LSD Microdosing: The New Silicon Valley Productivity Hack
George Burke says taking tiny hits of acid has changed his work, and his life, for the better.
Tech entrepreneur George Burke consumes a tiny amount of LSD (about a tenth of a typical dose) every morning before he goes to work.
He says "microdosing" subtly improves his cognitive functioning.
"I notice that my brain seems to be able to solve problems a little bit better than…before," says Burke, who runs a startup called Fuel that helps its clients custom tailor their diets to their unique genetic makeups.
The use of psychedelics as productivity and creativity hacks is deeply rooted in Silicon Valley culture. Burke was partly inspired to go public about his drug use by the late Steve Jobs, who told his biographer Walter Isaacson, "[t]aking LSD was a profound experience, one of the most important things in my life."
"People have to actually have to step up and state what they've been doing," says Burke.
Reason spoke with Burke and with James Fadiman, a scientist researching the effects of microdosing.
Watch the full video above.
Produced by Zach Weissmueller. Camera Alex Manning. Additional graphics by Meredith Bragg. Music by Kai Engel and Broke for Free.
