Presenter: Audra McNamee – Mathematics and Computer Science
Faculty Mentor(s): Luca Mazzucato
Session: (In-Person) Poster Presentation
Scientific communication through the use of comics is an emerging trend across scientific disciplines. Comics are a promising medium for outreach because they appeal to non-scientifically trained audiences, hold the reader’s attention, and the storytelling approach lends itself to explaining complex scientific information. Psychedelics are a promising subject for a scientific comic: psychedelics have recently been designated by the FDA as breakthrough treatment for PTSD, depression, and addiction. While the press on psychedelics is unceasing, most publications about psychedelics are focused on venture capital, psychedelic retreats, and clinical trials. Missing is an explanation of the neuroscience of psychedelics, and reflection on how the history of psychedelics intersect with racial justice and cultural appropriation of indigenous traditions and practices. We are creating a comic addressing these gaps in the science and history of psychedelics by explaining scientific material accurately and accessibly.
The comic is structured around the conversation between two friends, one of whom is very pro-psychedelics, the other being staunchly anti-psychedelics. Having the comic take the form of a dialogue will offer space for argument and nuance: putting psychedelics into historical context, explaining and disproving common myths about psychedelics, explaining how social justice and psychedelics interact, and providing an introductory understanding of the science of psychedelics.