Could nicotine — the highly addictive chemical compound in tobacco plants — find a new identity as a health shortcut? Wellness influencers and biohackers are touting the benefits of nicotine in a multitude of forms, including patches, pouches, gum, and drinks.

The first time a child refuses to go to school, it can feel confusing — maybe even a little annoying. But when this pattern goes on for days, weeks or months, it can disrupt entire family systems and impact the mental health of the whole family unit. Advice such as “just be firmer,” or “maybe they just need more time,” is often well-intentioned, but it rarely addresses the heart of the issue.

When neuroscientists began studying consciousness in the early 1990s, they sought to explain how and why three pounds of spongy grey matter could generate a subjective point of view—assuming that the brain is the source of our felt reality. Pollan takes us to the cutting edge of the field, where scientists are entertaining more radical (and less materialist) theories of consciousness. He introduces us to “plant neurobiologists” searching for the first flicker of consciousness in plants; scientists striving to engineer feelings into AI, and psychologists and novelists seeking to capture the felt experience of our slippery stream of consciousness.

Discover how this feedback can manifest as traits in adulthood.

"Consciousness is under siege," says author Michael Pollan. His new book, A World Appears, explores consciousness on both a personal and technological level.

A new survey shows why girls play sports, and here's a hint—it's not all about winning.