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Francis Crick reportedly visualized the helical structure of DNA while on LSD. He was known to use it heavily at the time and freely admitted to it. Kary Mulli

by zelly 7y ago

Francis Crick reportedly visualized the helical structure of DNA while on LSD. He was known to use it heavily at the time and freely admitted to it. Kary Mullis was on acid[1] when he invented PCR, which is responsible for the field of modern genetics. Probably a lot, lot more from people who wouldn't admit to it. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kary_Mullis#Use_of_hallucinogens https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kary_Mullis#Use_of_hallucinoge...

dekhn 7y ago
Kary Mullis took a bunch of acid and ended up writing this paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/218663b0 https://www.nature.com/articles/218663b0 I don't think he was on acid at the moment of the conceptualization of PCR, though- the origin story most people tell involves him driving a car at night to a conference (I guess that doesn't preclude being on LSD). When I met him in person, I couldn't get him to give a straight answer to any question I asked (I think he was suffering from dementia). TBH I'd be really surprised if academics were taking LSD in '52-53, although there was definitely a long period where basically anybody could order it in quantity from Sandoz. Of course, from MK-Ultra we know the CIA was giving it to people around that time (including dosing agents), and by the early 60s, universities like Stanford were giving it to research study participants (Ken Kesey, Robert Hunter, etc).
- zelly 7y ago
  I don't remember where but I heard a story from someone in Crick and Watson's lab who said Crick would casually take LSD like people smoked cigarettes or drank coffee. It's not out of the question that someone in the medicine/chemistry field would have early access to the latest and greatest drugs. What a shame that a great original thinker like Mullis ends up with dementia. It's crazy that solving aging isn't a #1 international priority.

by zelly 7y ago

dekhn 7y ago

Kary Mullis took a bunch of acid and ended up writing this paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/218663b0 https://www.nature.com/articles/218663b0 I don't think he was on acid at the moment of the conceptualization of PCR, though- the origin story most people tell involves him driving a car at night to a conference (I guess that doesn't preclude being on LSD). When I met him in person, I couldn't get him to give a straight answer to any question I asked (I think he was suffering from dementia). TBH I'd be really surprised if academics were taking LSD in '52-53, although there was definitely a long period where basically anybody could order it in quantity from Sandoz. Of course, from MK-Ultra we know the CIA was giving it to people around that time (including dosing agents), and by the early 60s, universities like Stanford were giving it to research study participants (Ken Kesey, Robert Hunter, etc).

zelly 7y ago
I don't remember where but I heard a story from someone in Crick and Watson's lab who said Crick would casually take LSD like people smoked cigarettes or drank coffee. It's not out of the question that someone in the medicine/chemistry field would have early access to the latest and greatest drugs. What a shame that a great original thinker like Mullis ends up with dementia. It's crazy that solving aging isn't a #1 international priority.