{"podcast":{"title":"KQED's Forum","slug":"kqed-s-forum-910728","podcast_index_feed_id":910728,"rss_url":"https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC9557381633","website_url":"https://www.kqed.org/forum","image_url":"https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/f7fab6b6-22d6-11eb-9a54-13d0154cc15e/image/KQED_Podcast_tiles_-_NPR_network_Forum.png?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress","author":"KQED","episode_count":3439,"summary":"Forum tells remarkable and true stories about who we are and where we live. In the first hour, Alexis Madrigal convenes the diverse voices of the Bay Area, before turning to Mina Kim for the second hour to chronicle and center Californians’ experience. In an increasingly divided world, Mina and Alexis host conversations that inform, challenge and unify listeners with big ideas and different viewpoints. Want to call/submit your comments during our live Forum program Mon-Fri, 9am-11am? We'd love to hear from you! Please dial 866.SF.FORUM or (866) 733-6786 or email forum@kqed.org, tweet, or post on Facebook.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-25T18:21:19.316184+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/kqed-s-forum-910728"},"episode":{"title":"Forum from the Archives: Michael Pollan Explores Labyrinth of Consciousness in 'A World Appears'","slug":"forum-from-the-archives-michael-pollan-explores-labyrinth-of-consciousness-in-a-world-appears","published_at":"2026-07-01T18:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/kqed-s-forum-910728/forum-from-the-archives-michael-pollan-explores-labyrinth-of-consciousness-in-a-world-appears","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/kqed-s-forum-910728","url":"https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/traffic.megaphone.fm/KQINC7959700502.mp3","audio_url":"https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/traffic.megaphone.fm/KQINC7959700502.mp3","summary":"What is consciousness for, and why did it evolve? Can we change our “default” consciousness? These are some of the questions that Michael Pollan says began to preoccupy him after his first psychedelic experience, which altered his ordinary consciousness so profoundly that he wanted to learn everything he could about the mysteries of sentience, thought and selfhood. We talk to him about what he uncovered and challenges of studying a phenomenon that he says we’ll never understand completely. Pollan’s new book is “A World Appears: A Journey Into Consciousness.” Guests: Michael Pollan, author, \"A World Appears: A Journey Into Consciousness\"; professor emeritus, UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism; his other books include \"In Defense of Food,\" \"The Omnivore's Dilemma\" and \"How to Change Your Mind\" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices","meta_description":"What is consciousness for, and why did it evolve? Can we change our “default” consciousness? These are some of the questions that Michael Pollan says bega…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3347,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/kqed-s-forum-910728/episodes/forum-from-the-archives-michael-pollan-explores-labyrinth-of-consciousness-in-a-world-appears/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/kqed-s-forum-910728/forum-from-the-archives-michael-pollan-explores-labyrinth-of-consciousness-in-a-world-appears.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}