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These underwater 'living pink rocks' help store carbon: Scientists just found four new species
Rhodoliths may look like small rocks on the seafloor, but they are actually living algae that create habitats for marine life and contribute to long-term carbon storage. A new study found that the deeper, ...
macOS 27 Golden Gate Gains Native Ultrawide Display Support
Apple adds native ultrawide display support in macOS 27 Golden Gate, bringing higher resolutions and persistent display arrangements to users of widescreen monitors. The update allows ultrawide displays to run at resolutions up to 5K at 120Hz. Apple also says that display arrangements are now preserved across connections, so the layout automatically restores exactly as the user left it each time they plug in.
What new business is being planned beside Lexington High School? What we know
The new business would be along a busy Lexington highway that includes the high school, a major grocery store, restaurants and more.
Unique Nebraska business offers retail storefront for farmers
Rural residents near O’Neill banded together to open a store where they could market their home-raised meat and other farm products.
Hibbett Sports owner plans to close 175 underperforming stores in major North American reorganization
Hibbett Sports will close around 175 stores over the next three years as parent company JD Sports pursues a cost-cutting and optimization strategy.
Best things at Costco for one person, from longtime executive member
I'm an executive member at Costco, even though I live alone. The store's frozen foods and wine selection are great for a single shopper like myself.
US consumers are rethinking their spending, retailers say
U.S. consumers haven’t stopped spending money since the Iran war drove up fuel prices, but many shoppers are reassessing what they buy and where, according to company executives and retail analysts. The behavior changes observed so far are subtle, such as altered routines for buying gasoline and fewer visits to clothing and furniture stores. They […]
Beyond ‘dad bod’: What an expanding middle may mean for metabolic health
Columnist Carrie Dennett shares how men can start making more meaningful changes to reduce excess visceral fat (fat stored deep within the abdominal cavity).
Resistance Training Appears to Restore Physical Strength, Immune Health in Frail or At-Risk Cancer Survivors
10-week exercise program erased signs of chronic inflammation caused by chemotherapy and radiation
Longtime north Fargo apparel and embroidery business to close
Carla and Ron Sorvaag launched First Choice Apparel and Embroidery from their home basement in 1995. The couple plans to host a "retirement liquidation" sale at their store in Trollwood Village this month.
Failure is the foundation of science
Amanda Gardiner reflects on why failure is an essential and valuable part of scientific research
Why this Savannah music store has thrived for 90 years
From electric guitars to school rentals see how Savannah staple Portman's Music Superstore has thrived for 90 years.
Small Business Spotlight: Dog-Eared Books
Main St. is home to many local businesses, including the only locally owned bookstore in Ames. Dog-Eared Books has been open since March 8, 2021. They offer a wide variety of books, community events and a small cafe section. The business is owned by Amanda Lepper and Ellyn Grimm, both originally from Ames and both...
Scientists lose critical climate record as ocean observatory will go dark under Trump funding cuts
A portion of one of the most ambitious ocean monitoring networks ever built will go dark this month when scientists board a research vessel and motor off the Oregon coast to pull a research buoy from deep out of the Pacific. The buoy 80 meters below the water's surface will…
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 …
Clockwork Revolution launches in 2027
First-person RPG Clockwork Revolution will launch for for Xbox Series and PC via Steam and Microsoft Store in 2027, publisher Xbox Game Studios and developer inXile Entertainment announced. It will…
Persona 6 announced for PS5, Xbox Series, and PC
ATLUS has announced Persona 6 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC (Steam, Microsoft Store). A release date was not announced.
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…
METRO 2039 launches in February 2027
METRO 2039 will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and Microsoft Store in February 2027, publisher Deep Silver and developer 4A Games announced.
Persona 4 Revival launches February 18, 2027
Persona 4 Revival will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam and Microsoft Store on February 18, 2027, ATLUS announced. Pre-orders will be available today. It will also be availab…
Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy launches August 27
Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam and Microsoft Store on August 27, publisher Focus Entertainment and developer Asobo Studio announced. It…
Fable launches February 23, 2027
Fable will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam and Microsoft Store on February XXX, 2027, publisher Xbox Game Studios and developer Playground Games announced. The PlayStation 5…
Natrona County health and food inspections (5/29/26–6/4/26)
CASPER, Wyo. — The Casper-Natrona County Health Department inspects restaurants, grocery stores, convenience stores, mobile food units, commissaries and
Laramie County health and food inspections (5/29/26–6/4/26)
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — The Cheyenne-Laramie County Health Department inspects restaurants, bars, convenience stores, delis, grocery stores, bed and breakfasts
What Maplebear (CART)'s AI Carts and Health Partnerships Expansion Means For Shareholders
In early June 2026, Instacart expanded its AI-driven Caper Carts to select Weis Markets stores in Pennsylvania and Vida Health announced a nationwide partnership using Instacart Health Fresh Funds to link nutrition guidance with easier access to healthy groceries. Together, these moves highlight Instacart’s push to blend in-store retail tech, loyalty engagement, and health-focused grocery access into a broader Physical AI ecosystem. We’ll now examine how Instacart’s push into AI-powered...
Bethany business owner says shoplifting impacts more than just inventory
A Bethany business owner says a recent shoplifting incident that cost his store nearly a third of its daily sales highlights the ripple effects theft can have on small businesses.
Microsoft is letting you kill Bing in Windows 11 Search, after years of forcing it on every PC
Microsoft is testing a new Windows 11 Search toggle that disables Bing, MSN, and Microsoft Store results, ending years of forced web results.
How ‘grocery store politics’ changed one state Senator’s mind on data centers
State Sen. Joey Garcia, D-Marion, voted for data center-friendly legislation. Conversations with his constituents have since changed his stance.
Politics Unusual: NYC Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice, NJ primary race discussion
In this episode of Politics Unusual, FOX 5 NY's Morgan McKay speaks to Julie Su, the city's Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice, about Mamdani's plans for city-owned grocery stores. Also, a conversation about two of New Jersey's primary races.
Atomic City Quilts Seeks New Business Partners For Los Alamos Store
Quilt fabrics and more at Atomic City Quilts. Courtesy photo Scene from the Atomic Quilts store in Los Alamos. Courtesy photo Scene from the Atomic Quilts store in Los Alamos. Courtesy photo ATOMIC…
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…
Palworld launches July 10
Open-world survival crafting game Palworld will leave Early Access and launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Xbox One, and PC via Steam and Microsoft Store on July 10, developer Pocketpair announc…
Flower thefts on Detroit's west side leave 2 businesses out thousands and searching for answers
Two Detroit west side businesses lost thousands after a thief stole their decorative storefront flowers on Sunday evening.
Detroit investment programs help remove vacant storefronts, open new businesses
STRANGER THAN HEAVEN launches January 15, 2027
STRANGER THAN HEAVEN will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam and Microsoft Store on January 15, 2027, publisher SEGA and developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio announced. It will also …
Every Xbox and PC game shown during Summer Game Fest 2026 — announcements, reveals, trailers, gameplay, and more
Xbox and PC players, here's an overview of everything Summer Game Fest 2026 had in store for you.
Scientists race to collect the last seeds from a critically endangered tree before it goes extinct
Seeds from the last surviving wild Dendroseris neriifolia tree are now stored in Kew Gardens' Millennium Seed Bank as researchers work to find ways to reintroduce the species into the wild.
You can get Subway delivery from Walmart. More restaurants may follow.
Walmart is offering meal delivery from Subways located in its stores. Executives say it's the start of bigger ambitions in restaurant delivery.
Business Association official talks changes to downtown Savannah storefronts
If you were to walk down Broughton Street, you may notice new business opening their doors, but some are telling a different story and closing after years.
Meta Silently Added Face-Recognition Code for Its Smart Glasses to Millions of Phones
Code reviewed by WIRED uncovered an unreleased face-recognition system embedded in Meta’s smart glasses platform. It’s designed to identify people via biometric data stored on users’ phones.
Bob Jones grad/Vandy AD Candice Storey Lee named Sports Business Journal Athletic Director of the Year
From the halls of Bob Jones High School in Madison, Dr. Candice Storey Lee has become one of the most influential and successful women in college sports. Now, she is one of the most successful people in college athletics. Lee, Vanderbilt’s vice chancellor for Athletics and University Affairs and athletic director, was recently honored as […]
Google Photos for Android rolling out saved Stickers folder
After introducing custom stickers in February, Google Photos for Android now saves and stores everything you've created in a folder.
Study questions standard screening test for amputation risk in veterans
In a review of the electronic health records of more than 223,000 veterans treated at Veterans Health Administration facilities, the researchers found that even modest decreases in the normal ABI correlated with a higher risk of major adverse limb events (MALE) requiring intervention, including amputation and revascularization (treatment to restore blood flow).
Police investigating after teens break into Lancaster County business
LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM)– Police in Lancaster County are investigating after a group of teenagers broke into a grocery store late Tuesday night. According to the Northern Lancaster County…
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!
Google Is Quietly Buying Code From Play Store Developers to Train AI
Google is trying to buy code from some Android developers as part of a "confidential" program.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword launches September 25, demo now available
Onimusha: Way of the Sword will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store on September 25, Capcom announced. Both pre-orders and a free demo are available now.
YouTube TV subscribers can get 50% off Google TV Streamer
YouTube TV is now offering members a 50% discount on the Google TV Streamer via a Google Store promo code...
Valve antitrust lawsuit reportedly reveals lengths Steam owner is willing to go to prevent cheaper prices elsewhere
Newly uncovered evidence in an ongoing antitrust lawsuit has claimed Valve works aggressively behind the scenes to maintain its position.
A hidden pollutant is changing how the world's forests breathe
A massive global analysis found that nitrogen pollution can either speed up or dramatically slow the natural "breathing" of forest soils, depending on the ecosystem's condition. The results reveal hidden tipping points that could affect how forests store carbon and cope with climate change.
Here's everything new in June 2026 for the Google Play Store
Google Play Store v51.7 makes app deals easier to spot, streamlines installs for upcoming releases, and adds a cleaner experience on Android.
Luxury brands seek to lure America's AI super-rich
European luxury brands have sharpened their focus on the United States, with a surge of store openings and fashion shows to lure a new crop of wealthy shoppers enriched by the AI and tech boom and offset weak consumer confidence in the rest of the world.
KC officials urge Costco to consider consequences of business center conversion
All but one member of the City Council signed a letter to Costco echoing residents’ concerns about the midtown store’s proposed conversion.
Business News June 2026
• The Cornell School celebrates 10th anniversary! • “School’s Out for Summer “ market at Bethany Village • Cedar Mill Farmers Market • End of School Block Party • Speech & Debate summer camp • BodElite Introduces Emsella for pelvic health • Buying a Home? What to Know Before You Remodel • How CWS sets rates for your community • Sunset Credit Union news • New Bottle Drop at Target store
TAHOE FUND AND BARTON HEALTH LAUNCH $25,000 MATCH FOR THE MARSH CAMPAIGN
250 donors can help unlock a $25,000 matching gift from Barton Health for the Upper Truckee Marsh The Tahoe Fund and Barton Health have launched an exciting new fundraising campaign to help restore the Upper Truckee Marsh South in South Lake Tahoe—the former site of the Motel 6 property. If 250 community members donate $50 […]
Fire dozers outfitted with NASA-made sensors help battle blazes
The entire system is made from parts commonly found in a hardware store.
PlayStation To Eliminate 1,000 More Shovelware Games From Store
PlayStation has acquired a major shovelware publisher, which will lead to the delisting of over 1,000 games.
A guide to the bookstores owned by your favorite authors
Ann Patchett opened Parnassus Books in 2011 when physical bookstores seemed endangered.
From her bookstore in Nashville, Ann Patchett drives the literary conversation
Ann Patchett often finds ways to help others, whether it's promoting a fellow author's book or supporting emerging writers.
South Jersey woman turns health scare into dream bookstore in Bordentown
Austen’s Shelf is opening a permanent New Jersey bookstore as readers increasingly seek independent bookstores centered on community and connection.
Deadline looms for Seminole County nonprofit serving kids in need of sports gear
A Seminole County nonprofit that supports youth athletes is calling on the community to help find a place to store and distribute sports equipment.
OpEd: Let DTLA Do the Work for More Housing - Los Angeles Business Journal
I live and work in downtown Los Angeles. Daily, I pass vacant storefronts, empty historic buildings and surface parking lots where residential towers
Controversial Gene Therapy for Alzheimer’s Disease
Glial-to-neuron conversion therapy decreases inflammation and restores the brain-blood barrier in Alzheimer’s disease model macaques.
Japan’s Q1 capex stalls as Iran war concerns weigh on business confidence
(Corrects to restore dropped word 'flat' in lead paragraph) By Makiko Yamazaki TOKYO, June 1 (Reuters) - Japanese companies' annual spending on plant and equipment remained almost flat in the first quarter, data showed on Monday, pausing after a year ...
Japan's Q1 capex stalls as Iran war concerns weigh on business confidence
(Corrects to restore dropped word 'flat' in lead paragraph) By Makiko Yamazaki TOKYO, June 1 (Reuters) - Japanese companies' annual spending on plant and equipment remained almost flat in the first
June’s Miniature of the Month and collectible coin revealed
Get your free coin and miniature in store this month.
Revolutionize Science. Redefine Care. Restore Humanity: One year of progress since the first UCB HS Vision Report
Revolutionize Science. Redefine Care. Restore Humanity: One year of progress since the first UCB HS Vision Report | UCB
Another unannounced Rayman game, Rayman Origins: Enhanced Edition, briefly popped up on the Xbox Store
Screenshots and details of the unannounced Rayman Origins: Enhanced Edition briefly popped up on the Xbox store earlier today.
Laramie County health and food inspections (5/22/26–5/28/26)
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — The Cheyenne-Laramie County Health Department inspects restaurants, bars, convenience stores, delis, grocery stores, bed and breakfasts
Natrona County health and food inspections (5/22/26–5/28/26)
CASPER, Wyo. — The Casper-Natrona County Health Department inspects restaurants, grocery stores, convenience stores, mobile food units, commissaries and
Science & Medicine: A pill that slows aging? San Antonio researchers are putting it to the test
Rapamycin may be able to help older adults live longer, healthier lives. Studies of mice suggest the drug may even reverse hardening of the arteries. Researchers at UT Health San Antonio have launched a clinical trial to see if the drug can restore the biological activity of older adults to levels more typical of younger people, and, if so, how much does it take to do it?
New printing, shipping, business services store opens in Painesville City
Local convenience store owners Ishwar Vaghasia and Dhinal Patel recently opened a new shipping and printing store next to their EzGo Food Mart in Painesville. Located at 167 Richmond St., EzGo Ship N Print offers a range of services,…
Can the World Cup Help the U.S. Beer Industry Kick Its Slump?
Bars and stores are uncertain if the soccer tournament will boost beer sales. Still, the maker of Budweiser and Michelob Ultra is going all in.
Rapidly growing business given its first storefront in partnership with the Greenbrier
We're All In This Together
Rapidly growing business given its first storefront in partnership with the Greenbrier
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, WV (WVNS) – The Greenbrier is partnering with rapidly growing House of MBR to give it its first ever storefront. The House of MBR was founded in 2023 and has utilized t…
Rayman Origins Remaster Leak Reveals First Details About Enhanced Edition from Ubisoft
Ubisoft seems to have another leak problem, as what appears to be a remastered version of Rayman Origins has appeared on the Xbox Store – and it's only $2,000.
Britt Jewelry in Cleveland
Providing unique, custom-made pieces with top-notch service Some of us may have a tendency to think a jewelry store is primarily a place to walk in, see something we like, and buy it. While that is often true in today’s times, a full service jewelry store with an expert jeweler offers many more amenities. […]
Fire breaks out at Southington auto parts business
Southington Fire Department officials say they are investigating a fire that occurred at an auto parts store on Old Turnpike Road. They say officials were called on scene to Chuck and Eddie’s Auto Parts where they contained the bulk of the fire. According to police, Old Turnpike Road is closed from Mulberry Street to Rejean Road and people are asked…
My favorite school lunch foods at Aldi, from dietitian and mom
I rely on the grocery store for fresh produce, calcium-filled snacks, and protein-packed foods that my child will actually eat at school or camp.
Erewhon sued in Culver City over a rent dispute
Trendy Erewhon, the reigning Rolls-Royce of grocery stores, has fallen behind in rent payments for its Culver City outpost, its landlord says.
Caffeine reversed memory problems caused by sleep deprivation
Scientists discovered that sleep deprivation damages a key brain circuit responsible for social memory, making it harder to recognize familiar individuals. In laboratory studies, caffeine restored communication between neurons in this pathway and reversed the memory deficits caused by lost sleep. The effect was remarkably targeted, helping the impaired circuit recover without overstimulating normal brain function.
Grocery groups planning fight against city grocery stores
The administration is planning to have a store open in all five boroughs by the end of its first term in 2029.
South Jersey author expands mobile bookstore into regency‑inspired shop after health scare
A South Jersey author who launched a bookstore on wheels is now preparing to open a permanent literary space in Bordentown, N.J., marking what she calls her biggest chapter yet.
Blanco business owner frustrated with post office closure; ‘Postal service really dropped the ball’
For Jim Bundick, who owns the local hardware store Outlaw Lumber & Hardware, the change affects his business operations.
Rayman Origins: Enhanced Edition Microsoft Store page appears
A Microsoft Store page for the unannounced Rayman Origins: Enhanced Edition has gone live.
Rayman Origins: Enhanced Edition leaked, first details and screenshots
Rayman leaks are springing up all over, and now one has happened for the unannounced Rayman Origins: Enhanced Edition. The title has surfaced over on the Xbox store. Ubisoft calls it the “definitive experience” with “4K resolution, 60 FPS, and modern enhancements, including new quality-of-life features.” The full description is as follows: When the Glade of Dreams is overrun by...
Hundreds of faculty members of University of California sign open letter on Maths and Science papers; says: We call for the reinstatement of
Hundreds of University of California faculty members have signed an open letter urging the UC regents and faculty leaders to restore standardized testing requirements for Math and Science applicants. The letter cites an alarming drop in Math skills since the tests were abandoned.
Asda taps Ocado for automation in UK stores starting 2027
Online grocery technology firm Ocado Group said on Friday it has won a partnership with British supermarket group Asda to roll out its automation platform across Asda's stores and dark stores starting in 2027.
Plans filed for Costco Business Center conversion at Midtown Kansas City store
New plans filed with the city show Costco is moving forward with a proposal to convert the popular Linwood Boulevard store into a Costco Business Center.
Police responded to suicide attempt at Claude Lemieux's family furniture store
Lemieux, a four-time Stanley Cup champion, died Thursday around 3 a.m. ET in Lake Park. Multiple outlets have reported that he died by suicide.
Downtown Portland businesses see signs of revival after years of struggle
Some downtown Portland business owners say safety patrols and outreach efforts are helping restore confidence and revive the city’s core.
Camp Mystic chief health officer barred from direct patient care by Texas nursing board
The Texas Board of Nursing restored Camp Mystic’s chief health officer’s nursing license but barred her from working directly with patients after the board temp
Camp Mystic chief health officer barred from direct patient care by Texas nursing board
The Texas Board of Nursing restored Camp Mystic’s chief health officer’s nursing license but barred her from working directly with patients after the board temp
Jewelers Building owners plan $25M renovation in bid to lure new tenants
If the investments help bolster the rent roll, it could nudge other landlords to follow suit — ultimately helping restore vital property tax revenue in the central business district.
Costco plans to convert its midtown KC store into business center. What will change?
New city records shed more light on what the proposed plans would mean, including what services would remain, or not, for customers.
Supreme Court rules for Mississippi death row inmate in jury bias case
By a 5-4 vote, the justices sided with Terry Pitchford, who was sentenced to death for his role in the killing of a grocery store owner