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One Small Bicycle Ride For Man, One Giant Trip For Mankind!
On April 19, 1943 Dr. Albert Hofmann, the first chemist to synthesize lysergic acid diethylamide, took the first deliberate LSD trip, and went down in counter-culture history. Hofmann was born in Baden, Switzerland and studied chemistry in Zurich. In 1929 he began working for Sandoz Labs researching ergot fungi and trying to purify the lysergic acid from the fungus for pharmaceutical purposes. He first synthesized LSD in 1938, but when it did not show the desired stimulant effect, it was put on the shelf. In 1943, he revisited the compound and on April 19th he deliberately ingested 250 micrograms and recorded the results. Once his office furniture began approaching him menacingly, Hofmann felt he would be safer at home and rode his bicycle back to his house. Subsequently, April 19th has become known as “Bicycle Day” in honor of this first “trip”. As a kid, I always thought “Oddball” from “Kelly’s Heroes” was a nod to ‘60s counter-culture to increase the popularity of the movie. But nope, he could have been a real guy in 1945 Austria! Hofmann would go on to write many papers about LSD, and his book “LSD: My Problem Child” would address his belief in the psycho-analytic benefits of LSD, misuse by the 1960s counter-culture, and the resulting political backlash that led to worldwide prohibition. When asked how he got into chemistry, Dr. Hofmann replied, “Mystical experiences in my childhood, in which Nature was altered in magical ways, provoked questions concerning the essence of the external, material world, and chemistry was the scientific field which might afford insights into this.” It sounds like Dr. Hofmann was destined to discover LSD. So this week at King's Hobby Shop, 7801 N Lamar Blvd, Suite E-188 we have curated a psychedelic selection of kits for your immersion. Or you can log in to kingshobby.com to see all the groovy offerings available from our virtual warehouse.
King's Hobby Shop Staff
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