shocked Posted November 21, 2010 Share Posted November 21, 2010 An interesting exhibition at The Wellcome Collection, London Running until 27 February 2011 http://www.wellcomecollection.org/whats-on/exhibitions/high-society.aspx With the illicit drug trade estimated by the UN at $320 billion (£200bn) a year and new drugs constantly appearing on the streets and the internet, it can seem as if we are in the grip of an unprecedented level of addiction. Yet the use of psychoactive drugs is nothing new, and indeed our most familiar ones - alcohol, coffee and tobacco - have all been illegal in the past. From ancient Egyptian poppy tinctures to Victorian cocaine eye drops, Native American peyote rites to the salons of the French Romantics, mind-altering drugs have a rich history. 'High Society' will explore the paths by which these drugs were first discovered - from apothecaries' workshops to state-of-the-art laboratories - and how they came to be simultaneously fetishised and demonised in today’s culture. Check out the events link - Packed Lunch with Celia Morgan 1 December 2010 Feed your curiosity at our daytime discussions. Drop in to hear local scientists in conversation about their latest experiments, life in the lab and why science matters to everyone, all in the space of your lunch hour. Bring your sarnies with you to eat while you listen. What’s it like being a scientist with a licence to possess illegal drugs? Celia Morgan, a psychologist at UCL, works on cannabis and ketamine, conducting experiments on people who are high on their own supply to determine the effect of drugs on their cognitive function. Join her to find out about the science of getting stoned. Describing the Drug Experience 2 December 2010 Most medicinal drugs can be tested in the lab or on animals, and their effects measured and observed. But drugs that alter consciousness can only be fully described by human subjects - often reporting wildly different experiences. Can science make sense of these subjective experiences, or are they better conveyed by artists or writers? Speakers Susan Blackmore, Visiting Professor at the School of Psychology, University of Plymouth Geoff Dyer, novelist, essayist and art critic Mike Jay, author and historian of drugs and science, curator of the 'High Society' exhibition What is a Drug? 20 January 2011, Mind-altering drugs are a universal habit, but an acquired taste: one culture’s religious sacrament is another’s public health problem. Over the last century, the West has medicalised or banned many plant drugs that still occupy traditional roles in other societies. How did the contemporary category of ‘drug’ come into being, and how do attitudes differ across other times and places? Speakers Valerie Curran, Professor of Psychopharmacology, UCL. Stephen Hugh-Jones, Honorary Emeritus Associate of the Department of Social A nthropology, University of Cambridge. Andy Letcher, lecturer in religious and cultural studies, author of Shroom: A cultural history of the magic mushroom. Please note - these events are free of charge Telegraph review - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/8118767/High-Society-exhibition-can-dope-give-us-hope.html High Society exhibition: can dope give us hope? The ban on hallucinogens is holding back vital research into their medical benefits, says Jake Wallis Simons. shocked Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shocked Posted January 17, 2011 Author Share Posted January 17, 2011 Mike Jay on Euronews – http://www.euronews.net/2010/11/12/high-society-exhibition-on-drug-use- What is a Drug? 20 January 2011, 19.00 - 20.30 http://www.wellcomecollection.org/whats-on/events/what-is-a-drug.aspx shocked Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shocked Posted February 2, 2011 Author Share Posted February 2, 2011 Listen to an edited audio recording of the event - http://www.wellcomecollection.org/whats-on/events/what-is-a-drug.aspx Mind-altering drugs are a universal habit, but an acquired taste: one culture’s religious sacrament is another’s public health problem. Over the last century, the West has medicalised or banned many plant drugs that still occupy traditional roles in other societies. How did the contemporary category of ‘drug’ come into being, and how do attitudes differ across other times and places? Speakers Valerie Curran, Professor of Psychopharmacology, UCL. Stephen Hugh-Jones, Honorary Emeritus Associate of the Department of Social A nthropology, University of Cambridge. Andy Letcher, lecturer in religious and cultural studies, author of Shroom: A cultural history of the magic mushroom The evening was conducted by Claudia Hammond. shocked Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shocked Posted January 26, 2012 Author Share Posted January 26, 2012 The Ecology, Cosmos and Consciousness lectures series presents: High society: Mind-altering drugs in history and culture Mike Jay Tuesday, 31st January, 2012 October Gallery, London. http://www.octobergallery.co.uk/events/index.shtml Drawing on themes and images from the exhibition he curated at the Wellcome gallery in 2010-11, Mike will survey humanity's engagement with psychoactive plants and chemicals and explore why 'drugs' have developed such a controversial image in the modern West. shocked Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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