Ace chats with Lucas Forshee about his thesis on the molecule strychnine, which, despite being poisonous, was used as a stimulant for athletes in the 1904 Olympics. Lucas shares a bit about the chemical composition of strychnine, why it’s such a complicated molecule, and why it’s so fascinating to researchers.

But Lucas’s research didn’t just take place in the chemistry lab: a big part of his project was developing a written history of strychnine. Tune in to hear Lucas reflect on synthesizing the humanities and science in his thesis, and how this process gave him a renewed love for writing and a desire to return to graduate school (eventually).

Reed community members can read Lucas’s thesis, “Strychnine: History and Synthesis,” online in the Electronic Thesis Archive.