3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), commonly known as ecstasy, and molly, is an empathogen–entactogenic drug with stimulant and minor psychedelic properties. In studies, it has been used alongside psychotherapy in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and social anxiety in autism spectrum disorder. The purported pharmacological effects that may be prosocial include altered sensations, increased energy, empathy, and pleasure. When taken by mouth, effects begin in 30 to 45 minutes and last three to six hours.
Dimethoxybromoamphetamine (DOB), also known as brolamfetamine and bromo-DMA, is a psychedelic drug and substituted amphetamine of the phenethylamine class of compounds. DOB was first synthesized by Alexander Shulgin in 1967. Its synthesis and effects are documented in Shulgin's book PiHKAL: A Chemical Love Story.
The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) is an American nonprofit organization working to raise awareness and understanding of psychedelic substances. MAPS was founded in 1986 by Rick Doblin and is now based in San Jose, California.
Samuel Benjamin Harris is an American philosopher, neuroscientist, author, and podcast host. His work touches on a range of topics, including rationality, religion, ethics, free will, neuroscience, meditation, psychedelics, philosophy of mind, politics, terrorism, and artificial intelligence. Harris came to prominence for his criticism of religion, and he is known as one of the "Four Horsemen" of New Atheism, along with Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and Daniel Dennett.
Prayer for a Child is a 1944 book by Rachel Field. Its artwork by Elizabeth Orton Jones won it a Caldecott Medal in 1945. The whole book is narrated by a little girl, but it represents children as a whole. It reflects their love of God, and their gentleness to humankind as a whole.
Crank is a novel by Ellen Hopkins published in 2004. It is based loosely on the real life addictions of the author's daughter to crystal meth. The book is required reading in "many high schools, as well as many drug and drug court programs." However, the book has been banned in many locations due to complaints that the book's depictions of drug use, adult language, and sexual themes are inappropriate for some readers.
Nastassia Bianca Schroeder Clark is an American television personality, podcast host, fashion blogger, model and author. She is best known for appearing on Bravo's reality television series Vanderpump Rules (2013–2020) for eight seasons.
Harold Blauer was an American tennis player who died as a result of injections of 450 mg 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine as part of Project Artichoke, a covert CIA mind-control and chemical interrogation research program run by the Office of Scientific Intelligence.
Elizabeth Robinson Koch is an American publisher, writer, and entrepreneur. She has published work for One Story, Columbia Journalism Review, the Los Angeles Review of Books, The New York Observer, and other publications.
Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America is a non-fiction book about race in the United States by the American historian Ibram X. Kendi, published April 12, 2016 by Bold Type Books, an imprint of PublicAffairs. The book won the National Book Award for Nonfiction.
Rebecca Roanhorse is an American science fiction and fantasy writer from New Mexico. She has written short stories and science fiction novels featuring Navajo characters. Her work has received Hugo and Nebula awards, among others.
The Poet X, published March 6, 2018 by HarperTeen, is a young adult novel by Elizabeth Acevedo. Fifteen-year-old Xiomara, also known as "X" or "Xio," works through the tension and conflict in her family by writing poetry. The book, a New York Times bestseller, was well received and won multiple awards at the 2019 Youth Media Awards.
The Anthropocene Reviewed is the shared name for a podcast and 2021 nonfiction book by John Green. The podcast started in January 2018, with each episode featuring Green reviewing "different facets of the human-centered planet on a five-star scale". The name comes from the Anthropocene, the proposed geological epoch that includes significant human impact on the environment. Episodes typically contain Green reviewing two topics, accompanied by stories on how they have affected his life. These topics included intangible concepts like humanity's capacity for wonder, artificial products like Diet Dr. Pepper, natural species that have had their fates altered by human influence like the Canada goose, and phenomena that primarily influence humanity such as Halley's Comet.
Rachel Nuwer is an independent American journalist and author of the 2018 nonfiction book Poached: Inside the Dark World of Wildlife Trafficking. She has covered the issue of poaching from the perspectives of criminals, activists and science for years in prominent publications, including the Smithsonian, BBC Future, The New York Times, and National Geographic.
Matthew John Baggott, PhD is an American neuroscientist who studies entactogens, hallucinogens, and other psychoactive drugs. He is considered to be an expert on MDMA and other entactogens and is an influential figure in the psychedelic medicine movement.
Tactogen is a public benefit corporation and start-up pharmaceutical company based in Palo Alto, California that is developing novel MDMA-like entactogens and psychedelics as medicines. Its stated goal is to develop new MDMA-like drugs with improved effectiveness, tolerability, and safety, as well as gentleness and accessibility, for treatment of psychiatric disorders and other conditions. Tactogen was co-founded by neuroscientist Matthew J. Baggott and Luke Pustejovsky in 2020. Baggott is the chief executive officer (CEO) while Pustejovsky is the chief operating officer (COO).
Lykos Therapeutics, formerly known as the MAPS Public Benefit Corporation, is a public benefit corporation (PBC) that is developing MDMA ("ecstasy") as a potential medicine. It was founded and is considerably owned by the non-profit Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). MAPS PBC was founded in 2014 and was renamed to Lykos Therapeutics in January 2024.
Psymposia is a not-for-profit organization, media organization, and self-described "watchdog group" reporting on the psychedelic community and focusing on harm reduction. Its representatives include co-founder Brian Normand, journalist Russell Hausfeld, and academics Neşe Devenot and Brian Pace, among others.
