surpass 2,000 for second year in a row); and CIDRAP News (high-dose flu shots cut rates of hospitalization in older adults). Sarah Rohde, MD, Associate Professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, was quoted in a People magazine story on patient Makalii Andrade, a surfer from Kauai Island who suffered a serious neck injury in 2022 and recently underwent surgery at Vanderbilt Health to begin the final phase of his recovery. James Crowe, MD, Director of the Vanderbilt Center for Antibody Therapeutics, for a piece in Nature about antibodies against a strain of Ebola. SFGATE reporter Gillian Mohney interviewed Xue Zhong, PhD, Research Assistant Professor, Division of Genetic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology, for a story about a study of a blood test looking at Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers. Matthew Franklin Mart, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, was quoted in a Healio story about how inflammation and illness severity is linked to less cognitive resilience after a person has been an ICU patient. The “How We Really Feel” podcast host Sula Windgassen, PhD, interviewed Lindsey C. McKernan, PhD, MPH, Associate Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Urology, for an episode focusing on pelvic and bladder health. The podcast is also available on YouTube and the podcast website. In addition, podcaster Monica Sanford interviewed cardiologist Mark Glazer, MD, for her podcast “The Monica Sanford Show”; the two-part interview is here and here.
Serena Williams: Victoria Mboko injury withdrawal ends Queen's Club doubles campaign on return to tennis
Serena Williams is out of the Queens Club doubles tournament after her partner Victoria Mboko suffered a knee injury; Queens confirmed doubles withdrawal on Thursday; watch ATP and WTA Tours live on Sky Sports Tennis, Sky Sports+, NOW and the Sky Sports app
Williams' Queen's run over as injured Mboko withdraws
Serena Williams' doubles campaign at Queen's is curtailed as her playing partner Victoria Mboko withdraws with a left knee injury.
Simu Liu defends Hudson Williams against 'massive hate campaign' after resurfaced photo sparks backlash
Marvel star Simu Liu has spoken out in defense of 'Heated Rivalry' star Hudson Williams amid backlash after an unverified photo of him as a teenager with a swastika drawn on his forehead surfaced online: 'The internet is insane.'
Dillard family’s ‘long game’ approach pays off in retail business
Little Rock-based Dillard's Inc., the operator of 272 department stores in 30 states, began in 1938 when founder William Thomas Dillard borrowed $8,000 from his father to open a small store in Nashville in Howard County.
Jim Irons, Former Landsat Project Scientist, Wins Pecora Award
Landsat’s Jim Irons won the prestigious William T. Pecora Award. Irons, now an emeritus scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, played an integral role in shaping the Landsat program into what it is today.
Serena Williams and the coming reckoning with GLP-1s and performance enhancement
GLP-1s are not prohibited; the way they work means they might never be. Anti-doping authorities are still monitoring how athletes use them.
How sky-high ticket prices, war & politics could impact the World Cup
The biggest World Cup ever starts this week. Laura Williamson, editor in chief of The Athletic, describes how sky-high prices, travel restrictions, politics and the Ebola outbreak are impacting fans. Williamson also discusses President Trump’s UFC event on the White House lawn. Ken Tucker reviews Kacey Musgraves’ album ‘Middle of Nowhere,’ which he says pairs well with the music biography ‘Gary Stewart: I Am From the Honky-Tonks.’
Micah Parsons' Caleb Williams prediction should worry Packers fans
Micah Parsons singled out Caleb Williams when asked who could become the NFL's best player, adding more momentum to the Bears quarterback's rise.
Attorney General Tong Sues North Haven Business Owner
Attorney General William Tong today, on behalf of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), sued Bruno F. Suraci, Jr., his North Haven metal finishing business NikLyn, and related companies for serial violations of Connecticut’s air pollution control regulations.
$2 million gene therapy cures require a financing model
“We do not lack cures. We lack the infrastructure to pay for and deliver them,” writes William Padula.
France's Deschamps Dismisses Saliba Injury Fears, Dembélé Set To Return
France have received a double boost ahead of their final World Cup warm-up fixture against Northern Ireland, with William Saliba's fitness clear and Ousmane Dembélé set for a return.
Three Seahawks defenders named No. 5 defensive trio by Sports Illustrated
Seahawks All-Pro honorees Leonard Williams, Ernest Jones IV and Devon Witherspoon were named the fifth-best defensive trio in the NFL for next season.
Williams Toyota Lift celebrates 80 years
In the latest business roundup, we share news on Williams Toyota Lift, Liberty HealthShare, Timken, Advanced Industrial Roofing and other companies.
Serena Williams Continues Return, Adds Berlin Tennis Open to Schedule
Tennis icon and Los Angeles native Serena Williams has committed to participating in a second tournament after nearly four years away from the sport. Williams announced earlier this week she is competing doubles with Victoria Mboko in the HSBC Championships in London. On Friday, it was announced she would also be playing doubles at the […] The post Serena Williams Continues Return, Adds Berlin Tennis Open to Schedule appeared first on LA Sports Report.
Ramtech VP of Business Development Kelly Williams to Speak on Modular Construction Benefits in Panel Discussion at 2026 InterFace Houston Multifamily Conference
Ramtech Building Systems, Inc., a leading design-build provider of permanent and relocatable modular building solutions, today announced that Vice President of Business Development Kelly Williams will serve as a panelist at the 2026 InterFace Houston Multifamily Conference. The one-day event takes place June 9, 2026, at The Briar Club in Houston, Texas, and will bring together multifamily developers, owners, investors, architects, contractors, and other industry professionals to examine trends s
William H. Macy talks new Hulu show, distillery business and plays some tunes
Legendary actor William H. Macy is in Chicago to promote his new show on Hulu called "The Land," his distillery business venture, and even plays us a few tunes.
What Serena Williams' GLP-1 use means for longevity and performance
Serena Williams is part of a growing cohort of people using peptides like GLP-1 drugs for longevity, recovery, and performance — not just weight loss.
Dmen
The top defenseman available at the 2026 NHL Draft took the stage at the Combine. The San Jose Sharks are in need of their star blueliner of the future. Their core of Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, Michael Misa, William Eklund, and Collin Graf is outstanding, but lacks a top blueliner to pair with Sam Dickinson. […] The post Dmen appeared first on San Jose Hockey Now.
Arsenal becomes latest club to show interest in Porto attacker
Arsenal have joined the race to sign William Gomes from FC Porto following his impressive season, which helped the club secure the Portuguese league title, according to Globo. The Gunners are continui...
Norm Lewis to headline Studio Tenn’s ‘One Night Only’ gala
Middle Tennessee’s premier nonprofit professional theatrer company, Studio Tenn, welcomes the return of its annual fundraising gala, “One Night Only: Summer Starlight Serenade” to Liberty Hall at The Factory at
E-bike safety; lung cancer treatment and prevention; keeping CMA Festival attendees safe; plus other stories with Vanderbilt Health sources
WKRN News 2 interviewed Jeffrey Upperman, MD, FACS, Professor and Chair of the Department of Pediatric Surgery and Surgeon-in-Chief of Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, about e-bike related injuries following the recent death of a Brentwood High student and a proposal to require safety training before students could ride a bike on a school campus in Williamson County. Fabien Maldonado, MD, MSc,Professor of Medicine and Thoracic Surgery, was on WTVF News Channel 5‘s live studio show, “Openline,” with host Ben Hall, to discuss lung cancer, treatment and prevention. WSMV’s “Today In Nashville” program hosted Vanderbilt LifeFlight paramedic/flight nurse practitioner Tony Smith to talk about safety for the CMA Festival. The New York Times reporter Carl Zimmer interviewed James Crowe, MD, Director of the Vanderbilt Center for Antibody Therapeutics, for a story about the race to find vaccines and treatments as Ebola spreads. The Vanderbilt Health News release about the pilot clinical trial conducted by Vanderbilt Health and Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Inc., that confirms the safety of ifetroban and supports the further development of the drug to prevent cancer metastasis, was picked up by Reuters, Stock Titan,and others. Women We Admire has named Lee Ann Liska, President and Chief Operating Officer, to its list of top women leaders of Nashville for 2026. Radiology Business, Aunt Minnie, Bioengineer, and Imaging Technology News covered the study from Consuelo Wilkins, MD, MSCI, the Mildred Thornton Stahlman Professor in Rural Health and professor of Medicine in the Division of Geriatric Medicine, that found Black and Hispanic people, while known to be far more apt to have dementia, are significantly less apt than other racial and ethnic groups to show Alzheimer’s pathology on brain scans. STAT News interviewed Deva Sharma, MD, Transfusion Medicine & Hematology-Oncology, for a story about more patients requesting unvaccinated blood and what it means for the medical system at large. Yahoo! Health reporter Korin Miller interviewed Gitanjali Srivastava, MD, Director of Obesity Medicine, for a story about how semaglutide and tirzepatide compare. William Schaffner, MD, Professor of Preventive Medicine, was quoted by several news outlets about public health issues, including: NBC News (new COVID vaccinations); Medscape (pneumonia and sepsis); and CNN (protection from contagious viruses). Shelbyville Times-Gazette is repurposing Jessica Pasley’s July 2025 Vanderbilt Health News story on tick-borne illnesses as a front-page story.
Caleb Williams' 'Madden NFL 27' cover inspired by Michael Jordan
The Bears quarterback said the pose, skyline and overall concept were designed as a tribute to Chicago's most famous athlete.
Caleb Williams Talks Growth, Chicago Favorites on New Heights Podcast
Our @thechicagosares breaks down Caleb Williams’ appearance on the New Heights podcast, covering his development and Chicago favorites.
49ers' Trent Williams drops blunt, two-word assessment of Myles Garrett trade
San Francisco 49ers tackle Trent Williams had a short and not-so-sweet assessment of the Los Angeles Rams' trade for reigning DPOY Myles Garrett.
EA Sports teases introduction of the tush push in Madden 27
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams will be making his first appearance on the cover of a Madden game with the 2027 and the game will also include the first appearance of a play made famous by another team.
The Science Behind Serena Williams’ Return to Tennis
With Serena Williams set to return to the court at 44, Falk College of Sport exercise scientist Matthew Armstrong explains what the science says about comebacks at any age.
Sporticast: Stephen Curry Takes His Longest-Distance Shot Yet
On the 558th Sporticast episode, hosts Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams discuss some of the biggest sports business stories of the week, including a blockbuster sneaker deal. Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry announced a 10-year agreement with Chinese brand Li-Ning earlier this week. Curry was a sneaker free agent for less than a year, …
William Osula and Yoane Wissa end up in stalemate
An interesting Wednesday for Yoane Wissa and William Osula. The Newcastle United duo meeting up in Liege, Belgium.
Guardians score vs. Yankees. Jose Ramirez powers Cleveland to win
Jose Ramirez continues to thrive at Yankee Stadium and the Guardians guarantee a series win by hitting three home runs to back Gavin Williams.
Guardians' Gavin Williams: Hurt by hard contact in win
Guardians' Gavin Williams: Hurt by hard contact in win
49ers All-Pro Trent Williams considering retirement after season
San Francisco 49ers left tackle Trent Williams told reporters on Wednesday that 2026 could be his last season in the league.
Trent Williams thinks 2027 season will "probably" be his last
Trent Williams signed a two-year, $50 million contract this offseason, with $37 million fully guaranteed.
Caleb Williams strikes jump-throw pose for Madden NFL 27 cover
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams has been announced as EA Sports’ cover athlete for Madden NFL 27. On the standard cover, Williams is depicted in a position similar to his
Patriots star defenders' initial reactions to A.J. Brown joining team
How Patriots safety Kevin Byard and Milton Williams reacted to A.J. Brown being traded to New England.
Former ACC president William Parmley remembered as powerhouse in cardiology
Parmley is most noted for his research on the harmful effects of secondhand smoke, hemodynamics and new therapies for heart failure.
NEWS RELEASE - WNMU Expands Telemental Health Training for Rural New Mexico
For rural and underserved communities in New Mexico, accessing professional counseling services has historically meant long travel and logistical challenges. To address this, Western New Mexico University (WNMU) is working to eliminate these barriers by expanding its telemental health training and services and positioning itself as a leader in modern counseling education. Central to this… Continue reading NEWS RELEASE – WNMU Expands Telemental Health Training for Rural New Mexico
Caleb Williams is EA Sports Madden NFL 27 cover athlete
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is the EA Sports Madden NFL 27 cover athlete.
Inside Caleb Williams' EA SPORTS Madden NFL 27 cover shoot
Bears content presenter Jasmine Baker gives fans an exclusive look at quarterback Caleb Williams' cover shoot for EA SPORTS Madden NFL 27 in Los Angeles.
Madden 27 cover athlete: Why Caleb Williams was chosen by EA Sports for 2026 video game
Here's why Chicago's quarterback will be on video game covers across the country.
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!
Caleb Williams Named EA SPORTS™ Madden NFL 27 Cover Athlete
Williams Is the First Chicago Bears Player To Appear On A Madden NFL Cover Fans Can Expect Full Game Reveal on Thursday, June 4, and Worldwide Launch on Aug. 13 EA SPORTS™ announced today that Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams will grace the cover of EA SPORTS™ Madden NFL 27, making him the first player in Chicago Bears history to do so. Bears quarterback Caleb Williams lands on the cover of EA SPORTS Madden NFL 27. Williams’ record-setting season, playoff victory and NFL Moment of the Year — his walk-off, game-winning 46-yard touchdown pass in overtime against the Green Bay Packers — make him one of the most compelling quarterbacks to watch in 2026. Off the field, he’s known as one of the sport’s most distinctive cultural presences, styling his own gameday looks with unique nail art throughout the season. Williams appears on the Standard Edition cover showcasing his signature jump pass, while the Deluxe Edition cover features his iconic celebration that granted him the
Carolyn Bessette 'urged' JFK Jr. to call Princes William and Harry after Princess Diana's death, new book claims
Carolyn Bessette 'urged' JFK Jr. to call Princes William and Harry after their mother Princess Diana died following a car crash, a new book claims. The Kennedys and the Windsors had both experienced profound loss publicly.
Triggering the 'symphonic biology' of exercise for better health
Physician-scientist R. Sanders Williams of Duke University has worked across academia and industry exploring key questions in exercise medicine. The National Academy of Medicine member will deliver the season’s final Maury Strauss Distinguished Public Lecture at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC on Thursday, June 4.
Ms. Basketball has the latest in entertainment news
Serena Williams is out of retirement, Odell Beckham Jr. is back with the Giants, plus more
WFMS Educator Named STANYS Middle School Science Teacher of the Year
Kyle Maurelli, a biology teacher at William Floyd Middle School, has been selected as the Science Teachers Association of New York State (STANYS) Middle Level Science Teacher of the Year for Suffolk County!
Trump names William Pulte as acting director of national intelligence
Pulte will take over from Tulsi Gabbard who recently announced she plans to resign the role at the end of June.
BestReviews: Outdoor Entertainment Products
Living Local 15 Host Jessica Williams takes a look at some products to help keep the outdoor fun and entertainment going this summer. FENDER X TEUFEL ROCKSTAR 2 GO PORTABLE WATERPROOF BLUETOOTH SPE…
Grading the Myles Garrett, A.J. Brown blockbuster NFL trades; Stanley Cup Final preview
Plus Serena Williams returns and Odell Beckham Jr. is back with Giants
Sporticast: Why is Serena Williams Coming Back to Pro Tennis?
On the 557th Sporticast episode, hosts Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams discuss some of the biggest sports business stories of the week, including Serena Williams’ return to professional tennis. The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion announced Monday that she would play in a doubles event next week with young Canadian Victoria Mboko, her first official …
The Serena Williams comeback is official. How will tennis receive it?
Will the excitement that greeted Williams' 2022 U.S. Open run be matched by the frenzy over her return to play next week in London?
Phoenix Mercury overwhelmed by Minnesota Lynx’s backcourt in Commissioner’s Cup opener
PHOENIX — Defensive breakdowns and an inability to contain the Minnesota Lynx’s backcourt became major factors in the Phoenix Mercury’s 111-77 loss in their Commissioner’s Cup opener. Jun 1, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Mercury forward Noemie Brochant (1) shoots against Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams (10) during the first half at Mortgage Matchup Center.
Serena Williams is returning to pro tennis at age 44 after nearly 4 years away from the sport
Serena Williams is returning to professional tennis at age 44 after nearly four years away from the sport. The WTA Tour announces that the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion has accepted a wild card invitation to play doubles at the upcoming Queen’s Club grass-court tournament. The Queen’s Club ...
Serena Williams is returning to pro tennis at age 44 after nearly 4 years away from the sport
Serena Williams is returning to professional tennis at age 44 after nearly four years away from the sport.
Serena Williams is returning to pro tennis at age 44 after nearly 4 years away from the sport
Serena Williams is returning to professional tennis at age 44 after nearly four years away from the sport.
Serena Williams Confirms Tennis Comeback With Doubles Wild Card
The 23-time Grand Slam winner will play at the Queen's Club Championship.
Serena Williams Announces Return to Tennis: Everything We Know
The 44-year-old broke the internet with her announcement.
Serena Williams returns: Legendary tennis star will make comeback playing doubles at HSBC Championships
Serena Williams hasn't played professional tennis since 2022.
Williamson to miss World Cup qualifier against Spain
England captain Leah Williamson is ruled out of the Women's World Cup qualifying matches against Spain and Ukraine.
Arsenal and France defender William Saliba could miss World Cup
Wiliam Saliba (25) played all 120 minutes of Saturday’s UEFA Champions League final as Arsenal lost to reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain on penalties. However, Foot Mercato understands that t...
Wisconsin named favorite to flip four-star Florida State safety
The Wisconsin Badgers have been named the favorite to flip four-star safety Mekhi Williams from Florida State.
Would the Thunder Trade Jalen Williams? 3 Teams to Watch
Jalen Williams is an important player to the OKC Thunder, but could his new contract force the former champs to move him?
NH Liquor Commission launches commemorative bottle benefitting American Revolution 250th anniversary
The New Hampshire Liquor Commission recently released a ceramic bottle commemorating the historic 1774 raid on Fort William & Mary.
HS Sports Scoreboard
Cascades Humane Society 'Paws In The Park', 5-30-2026. Photos by Maddie Vieau, JTV. Cascades Humane Society 'Paws In The Park', 5-30-2026. Photos by Maddie Vieau, JTV. Latest GalleriesBaseball D3 District Final Grass Lake vs Lumen Christi, 5-30-26 | Photo GalleryGus Macker Jackson Slam Dunk Contest 5-30-2026 | Photo GalleryBaseball D2 District Semifinal Williamston vs Western, 5-30-26…
A Look Back: How the art of auctioneering has evolved from estate sales to online marketplaces
Discover the story behind the legendary 'Auction of the Century' in 1971, as auctioneer William A. Smith made his mark in the world of high-end antiques.
Armstrong Williams: How Trump changed campaigning, media and the politics of trust
Opinion: Donald Trump’s most enduring legacy may be in how he transformed campaign and political communication, writes Armstrong Williams.
Watch Remembering the Life and Work of Jonathan Clements: Masters in Business
Barry sits down with Jason Zweig and William Bernstein. They discuss "Money and Me" the last book of author and journalist Jonathan Clements. Jason and William also examine Clements's approach to personal finance and impact to financial journalism.
Two NASA Scientists Receive USGS, NASA 2025 William T. Pecora Award
Award: The William T. Pecora Award recognizes outstanding scientific contributions toward a better understanding of Earth through satellite or aerial remote
My unsung hero of science: William Adams, the Bombay bureaucrat whose vision of a solar future was dashed by colonial conservatism
William Adams was convinced that solar energy could change the world. The problem was, he needed more sun to demonstrate it.
Ward and Smith’s Co-Managing Directors Named to Business North Carolina’s 2026 Power List
Ward and Smith is proud to announce that Co-Managing Directors Brad Evans and Devon Williams have been named to Business North Carolina’s 2026 Power List,
Jalen Williams played in Thunder's Game 6 loss to Spurs, but did not start and scored 1 point
IAM Activists Build Political Power at Weeklong Training Seminar
IAM Union political activists from across North America gathered this week at the William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center for the IAM Political Education Seminar, a weeklong training focused on strengthening political action, legislative advocacy, member mobilization and worker power. Throughout the week, participants received hands-on training on lobbying elected officials, organizing political campaigns,
Biden's ghostwriter tapes lawsuit all about 'politics': Juan Williams
Fox News senior political analyst Juan Williams discusses why former President Joe Biden is suing the Justice Department to block the release of audio recordings on 'Special Report.'
Patriots' Kyle Williams reacts to Mike Vrabel's grueling OTAs practice
Patriots wide receiver Kyle Williams claimed Day 2 of OTAs felt like training camp.
Scientists forecast milder Chesapeake Bay dead zone in 2026
Scientists at William & Mary's Batten School & VIMS, FlowWest and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science recently announced that the Chesapeake Bay's annual "dead zone" is expected ...
How a health clinic in South Africa is navigating Trump's cuts to HIV funding
Community health programs in South Africa have been heavily impacted by U.S. cuts to global aid. Which means there are fewer community and health workers to support low-income people with HIV and AIDS.We recently visited one of those programs, called We Care, to learn more about the experiences of the few employees who still remain.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This story was supported by the Pulitzer Center.This episode was produced by Matt Ozug, Karen Zamora and Elena Burnett, with audio engineering by Peter Ellena.It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon and William Troop.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.
Milton Williams' blunt take on A.J. Brown possibly joining Patriots
Patriots defensive tackle Milton Williams thinks adding star wide receiver A.J. Brown would "definitely help" the team.
Chelsea State Bank Grows Business Lending Services
Airdate: May 21st, 2026 Baseball D2 Districts Northwest vs Western, 5-26-26 | Photo GalleryMay 26, 2026Softball D2 Districts Williamston vs Western, 5-26-26 | Photo GalleryMay 26, 20262026 Selby Track & Field Classic ResultsMay 26, 2026End of Year Report with Napoleon Superintendent Pat DillonMay 26, 2026Chelsea State Bank Grows Business Lending ServicesMay 26, 2026Walton Insurance Group…
84-year-old’s tuxedo business, passions keep him busy
“My life has been a series of accidents,” is Tom Ryersbach’s description of how he arrived in Williamsport and stayed, but listening to the interesting turns his life has taken, it seems they are more like opportunities and not accidents. Ryersbach, who will turn 85 in November, has owned and operated Levinson’s Tuxedos at the […]
Jalen Williams remains out for Game 5 of Thunder-Spurs
Williams previously missed Games 3 and 4 and most of Game 2 with his hamstring injury.
Sporticast: What’s Up With the French Open Fashion Friction?
On the 555th Sporticast episode, hosts Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams discuss some of the biggest sports business stories of the week, including some simmering tension between tennis’ biggest tournaments and fashion brands like Gucci and Louis Vuitton. Tennis players have long been attractive endorsers for luxury brands—the sport’s clientele, locations and vibes all align—and …
Williams to leave Liverpool this summer
Defender Rhys Williams will leave Liverpool when his contract expires at the end of June. The centre-half was part of Liverpool's FA Youth Cup-winning squad in 2019 and made his debut under Jurgen Klopp the following year. As injuries struck in defence, he played in 19 matches during the 2020-21 campaign to help the Reds clinch Champions League qualification with a third-placed finish in the Premier League.
Chicago Bears know Caleb Williams’ next step in quarterback growth
The NFL offseason will soon transition into mandatory minicamps, with training camps set to follow in July. Teams have stayed busy throughout free agency and the NFL Draft, while OTAs have allowed clubs like the Chicago Bears to evaluate the…
Patriotic Celebrations, Drone Show Among Busch Gardens Summer Offerings
WILLIAMSBURG — Busch Gardens Williamsburg has announced its summer lineup of shows, concerts and seasonal events, including returning festivals and new entertainment offerings. The park’s Food & Wine Festival continues through June 21, featuring international cuisine and live music on select dates, with summer entertainment running alongside seasonal offerings. The summer concert season at Busch […]
‘Grantchester’ final season to Williamsburg Regional Library
WILLIAMSBURG — Fans of British television and PBS Masterpiece will have a chance to see the premiere episode of the final season of Grantchester ahead of its broadcast during a free community screening next month. WHRO Public Media is hosting a screening premiere event Tuesday, June 2, at the Williamsburg Regional Library with two viewing […]
Patriots facing Kyle Williams risk with signing, possible trade
New England has been making some WR depth chart moves.
Nobody told him the world was gonna meme Shrek
The writer and illustrator William Steig lived several lives before his book about a surly ogre became a Hollywood hit.
William Muck: What presidential libraries reveal about American politics today
Presidential libraries show us that the standards by which we judge political leadership are always shifting.
Steve Sarkisian Shares Significant Health Update For Jonah Williams
Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian gave a timeline and injury update on two-way star Jonah Williams
Where would you rank Caleb Williams’ supporting cast?
How much of an improvement do you expect the Bears offense to make in 2026?