In life, one can expect a handful of certainties within a degree of unpredictability. But what if we were able to manipulate the concept of unpredictability for our benefit? Many have looked to psychedelic drugs for this reason.
Richard Kemp, a chemist who manufactured LSD for the British in the 1970s under Operation Julie, was a friend of Francis Crick, illustrator and co-discoverer of the double-helix DNA structure. Kemp claimed that at Cambridge University in the 1960s, Crick explained to him that some of the academics there “used LSD in tiny amounts as a thinking tool, to liberate them from preconceptions and to encourage their genius to wander freely in search of new scientific ideas.” Crick also allegedly revealed to Kemp he had perceived the double-helix shape while high on LSD.
I must point out that what Kemp claimed Crick said to him is alleged and is unable to be proven as fact since Crick is no longer alive and never directly admitted to perceiving the double-helix while on acid. When questioned about it later in life, all Crick said was “print a word of it and I’ll sue,” meanwhile going into great detail publicly about his subjective experience with LSD. Crick stated:
“In the case of LSD, for example, you only need 150 micrograms to have all these funny experiences, you see. It’s minute. And that’s because they fit into special places, these little molecules, these drugs which you take. They fit into special places in these other molecules. They’ve been tailored to do that.” [1]
Crick’s widow made the claim to biographer Matt Ridley that his first experience with LSD occurred in 1967, more than ten years after his discovery of the double-helix structure of DNA. I would not be surprised if this claim is untrue due to Crick’s behavior when questioned about the relationship between LSD and his discovery of the double-helix, if one exists at all.
For the sake of this text, I will be providing a general focus on the recurring use of LSD by arbiters and manufacturers of novel innovation: whether scientific, cultural, or artistic.
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Damn, Crick was into psychedilics? I only knew him from my biochemistry book from uni. Never heard of this facette of him. Thanks for the very interesting article!
Very interesting read I’m anxious to do some clinical research myself soon.
Bellissimo articolo e bellissimo questo sito… tutto molto di nicchi ancora, purtroppo.. speriamo di avere presto tanta più voce in capitolo
Imagine a world where people can use psychedelics without being labeled insane.wouldn’t that be cool
Fun stuff lol
Very interesting article in deed
🧐