Research findings are shared.
That means scientists tell other scientists about their discoveries and inventions. Once others know something has already been figured out, they can use it in their own research, and unlucky people working on similar projects don't have to waste their time.
It's a noble practice that can accelerate technological progress.
But considering that the internet didn't exist in this era, even though some scholars advocated sharing research findings, only some people would publish their work in newspapers and journals.
Scientists themselves couldn't achieve complete sharing among their own ranks, let alone cultists.
The "ayahuasca" Professor Morgan mentioned was a hallucinogenic plant that some groups used as a "spirit-communing drug."
Hope couldn't remember exactly which "groups" those were, but it wasn't hard to guess they were cultists.
These cultists took spirit-communing drugs made from ayahuasca to contact the gods they worshipped.
There was probably some effect, but ayahuasca was highly toxic. Usually, before cultists could die from communicating with the gods, they'd take so much ayahuasca that they went mad.
Perhaps because they used it often, and had built up experience through the deaths of their predecessors, cultists had discovered long ago that honey water and star hemp could reduce ayahuasca's toxicity. It wasn't even a secret among cultists.
But Dr. Morgan clearly wasn't a cultist, so he didn't know any of this. His research on ayahuasca had only just begun.
Hope bit his nails, feeling somewhat troubled.
He really wanted to say he didn't actually know the answer and had just blurted out a guess. Who knew he'd get one part right?
But he seriously doubted that the pharmacology professor would believe him.
Hope glanced furtively at the window. It was tightly shut.
He wondered if he could suddenly leap up, open the window, climb out,