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Re:Psilocybin repairs 'brains cells damaged by depression' i... by Gatsky on Wednesday July 07, 2021 @03:00AM (#27758201)
Thanks for this insight. Searching it up there is evidence that psilocybin affects insect behaviour in a way that benefits the fungus that produces it [1]. This provides an explanation for how a neuro-modifying and low toxicity molecule could evolve.

Nevertheless, it still seems quite remarkable that such a molecule could coincidentally send a big mammal on a trip through the doors of perception.

[1] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S175450481...

Re:Psilocybin repairs 'brains cells damaged by depression' i... by wombatmobile on Wednesday July 07, 2021 @03:22AM (#27758327)
> Nevertheless, it still seems quite remarkable that such a molecule could coincidentally send a big mammal on a trip through the doors of perception.

Perhaps at first thought, yes, because mammals, insects and mushrooms are such different things.

To put it in perspective though, they share more than 2 billion years of evolutionary history when you look past their last common ancestor.

That M1 CPU in your new MacBook is a much mightier beast than the little black ICs in your grandfathers transistor radio, but they both rely on the same fundamental NPN silicone junction property. And that’s only 60 years of evolution.