Vanilla is one of the world's most beloved flavors, but its history is far more complex than most people realize. In this episode of Plants of the Gods, we trace vanilla's journey from its origins in…
Vanilla is anything but plain. In fact, this orchid might be one of the sexiest plant in the rainforest. In this episode, Dr. Mark Plotkin traces the ethnobotanical history of vanilla, first used by…
How do Indigenous knowledge and Western science come together in the study of nature and plant medicine? Dr. Rosa Vásquez Espinoza, a chemical biologist and author of The Spirit of the Rainforest,…
Wade Davis, celebrated author and anthropologist, joins Mark Plotkin for a personal reflection on the life and legacy of legendary ethnobotanist Richard Evans Schultes. Davis traces Schultes' journey…
Mark Plotkin sits down with Wade Davis — author of One River, Lost Amazon, and dozens more — for a deep dive into one of South America's most misunderstood and miraculous plants. Drawing on their…
In this episode, we're bringing you the second half of our conversation with Dr. Pamela Kryskow. A co-leader of the largest study on microdosing, she shares what researchers are beginning to…
How can psylocibin be used to help patients work through traumas that once seemed untreatable? Dr. Pamela Kryskow, a self-described "fungi person" and a scientist, is helping to answer this question…
This is a special joint episode of Plants of the Gods and Brainforest Café. Host Dr. Mark Plotkin continues his conversation with ethnopharmacologist Dr. Dennis McKenna. They reflect on the origins…
This is a special joint episode of Plants of the Gods and Brainforest Café. Plants are virtuoso chemists. Some create molecules that closely resemble the neurotransmitters shaping human consciousness…
Season 8 kicks off February 23 with an interview featuring Dennis McKenna, PhD — a renowned ethnopharmacologist who has spent more than 40 years researching the therapeutic potential of Amazonian…
