Author Michael Pollan explored topics including psychedelic experience, plant sentience and the limits of artificial intelligence as true minds in an afternoon talk. The talk was moderated by author and financial journalist Michael Lewis, a friend of Pollan’s. 

In Lewis’s words, Pollan is “the world’s greatest tour guide,” shedding light on complicated ideas and systems in his best-selling works. His books include “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” on the inner workings of the food and agriculture industry and “How to Change Your Mind” on psychedelics. 

Pollan’s newest book, “A World Appears: A Journey into Consciousness,” proposes that consciousness is deeply tied to feelings and bodily states, not just information processing, as several prominent theories argue. He suggested that the bounds of consciousness should be widened further in the animal kingdom, and he presented several lines of evidence on the surprising forms of awareness displayed by plants and nonhuman lifeforms.

“We keep realizing that more and more creatures are conscious,” he said. 

Pollan also argued, however, that current AI systems lack the embodied feelings that define biological conscious minds. “An interesting paradox is that [computers] are really good at most of the higher order stuff that we do, and not good at more primitive, older stuff.”

Pollan said his most recent book was “really driven by curiosity” and synthesized his previous research on plants, health and the mind. Pollan addressed the ways that we can maintain “consciousness hygiene,” whether it be retreating to a desert cave for days, as he did in writing the book, taking psychedelics or simply taking walks away from the stimulation of the phone. 

“We’re not as conscious as we might be,” Pollan said. 

What should we do in times of immense uncertainty and change? This was the question explored in the conversation between Michelle K. Johnston, Loyola University New Orleans professor and author of “The Seismic Shift in You,” and Nicholas Lalla, entrepreneur and author of “Reinventing the Heartland.” Rob Lalka, professor of practice in management at Tulane, moderated the conversation.

Lalka spoke about the unprecedented uncertainty dominating the cultural consciousness, and the power of finding community in tumultuous times. 

“This seismic shift toward connection has to start in each and every one of us,” Johnston said, suggesting people take more notice of the disruptive effect phones can have on the ability to be present with others. 

Lalla spoke about the profound impact simple acts of kindness and consideration — both towards others and yourself — can have, especially in leadership positions. He noted how important it is to be able to “disagree without being disagreeable.”

This event was filled with heartfelt anecdotes of the power of connecting. Both Johnston and Lalla highlighted how prioritizing others as well as yourself can have radical effects not just for individuals but also for their surrounding community.

At a session in the early afternoon, Emmy Award–winning journalist and neurosurgeon, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, discussed the use of pain remedies in the United States in McAlister Auditorium. Event moderator Walter Isaacson posed questions on misconceptions of inflammation and mental health treatment.

“Chronic pain is one of the fastest growing conditions in the United States today … and yet there was no immune-pain medication approved in this country since 1998 before last [year,]” Gupta said. 

Gupta described the counterintuitive nature of injury response. The commonly used acronym R.I.C.E recommends rest, ice, compression and elevation for injuries like twisted ankles and bruises to decrease inflammation. 

“The lowest levels of inflammation are going to lead to the most likely outcome of pain,” Gupta said. Instead, he proposed a new acronym — M.E.A.T.  

This stands for mobilization, exercise, analgesic medication and treatment. Gupta said movement, mindfulness and the avoidance of opioids can decrease the likelihood of chronic pain in patients. 

Gupta said the way the Trump administration is handling healthcare is “awful.” 

“I think it is awful … What is happening right now is a de-evolution of our problems as a scientific society,” Gupta said. 

Author and psychotherapist, Meg Josephson, joined Sasha Sagan to talk about the inspiration and meaning behind “Are You Mad at Me?,” Josephson’s debut book exploring people pleasing as a safety mechanism. 

Deemed the “fawn response,” Josephson described how appeasing others through compliments and overextention is a common conflict mechanism.

The two women discussed the sinking feeling one gets when they feel that a friend, boss or peer is mad at them, and the common tendency to display this “fawn response” as a reaction to maintain a sense of stability. 

“It’s the only threat response we are rewarded for in society … especially as women,” Josephson said. 

Josephson went on to argue that this form of self-protection often morphs into self-sabotage as it leads to resentment. This sense of “are you mad at me” people pleasing doesn’t leave space for discomfort to exist, which is vital for longevity in relationships, according to Josephson. 

Beyond relationships, the two speakers explored sensitivity as a superpower and the importance of contemplating death to bring more meaning to every individual moment. 

Author Wally Lamb was joined by C.J. Farley and Michael Clune in the Lavin-Bernick Center’s Kendall Cram Lecture Hall to discuss how their novels display a sense of confinement. 

Moderator and former Mississippi Poet Laureate Beth Ann Fennelly asked the speakers to share excerpts from their novels and speak on their work’s association to anxiety, technology and imprisonment. 

Lamb focuses on imprisonment in his literature, a reflection of his 20 years of experience working as a volunteer facilitator in the York Correctional Institution for women in Connecticut. 

“I had been a teacher all my adult life, but I had never worked with students who were so motivated and it really blew away all the stereotypes that I had,” Lamb said during his book signing.  “I like to say that I taught them some stuff about how to write more effectively, but they taught me so much about life.” 

The former commander of U.S. forces in Iraq during the troop surge and coalition forces in Afghanistan, Gen. David Petraeus, was joined by CNN’s chief national security analyst Jim Sciutto to discuss ever-shifting U.S. foreign policy.

The conversation was dominated by the war in Iran, which started almost two weeks ago. 

Petraeus gave three reasons for why the war began, the first was that Israel was going to strike Iran regardless of whether or not the U.S. joined in, given the threat posed by Iranian missiles and proxy militias. 

The second issue was President Donald Trump’s growing frustration with ongoing talks over nuclear disarmament with the regime. The third reason Petraeus gave was the golden strike opportunity presented to the U.S. and Israel by the gathering of Iranian leaders on February 28.

Petraeus emphasized the cost of missile interceptors in the war, which tend to be expensive and are made in small numbers, while Iran has cheap drones and missiles it can launch in large numbers. 

The former general also said it was important not to lose sight of China and the evolving landscape of modern war. 

“I mean, the drones are very problematic for everyone in this war, but they’re on a minor scale compared to what you could face if you end up in a fight with China,” Petraeus said. 

The retired four-star general called on the U.S. and its allies to learn from Ukraine, where the cutting edge of drone warfare is taking shape. Petraeus warned of autonomous drone swarms, which require little to no human input and would be almost impossible to intercept at scale. 

Petraeus said U.S. strategic allies are starting to lose faith in the partnership and don’t trust the U.S. to come to their defense. 

Neither Petraeus or Sciutto saw regime change as a likely outcome in the war. The Iranian regime still has many loyal supporters, who are unlikely to accept surrender, because they benefit financially from being regime insiders, Petraeus said.

The men compared the war in Iran to Venezuela, where U.S. special forces captured former President Nicolás Maduro in the dead of night early this year, allowing a more cooperative regime insider to come to power. 

“[Trump] was hoping for Delcy Rodríguez in Iran, which is, instead, we got Kim Jong Un,” Petraeus said, referring to the new president of Venezuela and the son of Ali Khamenei, Mojtaba Khamenei, who succeeded his father as supreme leader of Iran. 

Historical novelist Karen Essex and Elyce Arons, co-founder of Kate Spade, discussed friendship and the portrayal of women during a conversation about their new books with the Dean of Tulane Libraries, Lindsay Cronk.

Both authors began by explaining why they chose to write these books. Essex’s novel “Run Darling” is a work of historical fiction about the Gabor sisters, focusing on the contrast between the glamorous public image created by the media and the sisters’ reality as refugees escaping Nazi-occupied Hungary.

“When I find the tension between public and private, that’s when I write a book,” Essex said.

Arons’ memoir “We Might Just Make It After All” reflects on her life with her longtime friend and business partner, Kate Spade, before Spade’s death in 2018. Arons said she was initially hesitant to write the book, but the process ultimately became a form of catharsis as she worked through her grief.

The pair also discussed their approaches to research and preparation, offering advice for writers. Arons encouraged writers to revisit and refine their work, while Essex spoke more broadly about the creative impulse that drives many authors.

“I have no discipline. I only write because I cannot stop myself from writing,” Essex said.

Essex and Arons said women in the public eye are often portrayed as one-dimensional figures. Through their books, both authors aimed to present fuller, more human portrayals of the women at their center.

The conversation concluded with both writers emphasizing the lasting importance of sisterhood and female friendship in their lives and work.

“If you have been lucky enough to have a best friend like I did, call them and tell them you love them,” Arons said.

Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Rick Atkinson sat down with filmmaker Ken Burns in a packed McAlister Auditorium in a discussion on the “barnacles of sentimentality” and binary judgments that Americans place on the Revolutionary War and its figureheads: George Washington and King George III. 

After playing several clips from Ken Burns’ six-part PBS documentary series “The American Revolution,” produced with Rick Atkinson, the two spoke about common misconceptions of the war. 

Both Burns and Atkinson highlighted the importance of recognizing the complex nature of this war and its major actors. Americans often view George Washington as the idealized champion of freedom and King George III as an evil tyrant, but this binary ignores the strengths and faults of each. 

“Sometimes stereotypes and caricatures are easier. Nuances get lost, but the nuances are what make the story really more interesting,” Atkinson said. “So, if you know that George the Third …in many ways, is a good monarch and a decent man, that makes the conflict with us, the Americans, more complicated, but also more interesting,” 

Both Atkinson’s “Revolution Trilogy” and Burns’ docuseries tackle misunderstood aspects of the American Revolution, such as the misperception that it was a “bloodless, gallant affair [of] big ideas” instead of both a “bloody civil war and global war,” as Burns described. 

Burns and Atkinson said the positioning of Britain during the war was comparable to the United States’ role in the world today, as the British Empire was thriving while alienating its allies and the rest of Europe. 

Burns quoted Ecclesiastes 1:9 on the cyclical nature of history. 

“‘What has been will be again. What has been done will be done again. There is nothing new under the sun’ which is worth remembering,” Burns said to enthusiastic applause. 

On Friday morning of the New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University, authors Kristina O’Neill and Laura Brown joined moderator Michelle Miller for a candid conversation about their experiences of getting fired — not let go, but fired. Discussing the recent release of their book, “All the Cool Girls Get Fired,” O’Neill and Brown argued that the first step in reclaiming your life after losing a job is being honest about what happened. 

The two women reflected on the emotional turmoil that followed their firings and the pressure many women feel to conceal professional setbacks. 

“We knew that we were good at our jobs, and we still got fired. And those two things can mutually exist,” O’Neill said. 

With humor and honesty, O’Neill and Brown made a tough situation sound almost cool. They reframed the idea of being fired as an opportunity to reinvent and self-reflect. The pair turned a difficult conversation into one about resilience, transparency and, most importantly, starting over.