UC Berkeley announced that it will be launching the UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics - an institute devoted to expanding and better understanding the effects hallucinogens have on the human brain. "There's never been a better time to start a center like this," said neuroscientist David Presti, one of the founding members of the project. "The renewal of basic and clinical science with psychedelics has catalyzed interest among many people." Buoyed by an anonymous $1.2-million donation, the center will begin its research by looking at psilocybin - the hallucinogenic component of mushrooms that has received increased attention?at other institutions recently for its ability to treat conditions previously thought untreatable. "Some of these studies have produced striking results in cases that are otherwise resistant to more conventional medical treatment," said Michael Silver, a neuroscientist and the director of the new center. "This suggests that psychedelic compounds may offer new hope for people suffering from these disorders." For more on this, see our press release at Berkeley News.