Alexander "Sasha" Shulgin, maverick chemist, psychedelic pioneer, and inspiring human being, died yesterday at 88 years old. Sasha is best known for popularizing MDMA (Ecstasy) and introducing it to the psychological community, and synthesizing hundreds of new psychoactive chemicals that he first tested on himself. His scientific research is detailed in a huge output of papers and books including the seminal tomes TIHKAL and PIHKAL, co-authored with his wife and research partner Ann Shulgin.
As Sasha once said, everyone deserves "the license to explore the nature of his own soul."
Sasha, you will be missed, and rest-assured the research will continue.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5q1bBVzDpc