Michael Pollan would prefer we don’t offload our human mess onto AI

An argument could be made—even if he doesn t himself believe it—that New York Times bestselling author Michael Pollan has for decades been in pursuit of transcendence. Bliss, even. In articles, essays, and each of his 10 books— and especially latest A World Appears: A Journey into Consciousness—the Berkeley-based writer chases understanding of human interaction through a close study of nature, in pursuit of a different kind of awareness. His approach varies. It might come from examining our meals (The Omnivore’s Dilemma); building a one-room house (A Place of My Own); playing with fungi and fermenting cheese (Cooked); imbibing LSD (How to Change Your Mind); committing other potential federal crimes (This Is Your Mind on Plants), or exploring how the estimated two billion cups of coffee people drink per day has changed politics, caused wars, upended or established economic strength, and more (the audiobook Caffeine). A World Appears sees Pollan, who lives in Berkeley, venturing in