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What Is It Like to Be a Bat?
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by Thomas Nagel · 1974
A landmark philosophical essay arguing that subjective experience cannot be fully captured by objective physical descriptions.
2 episodes featuring What Is It Like to Be a Bat?
Huberman Lab Essentials
Pollan asks whether the brain creates consciousness
The conversation tests human-centered ideas of awareness against evidence from plants, animals, microbes, psychedelics, and artificial intelligence.
Sep 28, 2026 · 2h 3m
3 Takeaways™
Michael Pollan argues consciousness is constructed, fragile and worth defending
The episode reframes perception as a predictive model and asks what that means for animals, plants, AI and the value of subjective experience.
Aug 11, 2026 · 21 min