It's known on the street as Ecstasy, MDX, or Molly, but MDMA is now being tested as a way to treat the millions of Americans who suffer from chronic PTSD. Today, one of the premier drivers of MDMA research brings his mission to fund clinical trials to New England.
Then, fans of Downton Abbey know that it takes a well-oiled domestic staff to keep a British estate looking pristine. We’re taking deeper look into the history of British servitude...and cleaning.
Listen to the full show.
MDMA Treatment
Decades after Dr. Timothy Leary was fired from Harvard for letting undergraduates participate in psychedelic studies, researchers at prominent schools around the world are again conducting trials on LSD and Psilocybin to combat alcoholism and soothe anxiety among the terminally ill.
Last year, the Drug Enforcement Administration greenlighted a clinical study to test the safety and efficacy of MDMA - known as the street drug Ecstasy or Molly - for treating long-term depression and PTSD. One of the primary movers of these trials is MAPS, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies. MAPS is holding Global Psychedelic Dinner fundraisers across the country to raise money for research and there's one at Fireworks restaurant in Brattleboro, Vermont tonight (4/25).
Rick Doblinis president of MAPS and he'll be speaking at the dinner in Brattleboro – we spoke with him about his research.
Impostor Syndrome Isn't Real
In 1978, two clinical psychologists came up with the term "impostor phenomenon" to describe high-achieving people unable to take credit for their own successes; those who instead chalk it up to luck, or being in the right place at the right time, all the while living in fear they'll be exposed as frauds. Maybe you've heard it called "imposter syndrome," or seen the quizzes, articles and think pieces claiming to "diagnose" or "treat" the condition. In recent years, "imposter syndrome" has become an easy explanation for why women struggle with disparity in the workplace.
L.V. Andersonis an associate editor at Slate, where she recently wrote about some of the misconceptions about impostor syndrome, beginning with labeling it a syndrome, rather than a normal part of experiencing success.
Related: Feeling Like an Impostor is Not a Syndrome
Names vs. The Nothing
When you drive through most US cities a particular aspect of the landscape goes largely unnoticed. These are the vacant lots and median strips and tiny triangles of land in urban environments that are side effects of the automobile age.
In the city of Baltimore these overlooked, nameless public spaces have become the passion project for one man who’s giving them a name to call their own as part of the New Public Sites project.
This story was produced by Roman Mars and Sam Greenspan from the podcast 99% Invisible. You can listen to it again at PRX.org.
Mind Your Manors
The great manors scattered across countries like England are remnants of an empire past. Fans of Downton Abbey and Upstairs Downstairs get a glimpse of what it takes to maintain these well-appointed, colossal estates - namely a cluster of coordinated domestic staff. While most of us don't have butlers, kitchen maids and boot-polishers to keep things our homes up to snuff, their decades of dedicated experience and knowledge need not go to waste.
Lucy Lethbridge is author of Mind Your Manors: Tried and True British Household Cleaning Tipsand she joined us with some tips on caring for your castle...or at the very least, some sound advice on spring cleaning.