RIP – Albert Hofmann
April 29th, 2008 by Alex
The grandfather of psychedelic experimentation, Albert Hofmann, has passed away.
Best known for his discovery of LSD (or Lysergic Acid Diethylamide for you scientific types), Albert is also responsible for the synthesis of psylocybin. I don’t know how many of our readers have had mind-altering experiences, but they are the direct result of this little known man, his scientific skills and a small dash of luck.
After creating LSD-25 and leaving it alone for 5 years, Albert accidentally ingested a small sample while revisiting his work. Without that small mistake, he would never have taken 250ug of LSD on his bike ride home.
It’s a sad day for responsible people worldwide, not the morons who take 15 tabs and end up arrested by police while trying to catch the sun in their mouth. It took serious balls to be the first person to take a trip down Hallucinogen Lane and I salute the man.
If you want to learn more about Albert and his life, check out the most recent LA Times article (very descriptive) or his Wikipedia page.
[photo Walter Bieri / Associated Press]
Correction: Looks like I messed up, thanks to lsdboy and our other readers who caught the 250mg of LSD mistake. It has now been corrected to 250ug.
