November, 1953.

A scientist checks into a hotel in New York City. Days later, he falls from a tenth-floor window.

The official ruling is suicide.

But the full story would take decades to surface. And even then, it wouldn’t fully explain what happened.

Frank Olson was not an ordinary researcher. He was a bacteriologist working for the U.S. Army, specializing in biological warfare.

His work existed at the intersection of science, intelligence, and national security. The kind of work that few people fully understood, and even fewer were allowed to discuss.

In November of 1953, Olson attended a meeting with colleagues. During that meeting, he was unknowingly given LSD.

At the time, the substance was being studied by intelligence agencies. The goal was to explore its potential use in interrogation and psycholo ...