SKRAPS of Science & Innovation

How do we even know what constitutes the heart beat? What was the reason for all those abnormal rhythms of the heart? Why does it happen? The answer lies in the small, cylindrical glass tube called the micropipetter, which was used to create a microelectrode. Here it is, on how the microelectrode changed the face of cardiology. SKRAPS is your podcast, where we on your behalf explores unsaid, underappreciated and sometimes, untold stories of sparks of brilliance in science, technology and innovation. Show CreditsCreated & Produced by: Arun SridharSocial Media: Twitter: @skrappyscienceWhatsapp Channel for announcementsInstagram Profile: FibrillatorySkrapsIf you like to help us with our production costs, you can visit HERE

What connects Tudor England, Ann Boleyn, Henry the VIII, autonomic nervous system and a flash mob like wave of a deadly disease? There is only way to find out. Inspired by this paper and Dr. Ali Christy's X thread. SKRAPS is your podcast, where we on your behalf explores unsaid, underappreciated and sometimes, untold stories of sparks of brilliance in science, technology and innovation. Created & Produced by: Arun Sridhar You can help us fund the production costs by donating as a one time or a recurring payment HERE

This story was inspired by the post on X by Dr. Farsad Mostashari. Center for Disease Control has been at the forefront of many of the alerts (true and false) and now it's officially gone...This is a sombre take on what has happened. SKRAPS is your podcast, where we on your behalf explores unsaid, underappreciated and sometimes, untold stories of sparks of brilliance in science, technology and innovation. Show CreditsCreated & Produced by: Arun Sridhar & JoJo PlattEditing: Arun SridharSound design: Arun Sridhar & Swaminathan ThiruGnanaSambandamSound mixing and mastering: Swaminathan ThiruGnanaSambandamSocial Media: Twitter: @PodcastSkrapsLinkedIn: SKRAPSArun's Twitter FeedJoJo's Twitter FeedYou can help us fund the production costs by donating as little as $5 or £5 or in any currency of your choice as a one time or a recurring payment HERE

This is conclusion of the mini-series! In this episode, we uncover the question, is the "cholinergic anti-inflammatory reflex" nerves entirely vagal? The answer is not so straightforward. Building on good work by Davide Martelli and Robin McAllen, we uncover crucial role of the efferent arm of the reflex to "also" be sympathetic.And at the end, we also talk about the importance of understanding the referral and implantation pathway and why we remain muted in the ability of neuromodulation for immune-inflammation to be uptaken widely anytime soon. SKRAPS is your podcast, where we on your behalf explores unsaid, underappreciated and sometimes, untold stories of sparks of brilliance in science, technology and innovation. Show CreditsCreated & Produced by: Arun Sridhar Editing: Arun SridharSound design: Arun Sridhar & Swaminathan ThiruGnanaSambandamSound mixing and mastering: Swaminathan ThiruGnanaSambandamSocial Media: Twitter: @PodcastSkrapsLinkedIn: SKRAPSArun's Twitter FeedYou can help us fund the production costs by donating as little as $5 or £5 or in any currency of your choice as a one time or a recurring payment HERE

With the set up of how vagus signalling was deduced by careful and meticulous experiments of Linda Watkins, who built on some amazing results from Hugo Besedovsky, we turn our attention to how the hypothesis moved from tackling acute inflammatory models (e.g. Sepsis) to chronic inflammatory models and disease conditions like Rheumatoid Arthritis. We are joined by Tony Arnold, ex-CEO of SetPoint Medical and Dr. Paul-Peter Tak who pioneered the clinical trials in Rheumatoid Arthritis and Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Also, we cover some shocking moral plaigiarism from Feinstein Institute and Dr. Kevin Tracey in managing their public image. We now know that he was not the single pioneer of the transition to Arthritis and IBD trials as the news media claims or potrays him to be. It actually had many people's hand, especially Paul-Peter Tak's. SKRAPS is your podcast, where we on your behalf explores unsaid, underappreciated and sometimes, untold stories of sparks of brilliance in science, technology and innovation. Show CreditsCreated & Produced by: Arun Sridhar & JoJo PlattEditing: Arun SridharSound design: Arun Sridhar & Swaminathan ThiruGnanaSambandamSound mixing and mastering: Swaminathan ThiruGnanaSambandamSocial Media: Twitter: @PodcastSkrapsLinkedIn: SKRAPSArun's Twitter FeedJoJo's Twitter FeedYou can help us fund the production costs by donating as little as $5 or £5 or in any currency of your choice as a one time or a recurring payment HERE

What happens in the vagus, stays in vagus?? Not with us at SKRAPS. “Science Is a Team Sport”If we truly mean this - I mean, really and truly mean that science is a group effort and not the effort of one person, let's really dive in to this and embrace our opportunities to set the record straight. And I mean let's start right now! As we endeavor to understand The Wanderer, we must also strive to understand the contributors - and not just the marquee names. We hope to shed light on the nerve, the possibilities, the history, and all of the major players - not just a solo artist. After all, as we near the end of another American football season, I think we can appreciate that Joe Montana was better because of Jerry Rice - Troy Aikman thrived with Michael Irvin, and Tom Brady is the GOAT because of his myriad weapons.Let's be true to our intent to make science a team sport and go beyond the lip service.SKRAPS is your podcast, where we on your behalf explores unsaid, underappreciated and sometimes, untold stories of sparks of brilliance in science, technology and innovation. Show CreditsCreated & Produced by: Arun Sridhar & JoJo PlattEditing: Arun SridharSound design: Arun Sridhar & Swaminathan ThiruGnanaSambandamSound mixing and mastering: Swaminathan ThiruGnanaSambandamSocial Media: Twitter: @PodcastSkrapsLinkedIn: SKRAPSArun's Twitter FeedJoJo's Twitter FeedYou can help us fund the production costs by donating as little as $5 or £5 or in any currency of your choice as a one time or a recurring payment HERE or you can buy us a coffee - here

Can you tell me the last time that you know of that we eulogised and attributed even the most difficult concepts to a single eureka moment? Was it yesterday? Was it last week?Was it last month? We have this image of a human jumping out of a bathtub and running naked, shedding your rica or an apple falling from a tree or in the case of psychedelic medicine, the famous bicycle trip of Albert Hoffman.If you think you love this romanticised version, let me break this idea for you.Website: www.skrapspodcast.com/season-5SKRAPS is your podcast, where we on your behalf explores unsaid, underappreciated and sometimes, untold stories of sparks of brilliance in science, technology and innovation. Show CreditsCreated & Produced by: Arun Sridhar & JoJo PlattEditing: Arun SridharSound design: Arun Sridhar & Swaminathan ThiruGnanaSambandamSound mixing and mastering: Swaminathan ThiruGnanaSambandamSocial Media: Twitter: @PodcastSkrapsLinkedIn: SKRAPSArun's Twitter FeedJoJo's Twitter FeedYou can help us fund the production costs by donating as little as $5 or £5 or in any currency of your choice as a one time or a recurring payment HERE

JoJo and Arun are producing some key content that will make you turn your heads in disbelief. Until then, we thought it would be good to get your mind focussed on that wonderful molecule - serotonin that has received fresh life due to its impact on mental health, be it with psychedelics or with electrical stimulation for depression etc. This episode details some wonderful history of how our body is complicated and yet so wonderful and how there are lessons for everyone irrespective of whether you are a pharmaceutical scientist or a bioelectrician. SKRAPS is your podcast, where we on your behalf explores unsaid, underappreciated and sometimes, untold stories of sparks of brilliance in science, technology and innovation. Show CreditsCreated & Produced by: Arun Sridhar & JoJo PlattEditing: Arun SridharSound design: Arun Sridhar & Swaminathan ThiruGnanaSambandamSound mixing and mastering: Swaminathan ThiruGnanaSambandamSocial Media: Twitter: @PodcastSkrapsLinkedIn: SKRAPSArun's Twitter FeedJoJo's Twitter FeedYou can help us fund the production costs by donating as little as $5 or £5 or in any currency of your choice as a one time or a recurring payment HERE

What Is a BCI? And just as importantly, what isn't a BCI? This is an unusual episode and an incredibly fun one. Arun and JoJo enlisted some of the field's top folks to talk through what's in and what's out in this exciting field. https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyakruse2020/ (Amy Kruse) is a general partner at Prime Movers Lab and a self-professed Founder turned Funder (and a neuroscientist by training), https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-angle-6aa34850/ (Matt Angle) is the founder and CEO of Paradromics - developing high data rate BCIs, and https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-gerhardt-1583524/ (Marcus Gerhardt) is the co-founder and CEO of Blackrock Neurotech and is hoping that their BCIs will disrupt the standard for patient care for the 600 million people that suffer from neurological disorders.  This episode has it all - technical glitches, laughter, ruffled feathers (Arun's specialty), and some tantalizing discussions around definitions, dystopia, and delivering on the promise of this incredible technology.  Arun picks at and Matt defends the valuations of BCI companies - replete with funny characters and great voice acting. Amy chimes in with her point of view (plot twist: she's on the side of massive market potential) while Marcus makes the claim that BCI companies are, in fact, under valued. In short, this episode is pretty much your best chance at eavesdropping on a tantalizing conversation among some truly brilliant people on a fascinating topic.  SKRAPS is your podcast, where we on your behalf explores unsaid, under-appreciated and sometimes, untold stories of sparks of brilliance in science, technology and innovation. Show Credits Created & Produced by: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arun11sridhar/ (Arun Sridhar) & https://www.linkedin.com/in/jojoplatt/ (JoJo Platt) Editing: Arun Sridhar Social Media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/PodcastSkraps (@PodcastSkraps) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skrapspodcast (SKRAPS) https://twitter.com/skrappyscience (Arun's Twitter Feed) https://twitter.com/RockinRedSF (JoJo's Twitter Feed) You can help us fund the production costs by donating as little as $5 or £5 or in any currency of your choice as a one time or a recurring payment HERE

At SKRAPS, we are always looking to get behind the veil of the happenings in the field. We want to go beyond the facade of the news headlines. In recognition of this, we are now reading the slug for part 1 of candid conversations or plainly put - “Cutting through the crap in Bioelectronics”. So, we are joining Dr. Robert Spoelgen, Head of Bioelectronics at Merck KGaA, Darmstadt,

Julia Child was a master. She was not a classically trained chef, but pursued cooking as a hobby. Her super power? Passion. A passion for making gastronomy accessible, to deliver an honest and attainable presentation, and she possessed a pure, unadulterated joy for her craft. While https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelackermann/ (Michael Ackermann) isn't a neurotechnolgy hobbyist, he does share other qualities with the inimitable Child. He brings a passion for neurotechnology, mixes it with technical expertise picked up at https://engineering.case.edu/ebme/ (Case Western Reserve University), panache earned through his time at Stanford BioDesign, and pairs it with an excellent vintage of management style.  Hungry yet? We thought you might be. Ackermann was actually one of our early targets for an interview on Skraps. Perhaps it was his humility and desire to keep the focus on the science instead of the personalities that caused him to decline our first plea invitation to record with us, but maybe as we grew in our professionalism and track record, Michael became just a tiny bit more comfortable with the idea. But he did it. We did it. We finally got him on the podcast. I promise, it's worth the wait.  Listen on for the behind the science peek at Ackermann's time in the BioDesign Program, check in as he deftly maneuvers Oculeve to success, and check out what's happening now at Presidio Medical and beyond. Who knows what's next? Perhaps a chocolate soufflé for his wife's recent birthday (I know this because he was unable to join the Cleveland NeuroDesign faculty in person.) Bon appétit! Papers of interest: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34433642/ (Presidio's published research ) Michael Ackermann's https://patents.google.com/?inventor=Michael+Ackermann (Patents on Nerve Block) SKRAPS is your podcast, where we on your behalf explores unsaid, underappreciated and sometimes, untold stories of sparks of brilliance in science, technology and innovation. Show Credits Created & Produced by: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arun11sridhar/ (Arun Sridhar) & https://www.linkedin.com/in/jojoplatt/ (JoJo Platt) Editing: Arun Sridhar Sound design: Arun Sridhar & Swaminathan ThiruGnanaSambandam Sound mixing and mastering: Swaminathan ThiruGnanaSambandam Social Media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/PodcastSkraps (@PodcastSkraps) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skrapspodcast (SKRAPS) https://twitter.com/skrappyscience (Arun's Twitter Feed) https://twitter.com/RockinRedSF (JoJo's Twitter Feed) You can help us fund the production costs by donating as little as $5 or £5 or in any currency of your choice as a one time or a recurring payment HERE

Skraps is turning two. Or is it our second anniversary? I can't quite decide so let's celebrate both. Join us as we walk down memory lane with some highlights (and hopefully no lowlights) of the past two years of their audio partnership. Re-live some of our favorite moments - laughter, tears, learning, and even occasionally, listening. We revisit early episodes (and see how far we've come) with https://skrapspodcast.com/podcasts/skraps/season-1/kevin-kit-parker/ (Kit Parker), https://skrapspodcast.com/podcasts/skraps/season-1/stanton-rowe/ (Stanton Rowe), https://skrapspodcast.com/podcasts/skraps/season-1/sanford-greenberg/ (Sandy Greenberg), and more. With so many hours under our belts, it is impossible to pick "favorites" but we'd love to hear what some of your favorite moments have been, what you'd like to hear more of, and what we can leave on the cutting room floor (that's a reference for an increasingly limited audience - Arun and I are old.) SKRAPS is your podcast, where we, on your behalf, explore unsaid, underappreciated and sometimes, untold stories of sparks of brilliance in science, technology, and innovation. Show Credits Created & Produced by: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arun11sridhar/ (Arun Sridhar) & https://www.linkedin.com/in/jojoplatt/ (JoJo Platt) Editing: Arun Sridhar Sound design: Arun Sridhar & Swaminathan ThiruGnanaSambandam Sound mixing and mastering: Swaminathan ThiruGnanaSambandam Social Media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/PodcastSkraps (@PodcastSkraps) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skrapspodcast (SKRAPS) https://twitter.com/skrappyscience (Arun's Twitter Feed) https://twitter.com/RockinRedSF (JoJo's Twitter Feed) You can help us fund the production costs by donating as little as $5 or £5 or in any currency of your choice as a one time or a recurring payment HERE

Hello friends and dear listeners,   Recently, we were urged by a couple of our British listeners and experienced audio producers in the podcasting space, to nominate our last season's science documentary podcast on Psychedelics for the British Podcast awards.   Without further adieu, here is the 30 minute tape we sent for the second stage of the nomination. SKRAPS is your podcast, where we on your behalf explores unsaid, underappreciated and sometimes, untold stories of sparks of brilliance in science, technology and innovation. Show Credits Created & Produced by: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arun11sridhar/ (Arun Sridhar) & https://www.linkedin.com/in/jojoplatt/ (JoJo Platt) Editing: Arun Sridhar Sound design: Arun Sridhar & Swaminathan ThiruGnanaSambandam Sound mixing and mastering: Swaminathan ThiruGnanaSambandam Social Media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/PodcastSkraps (@PodcastSkraps) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skrapspodcast (SKRAPS) https://twitter.com/skrappyscience (Arun's Twitter Feed) https://twitter.com/RockinRedSF (JoJo's Twitter Feed) You can help us fund the production costs by donating as little as $5 or £5 or in any currency of your choice as a one time or a recurring payment HERE

Funding for Bioelectronic Medicines does not come from traditional venture capital. It also comes from grant funding agencies. While the most well known grant funding bodies are NIH and DARPA in this area, there is also a renewed deeper interest in funding early research to develop products for clinical applications from the EU as well. So we invited, https://www.linkedin.com/in/eclaverol/ (Dr. Enrique Claverol-Tinture (Enric)), https://eic.ec.europa.eu/enric-claverol-tinture_en (Program Manager of the Medical Technologies Program) to talk about their most recent https://eic.ec.europa.eu/eic-funding-opportunities_en (EIC pathfinder and accelerator challenges )that they ran (https://eic.ec.europa.eu/news/european-innovation-council-award-eu145-million-achieve-breakthroughs-emerging-strategic-areas-2022-04-07_en (2021 Pathfinder challenge results here)). EIC is a new body and Enric has autonomy to propose new grant funding ideas for Medical Technologies (MedTech) and run funding cycles. He, inspired by the DARPA model can oversee a MedTech idea from conception to fruition. In this episode, we talk about: How the EIC interest in NeuroTech came to be? How does it operate? What did the last pool of successful applicants look like? How the proposals are evaluated? How does the project move from early feasibility to proof of concept to a clinical application? Trials and tribulations of establishing something from ground up. SKRAPS is your podcast, where we on your behalf explores unsaid, underappreciated and sometimes, untold stories of sparks of brilliance in science, technology and innovation. Show Credits Created & Produced by: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arun11sridhar/ (Arun Sridhar) & https://www.linkedin.com/in/jojoplatt/ (JoJo Platt) Editing: Arun Sridhar Sound design: Arun Sridhar & Swaminathan ThiruGnanaSambandam Sound mixing and mastering: Swaminathan ThiruGnanaSambandam Social Media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/PodcastSkraps (@PodcastSkraps) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skrapspodcast (SKRAPS) https://twitter.com/skrappyscience (Arun's Twitter Feed) https://twitter.com/RockinRedSF (JoJo's Twitter Feed) You can help us fund the production costs by donating as little as $5 or £5 or in any currency of your choice as a one time or a recurring payment HERE

“Laugh and the world laughs with you. Snore and you sleep alone” is a famous quote from the author Anthony Burgess. Sleep Apnea affects 425 million adults over the age of 40. Yet, good treatments are unavailable. In this episode we address how Bioelectronic Medicines helps to alleviate the problem. Links as promised: https://www.inspiresleep.com/ (Inspire Medical) - the first hypoglossal nerve stimulation product on the market. Kingman Strohl's https://youtu.be/SwRdnhVw5SQ (lecture) https://youtu.be/ZzhTbl9E7tA (A Ted Talk on Didgeridoo) SKRAPS is your podcast, where we on your behalf explores unsaid, underappreciated and sometimes, untold stories of sparks of brilliance in science, technology and innovation. Show Credits Created & Produced by: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arun11sridhar/ (Arun Sridhar) & https://www.linkedin.com/in/jojoplatt/ (JoJo Platt) Editing: Arun Sridhar Sound design: Arun Sridhar & Swaminathan ThiruGnanaSambandam Sound mixing and mastering: Swaminathan ThiruGnanaSambandam Social Media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/PodcastSkraps (@PodcastSkraps) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skrapspodcast (SKRAPS) https://twitter.com/skrappyscience (Arun's Twitter Feed) https://twitter.com/RockinRedSF (JoJo's Twitter Feed) You can help us fund the production costs by donating as little as $5 or £5 or in any currency of your choice as a one time or a recurring payment HERE

We are joined by https://www.linkedin.com/in/imraneba/ (Imran Eba) of GlaxoSmithKline's Bioelectronic Medicine fund - https://www.actionpotentialvc.com/ (Action Potential Venture Capital )to talk about investing in Bioelectronic Medicines. APV is the only fund that invests exclusively in bioelectronic medicines - and they've been here since the beginning. This leads to the ongoing question: what is and what is not a bioelectronic medicine (hear all three answers.) After we get through the personal grooming habits of the hosts and our guest as well as the obligatory cricket references (it's hard to put JoJo on her heels in professional sports parlance - but Arun and Imran manage to  keep her quiet for a record time) we launch into a casual conversation about what's happening in neurotech investing. We talk about the trials and tribulations of how the world perceives Bioelectronic Medicines, what it should be, and what the reality is. Generously, Imran also shares with us some insights that every investigator, inventor, and investor should consider when preparing to raise funds in the field of neurotechnology, wait, no - BCIs, no -neuromodulation, gah - I mean... bioelectronic medicine. And if you are looking for the framework for Bioelectronic Medicine that we discuss, you can get it https://skrapspodcast.com/podcasts/bioelectronic-medicines-whats-in-a-name/ (here. ) Special thanks to our sound engineer, Mr. Swaminathan ThiruGnanaSambandam for his artsy work on audio mixing/mastering and sound design for this episode. Special thanks to our sponsors, https://www.cortec-neuro.com/ (CorTec Neuro) & https://www.cirtecmed.com/ (Cirtec Medical). Podchaser: 6xQc3dDQaIFab7JcLAab

Most of us can pretty certainly say that we are alone within our heads. We may joke about inner voices, but what really happens when there genuinely is an external influence deep within a brain? The answer? In the case of two research pioneers, Ian Burkhart and Benjamin Stecher, the answer is nothing short of a miracle. These two souls both underwent life altering surgeries - not just in terms of literally allowing a device to tap into their brains, but surgeries that would do for them what no pill, no prayer, and no person could do for them.Ian Burkhart was paralysed after a spinal cord injury endured while on holiday. What should have been a celebratory day at the beach, enjoyed, recorded, and then stored in his memory bank for future reflection ended in severe physical disability. Ian now serves as a Vice President of the North American Spinal Cord Consortium and is an advocate, speaker, and research pioneer.Benjamin Stecher was handed a diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease at the impossibly early age of 29. He should have been enjoying what many of us believe are the prime years of adulthood when, instead, he was trying desperately to hold on to a “normal” life. He scoured manuscripts, spoke to experts, tested pharmaceutical cocktails to curtail the progression of his disease. Benjamin is an author, advocate, and chair of the Rune Labs Patient Advisory Board.Both of these lionhearted men decided to do what few have done - they have invited a device to take up residence in their respective brains. Listen in to hear the first hand accounts of the what, why, and how they have gone to such lengths. We'll share with you their stories and their triumphs, and certainly their challenges along the way. At the end of this tale, you will know that both are superhuman, but not for the reasons you may think. You'll hear about their journeys that have turned them into authors and advocates, and above all, men of science.Learn more about Ian Burkhart through the Ian Burkhart Foundation and read Benjamin's book, “Brain Fables”. Special thanks to our sponsors, CorTec Neuro & Cirtec Medical. Research & Interviews: JoJo PlattScript: Arun SridharEditing: Arun SridharSound design: Arun Sridhar & Swaminathan ThiruGnanaSambandamAudio engineering/mastering: Swaminathan ThiruGnanaSambandam

PUT YOUR HEADPHONES ON! What does a 4 cm long and 25g in weight crustacean have to teach us about Bioelectronic Medicine and human health? And what does its feeding habits have to tell us about how we deal with tumours? Well, there is more than what meets the eye! If we reveal more than this, we are breaking the plot to you and making your life easy. So, it is time to do the hard yards and go on this underwater exploration first, before we figure out a new frontier for Ultrasound modulation of nerve tumours (in this case - glioblastoma). We cover Dr. Vijay Agarwal and his company - Alpheus Medical for what they are dreaming of, having been inspired by this seemingly innocuous crustacean that has links to World War II, submarines, symbiotic relationships and sonodynamic therapy? Can Alpheus Medical help treat cancer? There is only way to find out. But first, listen to this journey! Our deepest thanks to CorTec Neuro and CirTec Medical for their kind help in bringing these episodes to you.Useful links:Our website: www.skrapspodcast.comDonation Page: www.skrapspodcast.com/donateOur LinkedIn Our Twitter 

The saying, as grotesque as it might be, goes "there's more than one way to skin a cat." In our case, there's more than one way to stimulate a nerve and we've gathered some experts leading the charge (pun very much intended.) Gather around the fire, bring some marshmallows and listen in as we chat with Hubert Lim of the University of Minnesota, Christopher Puleo of GE Research, and Mikhail Shapiro of CalTech about the power and the fury of ultrasound.There are two things that are guaranteed with this group - you will laugh and you will learn something. So, please forgive our indulgences as we dig into the when, the why, and the how this unlikely team came to be and all that they've accomplished so far.To kick off the laugh track, Hubert and Mikhail were kind enough to share some wicked awesome dance moves from each of their respective labs. The Solid Gold Dancers have been put on notice.Our deepest thanks to CorTec Neuro and CirTec Medical for their kind help in bringing these episodes to you.Useful links:Our website: www.skrapspodcast.comDonation Page: www.skrapspodcast.com/donateOur LinkedIn Our Twitter 

Have you ever wondered what decisions go behind deciding if  a pharmaceutical is to be administered either orally or intravenously or via inhalation. Who decides that? Well, the short answer is that it is decided based on a tested pharmaceutical developmental framework that has stood the test of time. First, it is determined by a clinical need, then by what the drug does to the body (pharmacodynamics) and what the body does to the drug (pharmacokinetics) married with other commercial question. Now, if we flip it to Bioelectronic Medicines, we have realized that the field does not have an established framework that is available for everyone to discuss. So we sought to establish that via this episode. We are joined by Dr. Victor Pikov,  who unpicks these crucial questions, as it pertains to Bioelectronic Medicines. We discuss all the crucial questions that needs to be discussed and considered. Special thanks to Laura Szklarski for providing us with a great testimonial and some key actions for you to consider. Our deepest thanks to CorTec Neuro and CirTec Medical for their kind help in bringing these episodes to you. SKRAPS will always remain free, but production of SKRAPS is not. We appreciate kind, recurring donations to help produce such content. You can find more information HERE.

Join Arun & JoJo as they go behind the wall of the science that underpins new treatments for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). While MDD is the leading cause of both personal and societal disability, there are still inadequate treatment options. But the advent of two very areas are bringing hope! The first area is psychedelic assisted psychotherapy that we covered in our psychedelic series - Episode 7 and Episode 8. And second, more exciting and frankly a profound option is the use of the language that the brain uses to communicate and turn that into a treatment. In this episode, we are joined by two wonderful individuals - Dr. Nolan Williams, Asst Professor at Stanford University and Dr. Brett Wingeier. Nolan is both a psychiatrist and a neurologist and with an impressive training. He takes and compresses (quite literally) all the learnings from deep brain stimulation and Transcranial Magnetic stimulation into developing a bespoke theta burst stimulation, and identifying it for a distinct  patient population for its first adaptation - in hospital, psychiatric emergency.Brett Wingeier, the CEO of Magnus Medical is spearheading the development and commercialisation of the SAINT (Stanford Accelerated Intelligent Neuromodulation Trial) technology via his company, Magnus Medical. In fact, based on the results of their most recent trial, Magnus Medical was offered a breakthrough device designation by FDA. Join us as we uncover the science of this wonderful field and how Bioelectronic medicine is moving from movement disorders like Parkinson's disease to positively impacting mental health. This is something that you will hopefully not get anywhere else in one piece. 

The NIH's Neuromodulation Prize was announced on Jan 17, 2002. The $9.8 million dollar prize pot will be awarded over three phases. So we did an interview for  Ladan Jiracek & Neural Implant Podcast around this prize, purely because Arun has experience in working as part of the team that did the GSK Innovation Prize. If anyone has not listened to Ladan's podcast and if you work in the area of #NeuroTech, you should definitely catch up with his interviews. Hope this cross-promo gives you the motivation to check out his podcast.  In fact, this prize is modelled on the GSK Innovation Prize, for which Arun wrote the success criteria for. In fact, Arun spoke to Luminary Labs to provide his feedback as he does now after  he was approached last year, based on his experience with the GSK Innovation Prize. More information on his points can be found HERE. Arun offers his frank comments and how this prize is not an optimal way to fund what NIH SPARC should be doing best, which is to unlock new targets for neuromodulation and bioelectronic medicine. He doesn't just stop with the criticism of the field but also provides critical gaps in the SPARC program and what they should have and should probably fund. This is constructive criticism and appraisal of the area and should not viewed as a controversy. Listen to our discussion with Ladan and make up your mind. Feel free to engage with us on Twitter or LinkedInArun can be reached on twitter HERE. 

What in the world is a Bioelectronic Medicine? As promised, link to schema below

What is a Bioelectronic Medicine? How many of us really even know what it is and understand it? This trailer serves as a primer to the season dedicated to Bioelectronic Medicines where our hosts go behind the veil to explore the idea of how medicines that get on your nerves are made. 

As promised last month, here is part 2 of the story of sound design for the PsychedeRx series - a documentary exploring the therapeutic potential of psychedelics. This series in its entirety can be accessed here using this LINK and PODCAST PLAYER of your choice. The transcripts of every episode is located at our website: www.psychederx.comRemember to rate us on Spotify and subscribe to our newsletter HEREVisit our website: www.skrapspodcast.com for all historical episodes and we look forward to connecting with you in 2022 with even more exciting topics. To support us, please visit: www.skrapspodcast.com/donateArun & JoJo. 

We talked before about the different ways to make a career in science. We've had people from finance, and entrepreneurs driving the start-up world. We've even had a scientific illustrator. There's one area of science and technology that we're covering for the first time today -  this one is near and dear to our hearts because it's something that we at Skraps hope to achieve - and that's effective scientific communications. Jim Cavuoto has been reporting on the field of neurotechnology for over 20 years. Neurotech  Reports is the go-to source for industry news, institutional highlights, conference updates, original research and reporting, and more. Jim's a little bit like our very own Walter Cronkite. Today, you'll get to hear the unlikely origin story of Neurotech Reports and the related conferences that Jim has built. He'll do some serious name dropping - including folks like Warren Grill, Tom Mortimer, Hunter Peckham, Ted Maiman, and even Forrest Gump. We'll also hear about Jim's newest venture, the BioElectRx Business Report - working to bridge the gap between pharma and the neuro device worlds.And that's the way it is.

Recently, one of our loyal listeners sent a very kind message.  It was extremely appreciate of our PsychedeRx series and asked a key question about how we went about doing the music as they referred to. That's when I realized that what I had taken as a necessary and mandatory part of our podcast was appreciated by the listener. It was a very pleasant evening and I ended up smiling the whole evening. I was urged by the listener to put out our thought process so that more people can appreciate our efforts. This is an effort to provide that background. Our twitter ID: https://twitter.com/PodcastSkrapsOur LinkedIn page: Click HereHost Twitter Pages: Arun (click here) and JoJo (click here)

This re-run was triggered by a news article of a horrible event in Ecuador where a prison riot killed 68 people. Such type of events are becoming increasingly commonplace due to organised crime. The rioters and instigators must be dealt with appropriately to control the violence, but beyomnd that where does that leave us? We can take one stance, which is drugs are bad and all drug dealers must be banned, drug consumers must be victimised and jailed for their infractions of law. While this view is probably justified, it doesn't help solve the drug problem. Why? Because, decades of pursuing the bad guys and prohibiting the drugs has not helped eradicate the problem. In fact, it has made it worse says our guest, Neil Woods. Neil is someone who after two and half decades of being an undercover cop, is trying to go to the root cause of the problem and is arguing for evidence based drug policy. In fact, before you make a judgement, Neil's comments will make both conservatives and libertarians happy. Not because, it is political but because he advises following the evidence and ensuring adequate regulations are in place to help people rather than pool all resources behind policing. 

It's the climate change summit week.  So in preparation for everyone, we wanted to re-run this crucial episode that we hope everyone gets to listen to.  She gives a personal viewpoint as a scientist, coming from a coal-mining family and being the first graduate in her family to going on to be the Vice-Provost and Chief Research Officer of Villanova University. Dr. Amanda Grannas leads us a fantastic journey of her experiences as an analytical chemist and how analytical chemistry is a topic that most people don't think but still is such an important part of our life. It surrounds us yet we know so little about it. She re-lives some of the most personal journey of how climate change affects all of us and gives a very passionate defense of "why we must save our planet"? Finally, she closes by how her experiences shapes her leadership both in the lab as a "vial labeller" and her current life as the "Chief Research Officer" of Villanova  (via the VISIBLE program). DISCLAIMER: Our sound quality in our early days was not as good as it is now, so with that caveat, we present the episode to you.  Amanda's Twitter ID: @AmandaGrannasHer lab homepage: http://agrannas.clasit.org/

It's the start of Season 4 of SKRAPS. So first, credit where it is due, thanks so much for the support! Have you ever wondered where the food you eat comes from? No, we do not talk about your carbon footprint or the location of the farm  Food and flavour evokes a strong sense of nostalgia, likes and dislikes in our mind so much so that a particular flavour you smell, taste, love, dislike can evoke a  have a strong feeling or a bittersweet memory, or a sweet aftertaste or even have disgust for.Well, that's what we are here to talk about. We are joined by a fantastic food science geek to talk about the flavours of food and the science of cooking. Krish Ashok is the author of Masala Lab. His book is a revelation but more importantly, while we touch on some key aspects of his motivation to write the book, the bulk of the episode is devoted to history of spices, what it means to cook, how to cook spices, what it gives, the relationship to what it means to have your mouth being on fire and many more nuggets. You will also hear about his fantastic anecdotes of spice history. We are very grateful to Ashok for joining us and sharing such interesting nuggets and it definitely is a breezy listen. Ashok also has a fantastic Instagram page where we routinely posts some cool factoids about food, the world around us and food science. The two clubs that Ashok hosts rooms on clubhouse is located here: Masala trail with Nandita IyerSalem Junction with Sidin Vadukut

If you've listened to the PsychedRx series, or ever contemplated experiencing psychedelics, you've probably asked yourself what a trip is really like. Well, I'd very much like to tell you what it's like, but it's much like trying to describe an exact shade of purple velvet. It's deep, rich, bright, dark, it changes as the light shifts. When you touch it, everything changes. It's different in the morning than it is at night. It's simultaneously warm and cool, comforting and challenging, but it's something you can't fully appreciate or describe without seeing it in person. For additional exploration and examination, we've engaged a first-rate scientist and psychonaut of sorts to help us understand, as best we can… With that, we'd like to thank Juan for sharing his experiences and perspectives with us. We'd also like to thank all of our participants for their time, dedication, talent, and insights. Finally, we'd like to thank each of you for taking this journey with us. Hazzah! 

October 4, 2021  marked the announcement of the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine to Dr. David Julius and Dr. Ardem Parpoutian. This episode goes behind the relevance of their findings and why it is such an important moment for a field that brings together biology, physics, chemistry and medicine. Key Reviews to dig into: TRP channels: Click herePiezo channels: Click here

Hello all, This is JoJo, your friend and co-host of SKRAPS.  I grew up around construction. Tradesmen and experts at the crafts of building and repairing homes were omnipresent in my childhood. From a very young age, I knew more about framing than I did about Barbie dolls. I was comfortable in the world of power tools and knew the importance of “measure twice, cut once” before I knew my multiplication tables. Any contractor worth his or her salt will tell you that a sound foundation is the most important thing you need in any structure. A compromised foundation will compromise everything that you build on top. People have foundations, too. Our education, our family, our upbringing, our experiences and support systems all contribute to building our own foundations. Even with a solid foundation, it can become cracked when the earth below us shifts or when external forces push us too hard. Theses cracks and shifts are sometimes the cause of immense pain - pain so deep that no amount of paint and putty and window dressings can fix the real problem. Oh, we can try and DIY our way out of it - watch a few episodes of “Flip or Flop”, dress up our homes and ourselves, but the cracks remain. And the cracks eventually get bigger. Sometimes, not often, but sometimes, we can find the tools to fix the cracks and bring the foundation back to a sound a solid state. But all too often, we lack the proper tools and skills and the pressures are just too much. The foundation finally gives way and our structures come tumbling down. Why am I speaking in construction metaphors? To demonstrate to you that our tool kit is inadequate. That the chaos and destruction of unaddressed mental health issues are ruinous and that they need a shopping spree at Home Depot. If we can expand our mental health tool kit to include tools like psychedelic medicines, maybe we can salvage a few more homes.Thank you Lindsay for sharing your story of your journey with Justin and for inspiring us to support meaningful research that can give us more, better, and different tools.-JoJo Platt

Join us to listen to the bi-weekly news round up on all things #NeuroTech and #BioelectronicMedicine.This week we talk about academic news with Cleveland NeuroTech Entrepreneurs workshop, UConn hiring spree in Engineering with focus on NeuroTech.On industry side, we cover Rune Labs, Tivic Health, Opinions on Nyxoah and their FDA breakthrough designation, Axonics/ Medtronic Patent Rulings. Plus we are joined by Victor Pikov of Medipace & TRI, Khalid Ishaque of Bioinduction for the new around. Join us for our biweekly Newshour on Clubhouse. We post details on LinkedIn and Twitter. 

Over the ten episodes in this series, it's clear that we are enthusiastic about the future of psychedelic medicines. There are so many potential applications for responsible, physician-assisted therapies that it almost seems as though psychedelics are a silver bullet, or a little black dress - perfect for any occasion and applicable to myriad diseases and conditions. Not to contradict ourselves, but there are definitely situations in which psychedelic medicines are not only ineffective, but ill-advised or flat out a bad idea. We hope to provide responsible and balanced information to our listeners and believe that we have done so. The PTSD episode, you heard from the leaders of Heroic Hearts and Heroic Hearts UK about their non-negotiable exclusion criteria. But the same way you heard emotional personal stories about their success, we thought it imperative to share with you a story about why not everyone and not everything can be helped with psychedelic medicines and why responsible use is the only possible solution.We give our special thanks to Dr. Erika Ross for sharing the story that changed her life. This one is for Kreg.

New molecules, new IP, new opportunities. How can investors be induced to support the massive, but necessary funds required to support the important and carefully regulated research necessary to bring psychedelic therapies to market. Not to be crass, but if something isn't going to bring a profit, it's unlikely to receive much funding, regardless of how much good it might do, certainly not enough to cover the massive costs of bringing a disruptive therapy to market. Companies like Cybin and Bright Minds Bio are looking at modifications to create new IP, improved efficacy, and new delivery mechanisms. With investment validations now taken care of, we need to address issues around delivery of care. Are we prepared to shift to a model of care that moves from weekly one-hour sessions to intensive, multi-hour sessions that require new paradigms that have never been tried? Before you answer, let us ask you another question: with between 11 and 20 out of every 100 US Veterans suffering from PTSD, how can we afford not to try?Clara Burtenshaw, co-founder of Neo Kuma Ventures created the first European Fund dedicated to psychedelics shared with us her motivations, both professional and personal, for focusing on this space. We visited with Wavepaths CEO Mendel Kaelen about their founding principles and objectives; we explore Kernel's entre into the psychedelic research space, and we revisit Doug Drysdale, CEO of Cybin. These are the folks to watch for the future of psychedelic medicines and the healthcare revolution that is coming your way.It has been our pleasure to bring to you this series - this passion project to understand and share the opportunities, challenges, history, and future of psychedelic medicine.Humbly, Arun and JoJoThis series is only possible because of the generosity of spirit, time, resources, and dreams of our guests and contributors. A special thanks to Sharena Rice for her excellent research. Romeo Racz for technical support.  Last but not the least, the unsung hero of our podcast series is our sound engineer, Mr. Swaminathan ThiruGnanaSambandam who did the mixing and mastering of audio. 

Mushrooms changed the world in the 20th century, some say.  Others say, psychedelics are older than humankind. But instead of synthesising molecules and providing it people in a clandestine manner, what if, proper systematic drug discovery and development was done to make psychedelics better? In this penultimate episode of PsychedeRx, we explore a few more stops before we part ways from this extraordinary project. As we all know, drug trials and molecule development require money and vision and fortitude. So, who exactly is driving the commercialization of psychedelics for responsible clinical use? We'll hear from Doug Drysdale, CEO of Cybin. as well as Ian McDonald and Gideon Shapiro, CEO and VP of Discovery of Bright Minds Bio respectively. This is not just a hot stock tip, but rather a primer on what the future of the financial side of the psychedelic research and clinical studies. When we said we would cover all aspects of psychedelics in research, we meant it.

Zeus gave Sisyphus the eternal punishment of forever rolling a boulder up a hill in the depths of Hades for his crimes of being a trickster and twice cheating death. “Then I witnessed the torture of Sisyphus, as he wrestled with a huge rock with both hands. Bracing himself and thrusting with hands and feet he pushed the boulder uphill to the top. But every time, as he was about to send it toppling over the crest, its sheer weight turned it back, and once again towards the plain the pitiless rock rolled down. So once more he had to wrestle with the thing and push it up, while the sweat poured from his limbs and the dust rose high above his head. (Odyssey, Book 11:593)”His tale sounds woefully close to the trials of addiction and depression. Just when you see the light, just when the journey appears as though it will end in success and the completion of a herculean task, life turns that boulder right around and sends you back to the foot of the mountain - only to start the task all over again with nothing more than your corporeal toolkit. But what if Sisyphus had real tools? Not just his hands and brute strength, but genuine tools like levers and pulleys? What if he had a partner to help him brace the boulder while he lassoed it with the rope that could be manipulated to make the work of one man equal to two? and to mitigate the back-roll? Depression and addiction, much like PTSD from episode seven, have benefitted little from new discoveries. The tool kits haven't changed much lately while the rates of incidence climb without check. Is there a way that psychedelics can offer a good old fashioned Craftsman-style revolution? We talk with Celia Morgan (https://psychology.exeter.ac.uk/staff/profile/index.php?web_id=Celia_Morgan), Laurie Higbed (https://theorg.com/org/awakn-life-sciences/org-chart/laurie-higbed ) and others about where the research stands. We'll walk through the history of psychedlics in addiction and depression, and we'll hear from people like Mary Ann Dimond with a poignant reminder that these are not problems, not boulders, not numbers, but people who are struggling, people who are loved, and all to often, people who are gone.

JoJo and I do a fortnightly (bi-weekly) newshour session on all things Neurotech spanning the academic and industry updates. This week we covered a few updates. Most important of all, it is the first women led chairing of Gordon Research Seminar Series as an add-on for Neuroelectronic Interfaces GRC. One of the co-chairs, Nikki Pelot joined us to give us an update for the session. Secondly, we had the honour of hosting Mr. Juan -Pablo Mas of Action Potential Venture Capital who gave us the lowdown on their investment into Exo Imaging. Exo has just raised a massive $220 million Series C. We then covered a bit of information on Tivic Health IPO and other topics that should matter to the Bioelectronic Medicine, Neuromodulation and Neurotech community. 

Mike Jay is a renowned cultural historian and author of 4 fine books. We recently invited Mike to join us on our SKRAPS club session on Clubhouse app. We were also joined by Krish Ashok on the stage. Krish is the author of Masala Lab, a book on the science of Indian cooking. Mike's website: www.mikejay.netFind us on ClubHouse

A cast will help a broken bone to heal, a tourniquet will help to stop the bleeding in a limb, an aspirin will alleviate a headache, time (and ice cream) will help to heal a broken heart. But how do you heal a broken mind? Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is but one of the psychiatric indications with inadequate, frequently ineffective treatment protocols, that has been in the psychedelic spotlight.There's no shortage of heartbreaking stories about men and women who have dedicated their lives to the service of their countries and endured unfathomable trauma. Add to this population the other sources of PTSD like car accidents, witnessing or experiencing violence - or even the threat of violence, sustained stress in traumatic situations (hello, COVID frontline workers - I'm looking at you), and you have an explosion in an untreated or treatment refractory population. Enter psychedelics.In this episode, we are privileged to hear from Jesse Gould, a former Army Ranger, and Keith Abraham, a former member of the UK's Parachute Regiment. These gentlemen both served their countries in combat tours in the Middle East and have suffered the invisible injuries of war. Each found his way to ayahuasca as a means of resolving his PTSD when pharmacological, talk therapy, and wholistic approaches failed him. Ayahuasca healed them when nothing else could; now, through their connected organizations - Heroic Hearts Project and Heroic Hearts Project UK - they are helping other veterans gain access to this highly promising combination therapy of psychedelics and psychiatry in what is now known as psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy.In addition, we explore the story of how MDMA assisted psychotherapy, pioneered by MAPS' pivotal trials were done in an interview with Dr. Jennifer Mitchell This episode will take you into the personal stories, the science, the history, the future, and the promise of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD. Grab a tissue, you're going to need it. (And then go donate to Heroic Hearts Project so that we can help more people heal.) 

You asked for it and you get it! 

We discuss previously underappreciated personal stories of how the Psychedelic Renaissance was sparked since 1971. Description: 1971 was the year when drug prohibition came into force. Did we tell you the story of how the tables were turned against the prohibition of drugs? Or did we tell you the hurdles that were needed to be overcome. Well, that's exactly the point of the episode. We are here to bring to you how the road to psychedelic renaissance was built. And if you think, it came from overwhelming people with data, just like how a typical scientist thinks, you would be amazed at the personalities who paved the way, as much as the ones that broke it for themselves and for the world. We discuss the unconventional paths taken by Amanda Feilding of Beckley Foundation, Rick Doblin of MAPS - Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies and more importantly, the trailblazers who initiated the clinical studies before anyone did - The Heffter Research Institute. We interview the original members - Dr. Mark Geyer of UCSD to tell us the never-reported personal stories of the creation of Heffter Research Institute and the Psilocybin studies. 

If You Can't Beat ‘Em, Help ‘EmYou can't fight fire with fire. Or can you? You can't treat addiction with drugs. Or can you? You can't bandage bruises to a brain. Or can you? You can never expect a cop to have compassion and fight the system. Or can you?There are so many dichotomies when it comes to life and how we think it should be lived. We're already starting to see the strange way that up is down and left is right. So, we're ready to throw one more in your direction. Join us as we talk to Neil Woods, a former undercover police officer who spent 14 years infiltrating the narcotic underworld only to find that maybe the best way to beat ‘em is to join ‘em. Ok, maybe joining them is not the answer, but fighting the drug dealers, the suppliers, and even the users the way that we have for the past 50 years isn't working; it's time for something new. Neil has seen the roughest people on some of the roughest streets and come out the other side - not with vitriol and hatred, but compassion and a new vision for a path forward. And he's not alone. He's spoken before legislators around the world to try to change the way we think about and manage recreational and problematic drug use. Even if you don't agree, you can't argue with a man who has risked it all and forgotten more than you or I will ever know about these wicked ways.Neil is the author of “Good Cop, Bad War” and co-author of “Drug Wars: The Terrifying Inside Story of Britain's Drug Trade.” He is a former undercover officer with the UK police, a board member of the Law Enforcement Action Partnershiphttps://lawenforcementactionpartnership.org/ (LEAP) and an all around badass.

Conclusion: War on Drugs is wrong, unethical and impacts society in a bad way. There is no data to suggest it has worked. In case you missed it, here are some golden nuggets to justify why the war on drugs has been a failure. We are joined by Dr. Julia Buxton, Dr. Jo Neill and Dr. Alex Belser of Cybin Inc for some candid Q&A on this policy. In addition, there are some fantastic resources below: https://twitter.com/BuxtonJulia/status/1406005245424058369?s=20https://julianbuchanan.wordpress.com/2015/04/02/15-benefits-from-the-war-on-drugs/

Tomorrow, it is the 50th anniversary of the war on drugs. But we know the evidence collected since has shown that prohibition has only increased the problems. Join us for a session with experts for a live Q&A on Twitter Spaces. How do you get access to Twitter Spaces session: Join Twitter, Follow Arun, JoJo and SKRAPS.  You will see a purple logo at the top when it is time for the session.Alternately, skip steps 2 and 4, by clicking on this link, set a calendar reminder - https://twitter.com/i/spaces/1mnxealWOkQxX?s=20

We've spent some time already on the definition of psychedelic - and we'll spend more time before this series is over. But, Skraps is a podcast whose roots are run deep in the sciences, we couldn't ignore the topic of the basic pharmacology of psychedelics. This episode is a primer for citizen scientists and holds some intriguing information for the bonafide scientists among us.As always, we don't just deliver science, we are going to start with core science and intertwine the stories of the people who made the discoveries - ultimately ending with an understanding of how psychedelics work. We'll feature the work of Dr. Joanna Neill, a pharmacologist and Chair of the Psychedelics Working Group for Drug Science UK. Dr. Bryan Roth also joins us; Bryan is a professor of pharmacology at the University of North Carolina studying psychedelics with a pretty serious DARPA grant.For a special treat, you'll get to hear JoJo absolutely butcher some basic biology and pharmacology terms. Please DM Arun and let him know that you'd like to get the bonus out-takes of PsychedeRx.

“Who knows what evil lurks in the heart of men? The Shadow knows!”But seriously - who knows? And are the men evil? Or is it their hearts? Or is it the means that they employ? Can their cause serve as cover? Can there be righteous justification for some of the horrendous things done in the name of self-preservation? In the short gap between World War II and the Cold War, America was battling new enemies, both foreign and domestic. How could that be? How could the superpower that conquered the Nazis and fought off attacks from the Pacific suffer internal moral and ethical turpitude? Fear. Fear causes people to do amazing and improbable things. Fear of an enemy, fear of an unknown. They are powerful motivators and ones that Syndey Gottlieb embraced with every fibre of his professional being. The same man whose family would have been Nazi victims engaged in some of the most insidious “experiments” known to man - experiments based on the knowledge and tutelage of the same Nazi scientists who deployed the gasses that would have killed his own family. Join us as New York Times reporter and prolific author, Stephen Kinzer introduces us to the most diabolical personalities of the psychedelic journey to date. This episode includes nothing short of the best Bourne thriller - with murder, mayhem, science, spies, brainwashing, and oh so much more. And then… let's bring in Mr. LSD himself, Dr. Timothy Leary. All of this came to a pinnacle, and contributed to the 1971 war on drugs. Join us as we explore paranoia, brutality, recklessness and glorification of recreational use led to where we are today. 

Drug discovery doesn't happen in a vacuum. So much of the world's geopolitical activities affect what happens both inside and outside of the lab. Lysergic Acid Diethylamide was such a curious drug that there were seemingly no limits to how and when it would be tested. Episode three of PsychedeRx kicks off with an LSD-laden military training exercise. Don't laugh. It really did happen and we have the tapes to prove it. All in the name of science, right?We bring back Mike Jay from Episode Two to bring some of the highlights from the lab of Albert Hoffman and how his cult-favorite bicycle “trip.” A day now celebrated around the world. We'll see how Sandoz, the Swiss pharmaceutical company, passed out LSD to psychiatrists around the world in an attempt to find out just what the heck this chemical could really be used for - including as a possible cure for alcoholism.As always, we want you to listen in and ask the hard questions. Were these incidents that shaped the reputation and the future of these substances use or misuse? Were they inherently bad, or was it their handling that earned the demonized notoriety? Hoffman's Potion Documentary Link:  CLICK HERE

Peyote crosses the border and causes a riot. Drug companies want their taste, and psychedelics reach the social elite. What could possibly go wrong?In episode two of PsychedeRx, Peyote comes north to the good old US of A. And it's not just for religious ceremonies anymore, either. Spanish conquistadors and European explorers, seeking to dominate the indigenous tribes, used Peyote to show force by banning its use and denying the tribes their spiritual practices. And we all know what happens when prohibitions are imposed - the use doesn't stop, it just gets moved underground. James Mooney, an ethnographer dispatched by the Smithsonian Institute, is one of our best resources for this era. He committed to his diary first-hand accounts of the use of and backlash against peyote in tribal rituals.As Peyote moved north, albeit underground, it became the catalyst for a series of events that were bloodier than an episode of Dexter. Wovoka and the Ghost Dance were the turning point. The execution of Sitting Bull led to the massacre at Wounded Knee - and it was all over peyote and freedom of religion - ain't that an ironic twist?Episode two also sheds light on the earliest interventions of the drug companies like Merck and Parke-Davis and their part in our little psychedelic drama. Arthur Heffter separates the resins from the alkaloids and isolates the first real information on dosing. We get a close-up look at how the psychiatrists and psychologists got involved - where they got it right, and where they got it all wrong. Psychedelics also make their way into the world of the social elites through folks like Aldous Huxley and Ken Kesey. We'll close out this week with our first peek at LSD. So remember to “Turn on, tune in, and drop out.”

Where were you on June 18, 1971? Did you know that was when Richard Nixon, the United Nations, and other world leaders changed the course of popular culture, scientific experimentation, and mind exploration for the next five decades? Did you know that substances that have the potential to change the way we treat myriad diseases and conditions - ones that have little or no reliable treatments today - were fated on that day to be imprisoned like Hannibal Lecter?Join us for the first of a series of Skraps Original episodes as we explore the use, misuse, and history of psychedelics. In this episode, we will cover the most important question of what these substances are, and begin to question why they were lumped in with other addictive substances by exploring the history of how curiosity-induced exploration on one side clashed with religious single-mindedness. This manifested itself in how these plant-based substances were viewed then and for centuries later, in the eyes of the western world. PsychedeRx will cover the ancient history of plant-based psychedelics including their religious, ceremonial, tribal uses and the dangers imposed by the European views of those uses. We'll experience murder, mayhem, executions, displacement, and more. We'll talk to psychedelic historian Mike Jay to get the full story of the full journey - one that started long before Nixon and other world powers set their limited, short-sighted fear loose upon the world.Subscribe to SKRAPS on your favorite podcast platform to make sure you don't miss a minute of this riveting journey.