These things make me wonder how soon until all of our life will be based on medicated states. Take a smart pill for work, and a fun pill for the pub...
While Modafinil and similar "smart drugs" currently don't actually improve cognitive functions all that much and are most like a nanny for your brain telling you to stop watching cat videos and work what happens when a smart drug will actually hit the market? It only takes a tiny fraction of the workforce to be taking those to create an avalanche.
If true smart pill will hit the market that say increases your cognitive function and concentration and straps say another 50 or 100 IQ points (i know it's a bad measurement unit for this but i don't have a better one) on you then even a single average guy in your workplace is enough to trigger this. This is the same reason why we do not allow performance increasing drugs in (most) sports, it's not because it's unsportsmanlike or because they are scared people will stop watching, it's because even a single athlete on those forces everyone else to take them just to even out the playing field.
My experiment with smart drugs (2008)
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Re: My experiment with smart drugs (2008)
#112These things make me wonder how soon until all of our life will be based on medicated states. Take a smart pill for work, and a fun pill for the pub... While Modafinil and similar "smart drugs" currently don't actually improve cognitive functions all that much and are most like a nanny for your brain telling you to stop watching cat videos and work what happens when a smart drug will actually hit the market? It only…
More of a side note; your comment sounds a little naive regarding PEDs in sports. The idea that you can compete at the highest level and be drug free is practically a myth. Anti doping in sports is laughable and anyone with a intermediate knowledge on the subject could pass an olympic level drugs test.
Plain and simple, when there's vast sums of money and fame involved people will cheat. (Whether it be an athlete taking PEDs or a banker insider trading)
Re: My experiment with smart drugs (2008)
#113These things make me wonder how soon until all of our life will be based on medicated states. Take a smart pill for work, and a fun pill for the pub... While Modafinil and similar "smart drugs" currently don't actually improve cognitive functions all that much and are most like a nanny for your brain telling you to stop watching cat videos and work what happens when a smart drug will actually hit the market? It only…
More of a side note; your comment sounds a little naive regarding PEDs in sports. The idea that you can compete at the highest level and be drug free is practically a myth. Anti doping in sports is laughable and anyone with a intermediate knowledge on the subject could pass an olympic level drugs test. Plain and simple, when there's vast sums of money and fame involved people will cheat. (Whether it be an athlete tak…
I know that and you can see it in Olympic sports every time they introduce some new drug testing method all the results go down a notch or 2.
On that level it's more about who has better technology and scientists than who has better genes and works harder.
But it doesn't mean we want this attitude proliferating to the work force, no one should be forced to become a hyper focused drone so he could code better to get a job, and if things continue this way it might as well happen.
Re: My experiment with smart drugs (2008)
#114Earlier quoted context omitted.
Does your doctor prescribe your caffeine and alcohol? How about your artificial light and your exercise? Or perhaps your intake of B-complex vitamins or various edible oils? The various natural dietary supplements available at every Walgreens and CVS? All of these have known effects on mood and productivity, and pretty much everybody just tries 'em and sees what happens. Nearly as many people have the experience of g…
> Does your doctor prescribe your caffeine and alcohol? Strawman. I said “ or be deemed safe for sale over the counter”. > many people have the experience of going to a doctor, getting diagnosed with something moderately uncommon, and going through a trial-and-error treatment process where they are guiding what happens as much or more than the doctor. The key word here are, I think, “ going to a doctor ”, as opposed…
Since when has alcohol been deemed "safe"?
Re: My experiment with smart drugs (2008)
#115Earlier quoted context omitted.
Does your doctor prescribe your caffeine and alcohol? How about your artificial light and your exercise? Or perhaps your intake of B-complex vitamins or various edible oils? The various natural dietary supplements available at every Walgreens and CVS? All of these have known effects on mood and productivity, and pretty much everybody just tries 'em and sees what happens. Nearly as many people have the experience of g…
> Does your doctor prescribe your caffeine and alcohol? Strawman. I said “ or be deemed safe for sale over the counter”. > many people have the experience of going to a doctor, getting diagnosed with something moderately uncommon, and going through a trial-and-error treatment process where they are guiding what happens as much or more than the doctor. The key word here are, I think, “ going to a doctor ”, as opposed…
> Strawman.
That seems very rude and uncalled for.
> I said “or be deemed safe for sale over the counter”.
You also said "Any medication [that] I use ...". So, are you saying that these rules are just for yourself or that everybody should follow the same logic that you do because you think it's the only logic and that anyone else who follows any different logic is "insane" as you said earlier?
In any case ~ I'm guessing you've never tried Marijuana, but what I'm really wondering is if you think all Marijuana users are insane? If the answer is no, then you're obviously contradicting your own argument. Otherwise, I'll have to conclude that you're just being a ridiculously overbearing ultra-conservative dickhead who speaks in one word sentences like "Strawman".
> ...you should find some other suitable scientific institution to trust.
Why? Because you said so? You didn't give a reason why you think that revealed knowledge is somehow better than rational knowledge....
If I know large groups of people who take a certain drug whether it be Modafinil or Marijunana and everybody reports positive effects...I feel quite confident enough to self-experiment. How am I insane?
> To instead trust random people’s anecdotes on the internet is quite possibly the worst thing you could do.
Do you have any proof that that's what's happening though?
In my experience people don't read one article and make a decision. They typically use this thing called a Search Engine to find out more information about the topic and end up reading dozens of articles, studies, user testimonials, etc.
Re: My experiment with smart drugs (2008)
#116Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Does your doctor prescribe your caffeine and alcohol? Strawman. I said “ or be deemed safe for sale over the counter”. > many people have the experience of going to a doctor, getting diagnosed with something moderately uncommon, and going through a trial-and-error treatment process where they are guiding what happens as much or more than the doctor. The key word here are, I think, “ going to a doctor ”, as opposed…
Since when has alcohol been deemed "safe"?
“Safe” enough to sell over-the-counter and not need a prescription. Which is what I wrote.
Re: My experiment with smart drugs (2008)
#117Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Does your doctor prescribe your caffeine and alcohol? Strawman. I said “ or be deemed safe for sale over the counter”. > many people have the experience of going to a doctor, getting diagnosed with something moderately uncommon, and going through a trial-and-error treatment process where they are guiding what happens as much or more than the doctor. The key word here are, I think, “ going to a doctor ”, as opposed…
> Strawman. That seems very rude and uncalled for. > I said “or be deemed safe for sale over the counter”. You also said "Any medication [that] I use ...". So, are you saying that these rules are just for yourself or that everybody should follow the same logic that you do because you think it's the only logic and that anyone else who follows any different logic is "insane" as you said earlier? In any case ~ I'm guess…
The rules I stated are (as I wrote) for myself, and others might follow different rules (like the one I suggested in my linked comment), but yes, using anecdotes from the Internet as sufficient reason to take drugs seems to me to be insane. (Not necessary clinically insane, mind you, just your garden-variety crazy people type of insanity.)
> [Do] you think all Marijuana users are insane?
The people who live where it is legal are certainly not insane (necessarily). The people who don’t might choose to place their trust in credible scientific institutions other than their local government or doctors, and those people are not necessarily insane either. However, if you choose to smoke weed for a reason like “all my friends are doing it” or “I read about how some other people claim to be doing it” then yes, that is slightly insane and idiotic.
> Why? Because you said so?
No, but because it would be obviously better to do what I wrote than to trust a too-small non-random (often self-selecting) sample of stories of unknown veracity.
> > Strawman.
> That seems very rude and uncalled for.
It was a strawman argument. I never called for avoiding caffeine or exercise just because these things affect people’s mood – I explicitly exempted all things which do not require a doctor’s prescription. To pretend I said otherwise and argue against it is a strawman argument.
Re: My experiment with smart drugs (2008)
#118Re: My experiment with smart drugs (2008)
#119Earlier quoted context omitted.
My experience parallels yours. I occasionally take prescribed Modafinil for daytime somnolence resulting from sleep apnea. On the occasions I use it, it's the difference between having the energy and clarity to contribute or not being able to bring much at all to the table. The only side effect I've noted is a minor increase in anxiety, not enough to be problematic. It's been exceptionally helpful for me. YMMV.
How did you get it prescribed?
It's part of my treatment regimen for sleep apnea, which includes a CPAP breathing assist device. That's usually enough to reduce the low energy and daytime sleepiness that come with sleep apnea. When it isn't, modafinil works very well. So I was prescribed both the CPAP assist and modafinil after a brief sleep study disclosed sleep apnea. The two other on-label uses for modafinil (IIRC) are for narcolepsy and daytime sleepiness due to shift work. Being prescribed for an on-label use is often important for insurance coverage.
Re: My experiment with smart drugs (2008)
#120Earlier quoted context omitted.
My experience parallels yours. I occasionally take prescribed Modafinil for daytime somnolence resulting from sleep apnea. On the occasions I use it, it's the difference between having the energy and clarity to contribute or not being able to bring much at all to the table. The only side effect I've noted is a minor increase in anxiety, not enough to be problematic. It's been exceptionally helpful for me. YMMV.
How did you get it prescribed?
Honestly, I just went to my family doctor and asked for it.
I took a look at the symptoms for Shift Work Sleep Disorder, decided that I was a close match for that cluster of symptoms and took my story to the doc.
Modafinil is not really prone to abuse. It isn't a euphoric, so using too much isn't going to give you a "high". Consequently, doctors are more likely to give you a prescription for it. That's not the case for an abused drug like Adderall.
HOWEVER: all drugs have side effects. I think Modafinil is relatively safe but YMMV.