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  2. Where in the World is Alexander Shulgin?

Where in the World is Alexander Shulgin?

By retrospectacle on October 15, 2007.

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As I mentioned in a previous thread, I'm responsible for inviting three speakers to the 2008 Neuroscience Spring Symposium. Its an incredible opportunity to meet scientists from around the US, and I've already had the pleasure of being turned down by both Daniel Dennett and Steven Pinker. However, one person whom I'm most excited to hear back from hasn't answered my emails. That person is the elusive Alexander "Sasha" Shulgin, who in fact, had his own blog.

Shulgin is a Harvard and Berkely-educated chemist, famous for writing the books PiHKAL and TiHKAL (both on the topics of psychoactive drugs, in excruciating chemica detail) as well as popularizing the use of ecstacy therapeutically. Following a post-doc in pharmacology at UCSF, he went to work at Bio-Rad Labs as a research director and then to Dow Chemicals as a senior research chemist. Shulgin's life and history with psychadelic substances is a fascinating one, and I encourage you to check out his wiki that I linked above.

My point is this: I really want Shulgin to speak at the UM Neuroscience Symposia next year, so Dr. Shulgin, if you are reading this, please check your email. And if anyone can help me get in touch with him or put in a good word for me, that would be beyond amazing.

Also, please vote for me so I can get a scholarship!
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