EMERGENCE (w/Merlin Sheldrake)

Word by word, a story emerges. Neuron by neuron, consciousness emerges. The story, song, and conversation of this episode are about that mysterious process whereby things become bigger than the sum of their parts. Cambridge mycologist Merlin Sheldrake talks with Jason about how fungal networks solve complex problems, and how LSD and polyphonic music have helped him understand them. There's fiction by Jason about an unhappy man who finds freedom from the outside in. And a hypnotic instrumental blues whose patterns emerge, evolve, and bloom...

Special thanks to Jeffrey Cufaude for the word of the episode, to Adil Sadak for musical wizardry on the song, to Francis Mancini for flute magic, to Emre Gots for the theme song, to Robert MacFarlane for the introduction to Merlin, and to the emergent phenomenon known as Nathan Gelgud for the episode art.