Untold numbers of people across North America have been caught up in the wake of the opioid crisis - loved ones lost, lives interrupted, cities overrun with addicts. This tableau has unfolded in countless cities, against the faraway backdrop of an underworld drug empire that terrorizes the people of Mexico. Author Sam Quinones has spent the last decade of his life on both sides of the border, reporting from the front lines. He's traced the origin of the crisis, detailed the toll it took on the government of Mexico, the people living there, and how unlimited quantities magic pain pills erased an entire generation, with no regard for social or class lines. What makes this conversation unique is that, despite the darkness he's seen, Quinones has finally found a glimmer of hope among the wreckage. We talk destruction, absolution, and rebirth. We talk of the drug wars, of the way that wall street colluded to make the crisis, and how we all played a role. But more than that, we talk about the way that we can pull ourselves out of this mess, by taking a lesson from the cities where the crisis really started. Support the scientific revolution with a monthly donation: https://bit.ly/3lcAasB Support both Sam and DemystifySci when you buy his books: The Least of Us: https://amzn.to/3RFQC2s Dreamland: https://amzn.to/3fTLBpC True Tales from Another Mexico: https://amzn.to/3ejVTz1 Let us know what you think of the presentation in the comments! 00:00 Go! 00:04:44 The Least of Us 00:07:00 The difference between drugs trade in Mexico v. United States 00:12:41 What is the root of the violence? 00:17:02 What drives people to obliterate themselves? 00:19:50 Addiction becomes unpredictable 00:24:41 False leads in the literature 00:32:14 Whose fault is it, anyways? 00:35:21 The final chapter is recovery 00:40:11 Is there a recipe to fight atomization? 00:44:08 This isn't a story of economic devastation 00:48:17 Is it growth that's done this? 00:52:56 What can we turn to that doesn't cost? 00:59:15 The Mondragon model 01:04:29 The transition to synthetic heroin 01:12:41 Isn't this an argument for legalization? 01:24:19 The perils of hi-proof cannabis 01:28:10 Why depend on government to regulate our behavior? 01:35:28 Combining drug legalization with drug accountability #warondrugs #drugs #homeless Check our short-films channel, @DemystifySci: https://www.youtube.com/c/DemystifyingScience Join our mailing list https://bit.ly/3v3kz2S PODCAST INFO: Anastasia completed her PhD studying microbial communication at Columbia University. When not talking to brilliant people or making movies, she spends her time painting and exploring the woods. Michael Shilo also did his PhD at Columbia studying the elastic properties of molecular water. When he's not in the film studio, he's exploring sound in music. They are both freelance professors at various universities. - Blog: http://DemystifySci.com/blog - RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/2be66934/podcast/rss - Donate: https://bit.ly/3wkPqaD - Swag: https://bit.ly/2PXdC2y SOCIAL: - Discord: https://discord.gg/MJzKT8CQub - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DemystifySci - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DemystifySci/ - Twitter: https://twitter.com/DemystifySci MUSIC: -Shilo Delay: https://g.co/kgs/oty671