Student discovers fungus predicted by Albert Hoffman

Framing of LSD and Drug Policy

• Several commenters object to the article’s line that LSD “is used to treat” depression/PTSD/addiction, noting it’s Schedule I in the US and not widely available as an approved treatment.
• Others reply that clinical/experimental use does exist and point to published trials and religious exemptions, but emphasize it’s not mainstream medicine.
• Drug scheduling is repeatedly described as politically and racially motivated, contrasting criminalized psychedelics and cannabis with legal alcohol and tobacco.
• There’s debate over whether moral arguments against drugs are religiously rooted and whether the “War on Drugs” is really a “war on the poor.”

Hofmann’s “Problem Child” and Article Tone

• The “problem child” phrasing is partly criticized as stigmatizing, but multiple people note it’s a direct reference to Hofmann’s own book title.
• Some feel the article is overly rosy about therapeutic use and underplays that most LSD is used recreationally/self‑medicationally.

Significance of the Student’s Sequencing Work

• One thread questions how “significant” genome sequencing is if an external lab did the actual sequencing.
• Replies explain the likely student contributions: choosing the organism, isolating DNA, assembling the genome from reads, interpreting results, and securing a grant.
• Others stress that accidental discoveries are still real science: “chance favors the prepared mind.”

LSA, Morning Glory, and the Fungus

• Commenters note that LSA in morning glory seeds has been known for a long time; the key finding is identifying the endosymbiotic fungus that actually produces it.
• There is some confusion over whether the fungus makes LSD itself or just related ergot alkaloids; several say this remains unclear from the article.

Psychedelic Benefits vs. Risks

• Multiple personal accounts describe LSD or psilocybin as transformative or even life‑saving when other treatments failed, especially with integration therapy.
• Others recount long‑lasting trauma or personality disruption after psychedelics, even with “good set and setting,” and criticize evangelism that dismisses risks.
• A YouTube psychiatrist is cited warning that psychedelics can induce PTSD; commenters argue over how strongly to generalize that caution.

Broader Scientific and Ecological Context

• Some emphasize how common it is to discover new fungi and plant‑fungus symbioses, and how little of plant biodiversity has been genomically characterized.
• The thread connects habitat loss and genetic diversity collapse to the loss of potentially valuable biochemical “libraries” in nature.