Americans Increase LSD Use--and a Bleak Outlook for the World May Be to Blame

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July 10, 2020

Dear Reader,   A new study shows that from 2015 to 2018, the rate of millennials and young adults dropping acid increased by more than 50 percent in the U.S. Researchers suspect the rise is fueled by a need for chemical escapism to find relief from depression, anxiety and general stress over the state of the world. Psychedelic drugs have shown promise as treatments for addiction, PTSD and other mental illnesses. Read our lead story to learn more. In climate news, scientists reported this week that global temperatures are inching closer to a worrisome climate milestone. The deadline to act on ambitious climate goals is rapidly approaching, they say. And lastly, an extinction marks a sad milestone. This past March the smooth handfish officially became the first modern-day marine fish to be declared extinct.

Sunya Bhutta, Senior Editor, Audience Engagement @sunyaaa

Behavior & Society Americans Increase LSD Use--and a Bleak Outlook for the World May Be to Blame Millennials and older adults lead the surge while Gen Z stays on the sidelines By Rachel Nuwer

Climate Worrisome Signs Emerge for 1.5-Degree-C Climate Target There is a 24 percent chance that global average temperature could surpass that mark in the next five years By Chelsea Harvey,E&E News

Conservation Smooth Handfish Extinction Marks a Sad Milestone For the first time the IUCN Red List has officially declared a marine fish alive in modern times to be extinct  By David Shiffman

Policy & Ethics Counterfactual Experiments Are Crucial but Easy to Misunderstand With COVID-19, as with climate, we need to explore a variety of possible futures in order to set policy By Gary Yohe,Ben Santer,Henry Jacoby,Richard Richels

Evolution Polynesians and Native South Americans Made 12th-Century Contact Scientists have found snippets of Native South American DNA in the genomes of present-day Polynesians, and they trace the contact to the year 1150. Christopher Intagliata reports. By Christopher Intagliata | 03:34

Public Health Coronavirus News Roundup, July 4-July 9 Pandemic highlights for the week By Robin Lloyd

FROM THE STORE Quantum Universe   Strange and probabilistic, physics at the smallest scales is driving innovation and research into the nature of reality. In this eBook, we examine the latest mind-bending studies in quantum mechanics, including theoretical mysteries such as entanglement, real-world applications, innovations in communications and computing and more. *Editor's Note: Quantum Universe was originally published as a Collector’s Edition. The eBook adaptation contains all of the articles, but some of the artwork has been removed to optimize viewing on tablet devices.

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FROM THE ARCHIVE LSD's Long, Strange Trip Explained When LSD binds to serotonin receptors, it pulls a "lid" closed behind it, locking it in place for hours, and explaining its long-lasting effects. Christopher Intagliata reports.  By Christopher Intagliata | January 2017

QUOTE OF THE DAY "LSD is used primarily to escape. And given that the world's on fire, people might be using it as a therapeutic mechanism." Andrew Yockey, doctoral candidate in health education at the University of Cincinnati

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