Switzerland
Albert Hofmann
said
I know LSD; I don't need to take it anymore. Maybe when I die, like Aldous Huxley.
— As quoted in "Nearly 100, LSD's Father Ponders His 'Problem Child'" (7 January 2006)
Albert Hofmann
Swiss chemist (1906–2008)
- Fame61.1
- Momentum0.9
- Global rank#174
Source-basedFalling
- Fame61.1
- Momentum0.9
- Global rank#174
- Switzerland rank#65
- Scientists rank#171
- Wikipedia33.6K
Lived 1906–2008, aged 102Switzerland
Summary
Updated 2026-06-21
The Swiss chemist who synthesized LSD in 1938, then five years later became the first human to experience its effects — launching both a cultural phenomenon and decades of scientific controversy.
Biography
About
Albert Hofmann was born on 11 January 1906 in Switzerland and trained as a chemist. In 1929 he discovered the structure of chitin, but his name would become tied to a different molecule entirely. He first synthesized lysergic acid diethylamide in 1938, then in 1943 ingested it and documented the psychedelic effects that would reshape pharmacology and counterculture alike. His team later isolated and named psilocybin and psilocin, the active compounds in psychedelic mushrooms. He authored more than 100 scientific articles and several books, including LSD: Mein Sorgenkind (LSD: My Problem Child)…
Voice
In their own words
Sourced, dated quotes from Albert Hofmann
Albert Hofmann
said
Outside is pure energy and colorless substance. All of the rest happens through the mechanism of our senses. Our eyes see just a small fraction of the light in the world.
— As quoted in "Nearly 100, LSD's Father Ponders His 'Problem Child'" (7 January 2006)
Albert Hofmann
said
It's very, very dangerous to lose contact with living nature.
— As quoted in "Nearly 100, LSD's Father Ponders his 'Problem Child." (7 January 2006)
Albert Hofmann
said
There are experiences that most of us are hesitant to speak about, because they do not conform to everyday reality and defy rational explanation.
— Foreword
Albert Hofmann
said
In studying the literature connected with my work, I became aware of the great universal significance of visionary experience.
— Foreword
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By the numbers
Score breakdown
The six component signals behind the Fame score, and their ranks across the leaderboards.
Fame
Falling61.1
Composite of search demand, mentions, audience & graph footprint.
Score components
Momentum0.9
Historical25.2
Source confidence65.0
Completeness75.0
Receipts
Sources
- WikipediaHigh confidencewikipedia · en.wikipedia.org
- WikidataHigh confidencewikidata · wikidata.org
- Pantheon 2.0High confidencedatabase · pantheon.world
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