Amanda Feilding, the eccentric Countess who famously drilled a hole in her own skull in the 1970s to explore consciousness (a practice called trepanation), has passed away at 82. Though she was mocked for her radical self-experiment, her later work through the Beckley Foundation—championing research into psychedelics like LSD and psilocybin for mental health—turned out to be ahead of its time.

Texas is making a bold move by approving $50 million to study ibogaine, a psychedelic substance derived from a West African shrub. The research will focus on its potential to treat PTSD and traumatic brain injuries, especially in veterans. While ibogaine is illegal in the U.S., this funding signals growing openness to alternative therapies—though skeptics warn about safety risks.