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iOS 27 makes it easier to switch between Apple Pay cards
iOS 27 redesigns the Apple Pay checkout experience with easier card switching, a new card picker, and more payment details at a glance.
Bandai Namco hosting big Nintendo Switch 2 and Switch sale with lowest prices ever for Tales of Berseria and Xillia Remastered, Once Upon a Katamari, more
A huge Bandai Namco sale started up on the eShop this week with tons of big discounts for games like Tales of Berseria and Xillia Remastered, Once Upon a Katamari, and more. Many games are at new low prices. Most of these titles are for Nintendo Switch, but can also be played on Switch 2 through backwards compatibility. The full list...
Rating the June 2026 Nintendo Direct, plus which games were missing
We go over all of the Switch and Switch 2 announcements from the June 2026 Nintendo Direct and rate the whole presentation out of 5 stars.
High School bowler serving up strikes after health scare forced her to switch sports
Zelda: Ocarina of Time Nintendo Switch 2 remake was one of the most popular titles of Summer Game Fest 2026, according to data
Top 10 most popular games of Summer Games Fest revealed, with Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake placing high.
Record AirPods Price Drops and a Rare Switch 2 Sale: This Week's Top Tech Deals
Multiple AirPods models hit record low prices this week, including the AirPods Pro 3 and AirPods Max 2. We're tracking these great discounts alongside an ultra rare discount on a new Switch 2 on Woot, plus a Summer sale at Sonos. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Side-scrolling beat ’em up game The Walking Dead: Streets of Survival announced for PS5, Xbox Series, Switch 2, Switch, and PC
New publisher Trailmark Games and The Karate Kid: Street Rumble developer Odaclick Game Studio have announced The Walking Dead: Streets of Survival, a side-scrolling beat ’em game set in the …
Video: Xenoblade Chronicles Compared Across Wii, 3DS, Switch, And Switch 2
It's Reyn time, again
Ancient DNA shared with Neanderthals may explain human language
A tiny set of ancient genetic “switches” may have played a surprisingly large role in making human language possible. Researchers found that these DNA regions, which act like volume controls for genes involved in brain development, have an outsized influence on language ability despite making up less than 0.1% of the genome.
Star Fox designer "choked up" by graphics in new Nintendo Switch 2 remake
Ever since it was announced, Star Fox has been drawing plenty of attention thanks to its unusually realistic visuals – a style not often associated with Nintendo titles. The impressive presentation has already left many fans eager to see more of the game ahead of its June 25 launch on Nintendo Switch 2. As of this week, players have been...
For some fans, the Ocarina of Time remake fulfills a Zelda fantasy Nintendo killed 15 years ago
Nintendo fans still fondly recall a 2011 tech demo that teased an ultimate Zelda game that never happened.
Mets Announce Another Roster Move Before Cardinals Game
The Mets are making another switch to their bullpen ahead of Thursday's game.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero and The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure for PS5, Switch 2 launch September 10
The PlayStation 5 and Switch 2 versions of Falcom-developed story RPGs The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero and The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure will launch on September 10, publisher NIS Am…
Square Enix Releases Final Fantasy XIV Online Switch 2 Gameplay Trailer
Early access begins this August
Video: Kingdom Hearts 3 Nintendo Switch 2 vs. PS5 vs. Steam Deck graphics comparison
Watch a brand new Kingdom Hearts 3 graphics comparison video for the Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, and Steam Deck versions.
Final Fantasy 14 receives first Nintendo Switch 2 gameplay trailer
We now have a good look at Final Fantasy 14 on Nintendo Switch 2 with a proper gameplay trailer. Square Enix announced a port of the game at the end of April during the Fan Festival. However, we didn’t really get a look at the Nintendo Switch 2 version at all. A few seconds of footage did appear during yesterday’...
Digimon Story: Time Stranger releases demo for Nintendo Switch 2, Switch
Digimon Story: Time Stranger will be on Nintendo Switch 2 and Switch next month, and to prepare fans for the launch, Bandai Namco just put out a demo. It can be downloaded via the Nintendo eShop pages now worldwide. The first part of the demo offers the opening of the main game in its entirety. This lets players experience exploration,...
Switch 2 Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake has some fans regretting what they wished for
Has Nintendo "hired this man" for an Unreal Engine 5 reimagining?
Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna - The Golden Country Free Switch 2 Upgrade Confirmed
Returning next month
Kingdom Hearts Switch Cloud Versions Discontinued From Sale
They will remain playable until June 2027
Kingdom Hearts Cloud Versions Shut Down Today, And You'll Have To Buy New Versions To Keep Playing
Square Enix is offering discounts for the new Switch 2 ports for anyone who purchased the Kingdom Come cloud versions on Switch.
A majority of voters who changed their political party switched to Republican
Twelve of 23 counties shared data on voter party registration after this year's deadline.
Minecraft coming Nintendo Switch 2
We’re excited to announce that a native version of Minecraft is coming for Nintendo SwitchTM 2! This version of Minecraft is optimized to take advantage of the console’s more powerful hardware – and what’s exciting is it also allows us to bring Vibrant Visuals to the Switch 2.
Switch 2 is accidentally getting the best looking Final Fantasy game
Final Fantasy Resonance goes full Octopath Traveler in a new Switch game that's excitingly being compared to Brave Exvius
Developer behind Star Fox on Nintendo Switch 2 has been revealed, and it's surprising
The developer behind Star Fox on Nintendo Switch 2 has now been revealed, and it’s probably what most hadn’t been expected. This is not an internal Nintendo team or even another studio that was previously thrown around. Instead, it’s being handled by Velan. Who is Velan, you ask? Well, the company actually teamed up previously with Nintendo on Mario Kart...
Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave boxart, screenshots
Following today’s Nintendo Direct, the official boxart has come in for Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave. We also have a new set of screenshots. Here’s an overview of the game: The Heroic Games are about to begin! A brand-new entry in the Fire Emblem series is coming to the Nintendo Switch 2 system. Discover an intertwining story of strength and steel...
Nintendo Direct Unveils New Games and Updates for Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch Including The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, KINGDOM HEARTS IV, Xenoblade Genesis and More
The latest Nintendo Direct put the spotlight on anticipated games and updated titles coming to the Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch systems – as well as...
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is getting a remake for the Switch 2
Big news from Tuesday’s Nintendo Direct.
Kingdom Hearts IV confirmed for PS5, Xbox Series, Switch 2, and PC
Kingdom Hearts IV will be available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Switch 2, and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and Microsoft Store when it launches, Square Enix announced.
Kingdom Hearts Collection [I ~ III] announced for PS5, Xbox Series, and Switch 2
Square Enix has announced Kingdom Hearts Collection [I ~ III] for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and Switch 2. It will include Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX, Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Pr…
Nintendo Confirms Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave Switch 2 Release Date
Nintendo has shown off more of the upcoming Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave, and finally given the game a release date.
Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave gets Nintendo Switch 2 release date, Dagdan Collection revealed
After it was announced close to a year ago, Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave received its release date on Nintendo Switch 2 today. The game will be available on September 17, 2026. A special edition has also been revealed, pictured above. We originally found out about Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave during a Nintendo Direct last September. Nintendo only committed to a...
Kingdom Hearts IV Gameplay Trailer Revealed, Will Launch Simultaneously On Consoles And PC
Yes, Kingdom Hearts IV will launch on Nintendo Switch 2.
The Nintendo Switch 2 Remake Of The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time Drops In 2026
The long rumored re-remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is officially finally happening.
Sea of Stars now available for Switch 2 alongside ‘Sunset Edition’ update
Sabotage Studio has released a Switch 2 version of turn-based RPG Sea of Stars alongside one final content update, dubbed “Sunset Edition.” The PC version is also now available via GOG.
Nintendo hit with €35 million fine over Switch Joy-Con drift
Following a French investigation the Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF), Nintendo will be forced to pay €35 million over Switch Joy-Con drift. This all started following a complaint from UFC-Que Choisir in September 2020. The National Investigation Service (SNE) of the DGCCRF determined that Nintendo of Europe had committed a misleading commercial practice from 2018...
Nintendo Switch 2 and Switch NES, SNES, and Game Boy games reportedly getting challenges
NES, SNES, and Game Boy apps for Nintendo Switch 2 and Switch get major version updates, and challenges have apparently been leaked.
Round Up: Every Switch 1 & 2 Announcement From Summer Game Fest's Weekend Showcases
Stacked showcases
Castlevania: Belmont's Curse Gets A Release Date, But Not On Switch
You 'aving a Dracu-laugh?
Valheim receives Nintendo Switch 2 release date, new trailer
Valheim now has its release date on Nintendo Switch 2. Today, it was announced that the title arrives on September 9, 2026. You may recall that Valheim was confirmed for Nintendo Switch 2 during a Nintendo Direct. When Valheim comes to Nintendo Switch 2, this will be a part of the game’s proper 1.0 launch. A slew of details can...
Sea of Stars gets a Nintendo Switch 2 version
Sea of Stars is receiving a dedicated Nintendo Switch 2 version. That’s according to a listing on the Japanese Nintendo eShop. It’s already live on the store with other regions to follow – likely tomorrow. Sea of Stars previously launched on Nintendo Switch. Note that the new release is not a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, so save data will not...
Valheim launches September 9
Viking survival game Valheim will leave Early Access and launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Switch 2, Xbox One, and PC via Steam and Microsoft Store on September 9, Coffee Stain Publishing and …
Thief: The Dark Project Remastered announced for PS5, Xbox Series, Switch 2, PS4, Switch, and PC
Publisher atari and developers Nightdive Studios and Eidos Montreal have announced Thief: The Dark Project Remastered, a modern revival of the 1998 classic from Looking Glass Studios. It will launc…
Castlevania: Belmont's Curse won't be on Nintendo Switch at launch
Konami and Evil Empire just set the release date for Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse today, but those interested in the Nintendo Switch version will need to wait a bit longer for the game. On most platforms, the title is coming on October 15, 2026. However, in the most recent trailer posted on Bilibili, Konami confirms that the Nintendo Switch version is...
Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse launches October 15 for PS5, Xbox Series, and PC, later in 2026 for Switch
Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam and Microsoft Store on October 15, followed by Switch later in 2026, publisher Konami and developers …
Crazy Taxi: World Tour announced for PS5, Xbox Series, Switch 2, and PC
After an initial tease in December 2023, SEGA has announced Crazy Taxi: World Tour for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Switch 2, and PC (Steam, Microsoft Store). It will launch in 2027.
Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember announced for PS5, Xbox Series, Switch 2, and PC
Publisher Koei Tecmo and developer Team NINJA have announced action RPG sequel Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Switch 2, and PC (Steam, Microsoft Store). It will launch in…
Nintendo Switch Owners Can Now Play Their Classic Wii And GameCube Games - Here's How
Classic GameCube and Wii games are now available on the Nintendo Switch. Find out how to easily access the games on your console for free or by subscription.
Vampire Survivors getting a Nintendo Switch 2 version
A new Nintendo Switch 2 version of Vampire Survivors is in development, according to Poncle. The game is already on the original Nintendo Switch where it’s had a ton of success. It’s also playable on Nintendo Switch 2 via backwards compatibility. However, now the console is getting its own dedicated version. According to Poncle, Vampire Survivors will have better performance...
Vampire Survivors Announces Switch 2 Version, New DLC And Name Update
Celebrating a "new chapter"
Bloober Team announces psychological thriller Star Trek: Shadow Frontier for PS5, Xbox Series, Switch 2, and PC
Publisher Paramount Games Studio and developer Bloober Team have announced Star Trek: Shadow Frontier, a science-fiction psychological thriller. It will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Switc…
Monster Hunter Wilds confirmed for Nintendo Switch 2
Monster Hunter Wilds is coming to Nintendo Switch 2.
Arizona Sunshine announced for Nintendo Switch 2
Today, Vertigo Games announced that it’s working on Arizona Sunshine for Nintendo Switch 2. Launch timing will be provided at a later date. Arizona Sunshine is a third-person zombie apocalypse shooter. Online play and multiplayer splitscreen modes will both be supported. Further details can be found in the following overview: Sharpen your machete, reload your shotgun, and bring your friends....
Arizona Sunshine third-person shooter remake announced for PS5, Xbox Series, Switch 2, and PC
Vertigo Games has announced Arizona Sunshine, a fully flat-screen third-person shooter remake of the virtual reality game of the same name (now titled Arizona Sunshine VR). It will launch for PlayS…
One Of 2025's Best Games Is Getting A 'Nintendo Switch 2 Edition' This Month
Wake up, Sleeper
Nintendo Switch 2 - Year One: The Digital Foundry Verdict
A true generational leap - and the best is yet to come.
Citizen Sleeper and Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector coming to Switch 2 on June 25
Publisher Fellow Traveller and developer Jump Over the Age will release Switch 2 versions of narrative RPGs Citizen Sleeper and Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector on June 25, the companies announce…
Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee Remastered leaks for Nintendo Switch 2
Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee Remastered is coming to Nintendo Switch 2, a leak has revealed. The information comes from billbil-kun, who manages to get early information from retailers. It’s reported that the game is heading to Nintendo Switch 2 on November 3, 2026 courtesy of Atari and Pipeworks. Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee previously hit the GameCube in 2002...
007 First Light "Year One" Roadmap Revealed, Reconfirms Switch 2 Release Window
And IOI shares another sales update
Monster Hunter Wilds confirmed for Nintendo Switch 2
After it was heavily rumored for the platform, Monster Hunter Wilds has finally been confirmed for Nintendo Switch 2. A release date will be given later. Many fans thought that Capcom was tinkering with a port following a datamine. However, this is the first time a port has been officially acknowledged. Monster Hunter Wilds initially launched last year. Here’s an...
The Wolf Among Us Remastered, The Wolf Among Us 2 announced for Nintendo Switch 2 and Switch
Today, it was revealed that The Wolf Among Us Remastered as well as The Wolf Among Us 2 are planned for Nintendo Switch 2 and Switch. They’ll launch this holiday and in 2027 respectively. The Wolf Among Us Remastered brings back Telltale’s adventure classic from 2013 – now on Nintendo platforms for the first time. The Wolf Among Us 2,...
Super Yooka-Laylee Kart announced, first details and trailer
Playtonic just unveiled its next game, which is Super Yooka-Laylee Kart. The company says it’s planning the game for PC with other platforms to follow – we’d be shocked if Nintendo Switch 2 / Switch isn’t a part of the plan. Playtonic did tell us: “we absolutely love the Nintendo Switch and are die-hard Nintendo fans ourselves, so stay tuned...
Mike Green reveals why he switched back to No. 15
Ravens pass rusher Mike Green explains why returning to his college jersey number 15 is vital for his identity.
Final Fantasy VII Revelation announced for PS5, Xbox Series, Switch 2, and PC
Square Enix has announced Final Fantasy VII Revelation, the third and final game in the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy. It will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Switch 2, and PC via Steam, …
The Wolf Among Us Remastered announced for PS5, Xbox Series, Switch 2, Xbox One, Switch, and PC
Telltale Games and co-publisher PM Studios have announced The Wolf Among Us Remastered. It will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Switch 2, Xbox One, Switch, and PC via Steam and Epic Games St…
The Wolf Among Us 2: A Telltale Series launches in 2027 for PS5, Xbox Series, Switch 2, Xbox One, Switch, and PC
The Wolf Among Us 2: A Telltale Series will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Switch 2, Xbox One, Switch, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store in 2027, developer Telltale Games and co-publish…
Alien: Isolation 2 announced for PS5, Xbox Series, Switch 2, and PC
Publisher SEGA and developer Creative Assembly have officially announced horror first-person shooter sequel Alien: Isolation 2 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Switch 2, and PC (Steam). A release da…
New Elden Ring Footage Seemingly Showcases Switch 2 Performance, And It Looks Good
Nothing tarnished about this
Last Chance To Get These Discounted Switch Gems In Nintendo's eShop 'Indie Sale' (North America)
Every game we scored 9/10+
Nintendo Switch 2: One Year Later
One year ago today, Nintendo released the Switch 2. The successor to the original Switch boasts a larger screen, magnetic Joy-Con controllers, a new C for “Chat” button for its social hooks, and most importantly, more powerful internal hardware. The Switch 2 is still the place to play Nintendo first-party games–and more and more of...
Nintendo Switch 2 At One: Nintendo's Biggest Wins, Misses, And Surprises
Today, June 5, is the first anniversary of the Switch 2, Nintendo’s successor to its best-selling console ever. The hybrid handheld has seen its share of highs and lows since launch, and it still feels like it hasn’t fully found its groove. Many people believe that the best is yet to come, and the next...
Brand new direct-feed Elden Ring Nintendo Switch 2 footage released
After much anticipation, Elden Ring Tarnished Edition received its release date on Nintendo Switch 2 yesterday, and now we have some direct-feed footage to follow up on that. What’s interesting is how little we’ve seen of the port so far. We got the announcement trailer for the reveal of Nintendo Switch 2 exactly one year ago, but that was it....
Why Does the Sun Make You Sneeze? Scientists Reveal the Surprising Truth - Futura-Sciences
Why Do Some People Sneeze in Sunlight? Have you ever found yourself sneezing when you suddenly move from the shade to the bright outdoors, or even after switching on a powerful light? You might be part of the roughly one in four people who experience what’s called the photic sneeze...
Boston Celtics insider drops surprising Giannis Antetokounmpo reality check
The Boston Celtics have emerged as a potential wild card in the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade conversation. Following Jaylen Brown’s unusual comments on Twitch after Boston’s postseason exit, some around the league have speculated that he may be open to seeking a situation where he can lead his own team. Antetokounmpo has also been mentioned as [...]
‘B—ch’ Move? Allen ‘Finessed’ By DDP Bait-And-Switch
This weekend (Sat., June 6, 2026) at UFC Vegas 118, No. 4-ranked Middleweight contender will take a significant step down the ladder to face unranked boxer Edmen Shahbazyan in the co-main event. Usually, there are extenuating circumstances when a Top 5-ranked contender fights outside the rankings. Some kind of losing streak is involved or the […]
Belkin’s new Joy-Con grips also boost the Switch 2’s battery life
The Charging Grip sticks a 10,000mAh battery to the back of the handheld while making the Joy-Cons easier to hold.
FromSoftware has finally announced an Elden Ring Switch 2 release date
Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition will arrive on Switch 2 in August, along with Shadow of the Erdtree DLC and new classes.
Nintendo Confirms New Switch 2 Hardware With Replaceable Battery
Main console revision confirmed, but what about the Joy Cons?
Elden Ring Nintendo Switch 2 release date finally announced
It’s been a long time coming, but Elden Ring Tarnished Edition finally has its release date on Nintendo Switch 2. The game is due out on August 28, 2026. FromSoftware was originally planning on having the port wrapped up for 2026. However, that didn’t happen as the company announced a delay last October. FromSoftware cited the need for “game performance...
Nintendo Will Launch A Switch 2 With Replaceable Batteries In The EU
Nintendo is preparing to sell a special version of the Switch 2 in the EU with swappable batteries.
Brighton’s sporting director switch: Why Jason Ayto has been replaced by Mike Cave
Ayto, who was only hired nine months ago, this is why Brighton have a new man overseeing the club's sporting operations
Nintendo confirms it will sell a new Switch 2 with replaceable battery in the EU
Right now, replacing a Switch 2 battery is a multi-step process.
Beluga whales keep switching mates and it may be saving their species
Hidden beneath Arctic waters, beluga whales have long kept their family lives a mystery. By analyzing DNA from more than 600 belugas in Alaska’s Bristol Bay over 13 years, researchers uncovered a surprisingly flexible mating system: both males and females regularly have offspring with different partners over their lifetimes.
Phil Ehr vows lawsuit as Broward SOE throws water on Hector Mujica's party switch explanation
Democratic organizations are taking a hands-off approach to a party eligibility dispute that could knock Mujica off the CD 28 Primary ballot.
Integrating citizen science with experimental data uncovers how switchgrass adapts flowering by region
In its native habitat, switchgrass flowered earlier when growing farther north. In experiments with diverse genetic samples, it flowered earlier in the south.
Buzz For A June Nintendo Direct Is Building As Switch 2 Turns One
Maybe it's Nintendo's way of celebrating the Switch 2's first anniversary
LEGO Batman: Legacy Of The Dark Knight Finally Punches Up Switch 2 Release Date
Joining a particularly stacked month
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight reveals Nintendo Switch 2 release date, new trailer
We’ve been wondering when LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight would be heading to Nintendo Switch 2, and we now have that answer. Warner Bros. and TT Games just revealed that the game is heading to the console on September 18, 2026. LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight just had its initial launch a couple of weeks ago....
Unannounced JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven R surfaces, will be on Nintendo Switch 2 and Switch
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven R hasn’t been announced yet, but Bandai Namco appears to be working on the game – and it looks like we’ll be seeing it on Nintendo Switch 2 as well as Switch 1. Lots of games get leaked through classification databases, and the same thing has happened yet again. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of...
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!
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