Scientists test if party drugs make people nicer

This University of Zurich study investigated whether taking certain psychedelic substances causes lasting changes in how helpful and empathetic people are. Researchers gave 122 healthy volunteers either MDMA, psilocybin (the active compound in 'magic mushrooms'), or methylphenidate (a stimulant) and measured their social behavior four weeks later. The goal was to understand if stimulating the brain's serotonin system with these drugs has unique, long-term effects on prosocial actions compared to stimulating the dopamine system.