#80: Discovering Strychnine in the Lab and in the Archive with Lucas Forshee '25, Chemistry

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: https://rdc.reed.edu/i/00b5c42f-1072-4f7e-a728-ff6cff259858 Explore more interviews with Reed College alumni on our website: reed.edu/burnyourdraft