One R. Pagan - Drunk Flies and Stoned Dolphins: A Trip Through the World of Animal Intoxication

On Pagn is a brilliant biologist and a charming storyteller. Just like his other works, Drunk Flies and Stoned Dolphins will make you look at the world with awestruck eyes.

Matthew D. LaPlante, author of Superlative

Drugsillicit or otherwisehave an impact on us. From coffee to cocaine, drugs affect our thinking, our moods, and our actions. But is this a uniquely human trait? In Drunk Flies and Stoned Dolphins, On Pagn explores the impact of our pharmaceutical cocktails on the natural world and in so doing teaches us a little more about ourselves. As remarkable as humans are, were not distinct from animals. We are an intricate part of the animal kingdom. Our experience with drugs is not that dissimilar to those of other animals and sometimes the results are quite hilarious. Santa Claus and magic mushrooms? Squirrels on amphetamines? Dolphins on LSD and the Search for Extraterrestrials? Birds grabbing cigarette butts for their nests? Drunk Flies and Stoned Dolphins has it all! If youre looking for a great science read, I highly recommend Drunk Flies and Stoned Dolphins.

Peter Cawdron, author of 3zekiel

Drunk Flies and Stoned Dolphins was an absolute joy and pleasure to read. This book is the whole package, it has incredible science, unexpected concepts, fun facts, great personal stories, and awesome dad jokes that had me interested and laughing throughout the book (please dont miss the footnotes). Dr. Pagn is an extraordinary science communicator and I love how meticulous he is on his writing, delivering a compelling story; it actually feels like having a conversation with him. If you are interested in how animals and other living creatures behave around drugs, this book is for you.

Sofa Villalpando, biologist, science communicator, entrepreneur, and blogger at The Biologist Apprentice

With a down-to-earth conversational style and witty sense of humor, Dr. On Pagn brings the quirks of the animal kingdom to life with his writing. Drunk Flies and Stoned Dolphins showcases the fascinating world of psychoactive substances as experienced by organisms ranging from tiny microbes to humans.

Marie McNeely, PhD, host of The People Behind the Science podcast

With endless stories of animalsfrom fruit flies to elephantsreacting in such human-like ways to intoxicating substances, Pagn makes good on his promise to show that animals are not so different from us when it comes to the desire to alter our minds. Pagn presents what could be dense material (including plenty of chemistry) in easy to digest explainers and anecdotes, yet keeps the book tethered to the hard-nosed scientific literature in a way that will satisfy the most curiousand skepticalof minds. Pagns writing style is breezy and conversational, which makes for a pleasurable read. And please dont skip over the footnotes: Pagns playful personality shines through in these hidden gems!

Justin Gregg, PhD, senior research associate with the Dolphin Communication Project, adjunct professor in the Department of Biology at St. Francis Xavier University, and author of the book Are Dolphins Really Smart?

Dr. On Pagn is one of those few brilliant modern science writers and educators who can capture the charm and curiosity of yesteryear, yet whose writing is imbued with the poise and sensitivity requisite of the 21st century, all crafted through the lens of purely masterful storytelling. While illuminating the murkier areas of biology, Drunk Flies and Stoned Dolphins also provides ample evidence that the future of science writing is in very good hands.

Micah Hanks, writer, journalist, podcaster, and creator of The Debrief

The First Brain

Strange Survivors

Drunk Flies and Stoned Dolphins copyright 2021 by On Pagn

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

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First E-Book Edition: November, 2021

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021941518

ISBN 9781950665372

eISBN 9781950665600

Editing by Laurel Leigh and Alexa Stevenson

Copyediting by Scott Calamar and Michael Fedison

Proofreading by Jenny Bridges and Sarah Vostok

Indexing by Amy Murphy

Text design and composition by Aaron Edmiston

Cover design by Sarah Avinger

Cover photo of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin with pufferfish Alamy / Blue Planet Archive EP-TMI

Back cover photos Shutterstock / Roblan, Tomasz Klejdysz, and nechaevkon (fruit flies) and Unsplash / Quaritsch Photography (cherry)

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To all the scientists and physicians who, following in the footsteps of Edward Jenner, dedicate their research lives to the invention and development of vaccines.

In which we talk about the life and lore of arguably the oldest and best-known drugthe one that started it all. Can you guess?

In which we talk about what separates a drug from a poison; how we discovered the psychoactive properties of certain toxines through trial, error, and self-experimentation; and the case of two men of the cloth, a barber, and some coca leaves, among other tales of brave (or clueless) souls.

In which we talk about what animals know, and how other creatures were our earliest role models, mentors who taught us to take advantage of the many medicinal substances that plants produce.

In which we talk about some of natures most erudite master chemists: plants. We also explore some explanations for why our animal cousins actively and enthusiastically seek out psychoactive chemicals (and why we do as well).

In which we talk about drunk insects (including one of our title characters), spiders high on drugs, anxious and addicted flatworms, and some chemically-mellowed octopi, among other fascinating examples that showcase one of this books chief philosophical tenets: that we are not so different from even the smallest animals.

In which we talk about some of our closer relatives in the animal world, and see what happens when they are on drugs, whether because we administered them (three words: elephants on acid) or because they sought the experiences themselves (goats getting jittery on coffee beans). Oh, and dont forget the (apparently) stoned dolphins...

I would like to begin by thanking you, dear reader, for choosing to read this book. As an avid reader myself, I know only too well that there are so many books, so little time. And yet here we are!

Most of us have direct knowledge or experience of the effects of psychoactive substancesdrugson people. Whats more, there are a plethora of stories on the subject. For that very reason, I wanted to explore the topic from a different angle: the premise that, when it comes to psychoactive substances, we humans are merely the supporting cast. This is what