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Drugs. Those illegal mind-altering poisons. Can you believe people actually do these things?
Believe it.
And it's not just the laypeople who are using. There are plenty of brilliant heavyweights in the science and technology worlds that have said they enjoy their drugs.
Famous astrophysicist Carl Sagan secretly loved weed, a fact that only came to light after his death. Steve Jobs made several mentions throughout his lifetime about his LSD experiences being incredibly important to him.
In fact, a 2011 Johns Hopkins University study gave test subjects psychoactive doses of magic mushrooms. Of the 51 participants in the experiment, roughly two out of three identified the effects of their mushroom trip as one of the five most meaningful experiences of their lives.
In an interview with Wired, an early Cisco employee named Kevin Herbert said that a drug like LSD can be an effective tool in problem solving. He believed it so strongly that he stepped in to prevent Cisco from ever drug testing a technologist.
So whether it was for furthering the great cause of humanity or to seek an escape from the stresses of the world, here are 11 people who were both brilliant and sometimes on drugs.
Francis Crick: LSD
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One half of the famous Watson and Crick, Francis Crick reportedly discovered the double-helix structure of DNA in 1953 while under the influence of LSD.
Steve Jobs: LSD
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Let's hear it from the man himself:
"Throughout that period of time [1972-1974] I used the LSD approximately ten to fifteen times," Jobs said. "I would ingest the LSD on a sugar cube or in a hard form of gelatin. I would usually take the LSD when I was by myself. I have no words to explain the effect the LSD had on me, although, I can say it was a positive life changing experience for me and I am glad I went through that experience."
Bill Gates: LSD
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This Playboy interview from 1994 says it all:
PLAYBOY: One LSD story involved you staring at a table and thinking the corner was going to plunge into your eye.
GATES: [Smiles]
PLAYBOY: Ah, a glimmer of recognition.
GATES: That was on the other side of that boundary. The young mind can deal with certain kinds of gooping around that I don't think at this age I could. I don't think you're as capable of handling lack of sleep or whatever challenges you throw at your body as you get older. However, I never missed a day of work.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider