Pills and Power

Meth Monks: Smoke in the Sanctuary

A temple stands empty after a drug raid. Robes folded. Bowls untouched. Silence where chanting once lived. This episode begins inside that abandoned sanctuary, then follows the trail outward to the Golden Triangle, spanning Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar, where much of the region’s methamphetamine originates. From there, we step back into medieval Europe, where monks brewed and sold beer within monastery walls to fund charitable work. Over centuries, intoxicants moved from small-scale religious production to vast, industrialised networks. From sacred brewing vats to jungle labs producing millions of pills, this is a story of faith, commerce, and how substances evolve alongside human ambition. Sources: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-63792923 [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-63792923] https://theconversation.com/yabas-grip-how-cheap-methamphetamine-is-fuelling-thailands-addiction-crisis-262765 [https://theconversation.com/yabas-grip-how-cheap-methamphetamine-is-fuelling-thailands-addiction-crisis-262765] https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-08-08/thailand-misbehaving-monks-foreign-correspondent/104184056 [https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-08-08/thailand-misbehaving-monks-foreign-correspondent/104184056] https://www.vice.com/en/article/buddhist-monks-arrested-thailand/ [https://www.vice.com/en/article/buddhist-monks-arrested-thailand/] https://www.historiascripta.org/the-middle-ages/beer-as-a-cultural-and-economic-staple-in-medieval-europe/ [https://www.historiascripta.org/the-middle-ages/beer-as-a-cultural-and-economic-staple-in-medieval-europe/]

Kahve: The Biography of a Cup of Joe

Before it fueled boardrooms and builders, revolutions and writers, coffee was a humble cherry growing wild in the highlands of Ethiopia. In this episode, we trace the epic journey of coffee from its legendary beginnings to the bustling markets of Yemen and the sacred streets of Mecca, where it became more than a drink, it became a debate. We explore how it spread through the mighty Ottoman Empire, where coffee houses blossomed into buzzing hubs of politics, poetry and power. Then Europe got a taste. In cities like London, coffee houses earned the nickname “penny universities” because for the price of a cup, you could access a world of ideas. Merchants, philosophers and future industrialists gathered under ceilings thick with steam and ambition. We unpack how coffee sharpened minds during the Industrial Revolution, replaced ale at breakfast, and even led to the very first law recognising coffee breaks at work.Sources: https://www.britannica.com/topic/coffee-production [https://www.britannica.com/topic/coffee-production] https://time.com/archive/6870354/business-the-unpaid-coffee-break/ [https://time.com/archive/6870354/business-the-unpaid-coffee-break/] https://medium.com/@VocalJournalist/coffee-has-become-the-drink-of-productivity-and-not-just-in-the-office-bfeda0294826 [https://medium.com/@VocalJournalist/coffee-has-become-the-drink-of-productivity-and-not-just-in-the-office-bfeda0294826] https://www.history.com/articles/coffee-history-facts [https://www.history.com/articles/coffee-history-facts]

Ergot Fungus & Witchcraft: Holy Fire, and Visions of Hell

Ergot is one of the most influential organisms you’ve probably never heard of. In this episode, we break down what ergot actually is, how it infects crops, and what happens when humans consume it. We explore historical outbreaks of ergotism that caused convulsions, hallucinations, paranoia, and even gangrene, and examine the theory that ergot poisoning may have contributed to waves of witchcraft accusations in early modern Europe. We also trace ergot’s transformation from feared contaminant to pharmaceutical resource, culminating in the synthesis of LSD by Albert Hoffman in the 20th century. From mass hysteria to modern chemistry, from burning stakes to laboratory breakthroughs, this episode covers the science, the myths, and the lasting impact of a fungus that shaped history in ways few people realise. Sources: https://salemwitchmuseum.com/2023/05/17/debunking-the-moldy-bread-theory/ [https://salemwitchmuseum.com/2023/05/17/debunking-the-moldy-bread-theory/] http://old.absentis.org/ergotism/the_witch_trials_of_finnmark_norway.pdf [http://old.absentis.org/ergotism/the_witch_trials_of_finnmark_norway.pdf] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6640538/ [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6640538/] https://www.worldhistory.org/St_Anthony's_Fire/ [https://www.worldhistory.org/St_Anthony's_Fire/] https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/historicalstudies/events/talk-cursed-bread [https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/historicalstudies/events/talk-cursed-bread-the-sinuous-story-of-a-mass-poisoning-by-bread-in-southern-france-in-1951-by-steven-kaplan-cornell-university]https://www.albertagrains.com/the-growing-point/articles-library/understanding-ergot-outbreaks-and-how-to-manage-them?back=1094 [https://www.albertagrains.com/the-growing-point/articles-library/understanding-ergot-outbreaks-and-how-to-manage-them?back=1094]

Opium Wars: How the Crown's Cartel Toppled a Dynasty

In this episode, we unpack the Second Opium War—the conflict that forced China to legalize opium, opened Beijing to foreign powers, and helped ignite the “Century of Humiliation.” From the Arrow Incident to the burning of the Summer Palace, we trace how Papaver somniferum reshaped global trade and politics.We also break down the drug itself: opium vs. heroin, how morphine works in the brain, and how addiction escalated. Then we fast-forward to today—Portugal, Oregon, and the legalization debate—asking why drug policy succeeds in some places and fails in others.Sources:Sources: ⁠https://www.history.com/articles/taiping-rebellion⁠ [https://www.history.com/articles/taiping-rebellion] ⁠https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/second-opium-war⁠ [https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/second-opium-war] ⁠https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-01-11/pekingese-dog-looty-from-beijing-palace-to-queen-victorias-pet/12876904⁠ [https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-01-11/pekingese-dog-looty-from-beijing-palace-to-queen-victorias-pet/12876904] ⁠https://www.napoleon.org/en/history-of-the-two-empires/timelines/the-franco-british-expedition-to-china-1860/⁠ [https://www.napoleon.org/en/history-of-the-two-empires/timelines/the-franco-british-expedition-to-china-1860/] ⁠https://asiapacificcurriculum.ca/learning-module/opium-wars-china⁠ [https://asiapacificcurriculum.ca/learning-module/opium-wars-china]

Opium Wars: Tea, Taels & Turmoil (Part 1)

This episode examines the complex interplay of silver, tea, and global trade that set the stage for the Opium Wars. It explores Ming China’s silver-based tax system, the influx of silver from Japan and the Americas, and how these economic forces shaped international commerce. The discussion also covers the British trade imbalance, the emergence of opium smuggling, and the early tensions that ultimately led to the First Opium War. Part 1 provides essential context for understanding the economic, political, and social factors behind this pivotal period in world history. Sources: https://human.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/History/World_History/Modern_World_History%3A_New_Perspectives_%28OERI%29/02%3A_Global_Interactions_-_1450-1650/2.06%3A_Silver_and_the_Ming_Dynasty [https://human.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/History/World_History/Modern_World_History%3A_New_Perspectives_%28OERI%29/02%3A_Global_Interactions_-_1450-1650/2.06%3A_Silver_and_the_Ming_Dynasty]https://www.britannica.com/event/First-Opium-War [https://www.britannica.com/event/First-Opium-War]https://www.britannica.com/list/timeline-of-the-first-opium-war [https://www.britannica.com/list/timeline-of-the-first-opium-war]https://scholarworks.harding.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1058&context=tenor [https://scholarworks.harding.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1058&context=tenor]