The upstart sci-fi blog io9 (published by the gang at Gawker Media, in case you were living in an ayahuascero's hut for the last few weeks and didn't see word of its launch) recently ran a vaguely interesting poll about sci-fi drugs:

Science fiction is full of weird made-up drugs, many of which sound way more fun than boring old smack. There are drugs that make you telepathic, let you navigate space-time, or just give you trippy-ass visions. This wealth of options is due to the fact that science fiction fans are all drug fiends, says one famous author.

While I know plenty who would sell their souls for a chance to become addicted to the spice, the options in their poll - with the exception of soma, which would certainly be interesting I imagine - seem to pale in comparison to some of the actual drugs that seem to be tantalizing us from the near future. Still, it's a fun thought problem, and naturally with my appetite, I'm sure I'd find a way to OD on spice and accidentally fold time and space, origami-style, into a pterodactyl or something.

Did you know that one of rock-n-roll's greatest anthems was only three tracks? Believe it! It all makes sense in this waveform deconstruction of the track with the three parts isolated. Watch it as long as you can stand it, then skip to the 7:10 mark to see them all roll by at once. Pretty. Damn. Cool.

Thanks Sheldon!

There's a big spread on ABCNews today about Afghanistan's booming problem with heroin addiction. The article is full of images of junkies hunting for veins in bombed out buildings littered with syringes and human waste. Gee, that sounds like shooting galleries everywhere...

Afghanistan has cornered the poppy and heroin market, now producing more than 90 percent of the world's heroin. That huge supply has driven down the street price for the drug here. A 1-gram dose now goes for 60 Afghan rupees, or about $1.10.

The poppy industry has also set off a "secondhand" epidemic; children and spouses of heroin or opium refiners have become hooked from the particles on spouses or father's clothing.

And you though second-hand smoke was bad, now kids have to worry about second-hand opium particles. What a world!

In a desperate bid to appear relevant again, 'American Pie' actress Natasha Lyonne tells tales of her struggles with drug addiction:

The actress - who played Jessica in the hit teen movie - was in hospital for five months in 2005 after her drug abuse spiralled out of control.

She said: "I was in a lot of pain. I couldn't move, couldn't breathe, could hardly talk and could barely walk."

Lyonne, 28, admits she was on the path to self-destruction and was no longer concerned about her acting career.

She told the New York Post newspaper: "It definitely felt like I was on a mission, and working was not high on my priority list. I just did not foresee myself being an actress when all was said and done."

Those are some amazing powers of prognostication! Also, it was during this time that Lyonne also threatened to sexually molest her neighbor's dog. That was probably the drugs talking. You think?

Mae Nutt, a geriatric pot activist also known as "Grandma Marijuana" has passed to the great beyond. Pot activist groups will be holding auditions for a new "Grandma Marijuana" next week. Female applicants over the age of 65 are encouraged to audition (just kidding).

A group of scientists gives us reefer fans more to rejoice about:

Background: Cannabinoids, in addition to having palliative benefits in cancer therapy, have been associated with anticarcinogenic effects. Although the antiproliferative activities of cannabinoids have been intensively investigated, little is known about their effects on tumor invasion.

Man, between this and prion diseases you'd be stupid NOT to smoke weed.

The trials and tribulations of drug abuse play out in operatic detail in our everyday lives. Where would we be without images of beautiful people losing their minds for all the world to see?

The fallen pop tart had to be wheeled out of her Beverly Hills mansion by paramedics and taken to the Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre by ambulance on a "medical hold" after police found her under the influence of an "unknown substance".

An "unknown substance"? Perhaps "hubris", perhaps "pathos", or perhaps "tragic irony"? Or maybe it was that new designer drug, "public self-destruction". Britney Spears is under the influence alright; the more she falls down, the more we want to watch.

OK, I'm officially back from vacation, although I'm not on a particular schedule anymore, but still - I'm now dialed back in well enough to offer you ridiculous treats like this sketch from a BBC comedy show that is essentially perfect in its exquisite absurdity:

Scientific American recently ran a very snazzy overview of the current state of research into the therapeutic effects of psychedelics; as Entheogenic Reformation noted, "This is a very positive article in an extremely revered and popular publication." Indeed, the only individuals quoted in the article are usual suspects like Rick Doblin, David Nichols, and Charles Grob; there's no attempt to pull in some kind of anti-psychedelic, "war on drugs"-level viewpoint, since the research seems to be so clear, and it's all approved research anyway. It's an encouraging read, which is a welcome contrast to the relentless flow of scare stories and casualty reports that the media typically chooses to hype.

In another 2006 study, researchers at the University of Arizona, led by psychiatrist Francisco Moreno, found that psilocybin relieved the symptoms of nine patients with OCD. The patients suffered from a wide range of obsessions and compulsions. Some of them showered for hours; others put on their clothes over and over again until they felt right. All nine experienced improvements with at least some of the doses tested.

“What we saw was a drastic decrease in symp­toms for a period of time,” Moreno says. “People would report that it had been years since they had felt so good.” Moreno cautions that the goal was simply to test the safety of administering psilocybin to OCD patients and that the true effectiveness of the drug is still in question until a larger controlled study can be conducted. Such a study is being planned, although there are currently no funds available for it. According to Moreno, however, no treatment in the medical literature eases OCD symptoms as fast as psilocybin does. Whereas other drugs take several weeks to show an effect, psilocybin worked almost immediately.

The Stranger's Dominic Holden recently published an excellent - and maddening - piece about an ecstasy-related death in Washington state, and the fall-out that has resulted in one of the dead girl's friends taking most of the heat. Danielle Dawn McCarthy, a 16-year-old, took two pills of street ecstasy and drank a quantity of beer; she didn't survive the experience.

Danielle's seizure lasted about five minutes, and after it ended she appeared to fall asleep. Other people began going to sleep in various rooms of the house. Some members of the group said they woke up at 6:30 a.m., but others claimed it wasn't until 8:30 a.m. that Ryan Mills started dinging a cowbell to wake the group. Danielle looked terrible. Her face was cold to the touch; her lips were blue. So, once again, the group had to make a decision. They could call 911, they could drive Danielle to the hospital, or they could take matters into their own hands.

Some guys carried Danielle to a tub they had filled with warm water, where Dona splashed water on Danielle's face. But Danielle was unresponsive. After 15 minutes, one of them lifted Danielle's arm and let go. Instead of relaxing, Danielle's muscles stiffened and her hand hardened into a cup. Everyone panicked.

But they still didn't call 911.

And why do you suppose they didn't do that? Well, something about a pesky war on drugs...

The state of Washington's position is clear: If someone calls 911 when a friend is overdosing, not only does the witness risk charges for possessing or selling drugs (which 911 callers in these situations have feared since the passage of the Controlled Substances Act), but he or she could be charged with homicide, too. The end result? Overdose victims—who might survive with prompt medical care—may be abandoned and left to die.

"It goes in the wrong direction and cuts against overdose prevention, overdose reporting, and taking someone to the hospital," says defense attorney Hiatt. "If I give you the drugs, I'll be less likely to take you to the hospital."

In the end, it's not entirely clear that "ecstasy" is the primary reason the girl died (an undiagnosed form of diabetes may have been the smoking gun), but that's not the point of Holden's piece. What he drives home is this: no matter what the authorities do, demand for illegal drugs will never be fully suppressed, and in the meantime, the law seems structured to inflict undue punishment on these users all across the board. The analogy Holden makes is that "it's the equivalent of holding a gun dealer liable if someone shoots himself," which would never pass legislative muster. But apparently individual pills of street ecstasy are just inherently more dangerous than guns, and deserve punishment further up the chain - at the expense of any poor users who underestimate their own health or make any other miscalculation.

It's just weird, I tell you.