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Hacking the Brain

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

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Re: Hacking the Brain

#111

Post by mike00632 »

knzhou wrote: post #106
manmal wrote: post #16

I haven’t found near infrared radiation referenced in the article - I‘m using near infrared as a brain hack, by shining a cheap 850nm LED light on my forehead. This has, over the last 2 years, enabled me to code for weeks on end, for 12+ hours a day, with only minor cognitive decline. It’s not something I really want to do, but sometimes it’s useful. Before I started the near infrared routine (~5 minutes every other…

I'm seeing a lot of comments, both positive and negative, but no answer to the important question: what the hell is the mechanism? How is this light supposed to actually get through to your brain? These aren't X-rays or microwaves; like visible light, infrared light gets stopped almost completely by skin.

>like visible light,, infrared light gets stopped almost completely by skin

Actually light passes through skin rather easily. You can test this by putting a flashlight up to your hand. Light even acts as a catalyst for nutrients in your body according to some recent studies:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24198392

Re: Hacking the Brain

#112

Post by knzhou »

mike00632 wrote: post #111
knzhou wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm seeing a lot of comments, both positive and negative, but no answer to the important question: what the hell is the mechanism? How is this light supposed to actually get through to your brain? These aren't X-rays or microwaves; like visible light, infrared light gets stopped almost completely by skin.

>like visible light,, infrared light gets stopped almost completely by skin Actually light passes through skin rather easily. You can test this by putting a flashlight up to your hand. Light even acts as a catalyst for nutrients in your body according to some recent studies: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24198392

Maybe a fraction can pass through the scalp, but what about the skull?

Re: Hacking the Brain

#113

Post by CodiePetersen »

For those who don't want to read the whole thing.

Use your brain regularly on many types of tasks, drink coffee or tea, play video games, exercise, and provide your brain with either proper nutrients or appropriate levels of supplements. Too much or too little supplements will have negative or no effects. Everything else doesn't have enough research and some side effects might not be what you wanted. Not to mention there are placebo effects as well.

If you didn't know that before then go ahead and read it. You might get something from it.

Re: Hacking the Brain

#114

Post by dingoegret »

manmal wrote: post #16

I haven’t found near infrared radiation referenced in the article - I‘m using near infrared as a brain hack, by shining a cheap 850nm LED light on my forehead. This has, over the last 2 years, enabled me to code for weeks on end, for 12+ hours a day, with only minor cognitive decline. It’s not something I really want to do, but sometimes it’s useful. Before I started the near infrared routine (~5 minutes every other…

The number of readers who are going to believe this shitpost. This is actually irresponsible.

Re: Hacking the Brain

#115

Post by CodiePetersen »

curo wrote: post #5

I have a tangential question around brain hacking. The Flynn effect says we're gaining an avg of 3 IQ pts every decade since the early 20th century. Meaning our great grandparents, on average, would be considered mentally handicapped compared to today's intellect. Now certain biochemical explanations for the Flynn effect explain raw neurophysiological gains (e.g., iodine fortification in the early 20th century added…

Well to be honest the iq test has always been kind of bullshit imo. It changes with your level of education. In HS mine was 120 and now it's 143 (edit: I actually took that test 4 years ago and 3 years ago I had a brain tumor that left me with seizures and I have definitely suffered cognitively because of that so its probably lower if my memory and focus are any indicator). The test itself doesn't even measure useful cognitively profound abilities and if it did we'd all be near the same. It measures everything as a flat value. There is no value for each type of cognitive ability and most of it is skills you've picked up through life and education.

So when you look back at our great grandparents, take me for example, I'm part native hawaiian and my great grandparents were literally living in a shack on the beach. Their lives consisted of catching fish and fruit and sugar cane farming I don't even know if they could read before my grandparents started school. So of course their iq is lower. I mean hell you can't even take the iq test if you can't read. So I don't think the brain changes that we have are responsible for our higher iq points. I think it's availability to information, the more you have and contemplate the smarter you'll be. Pretty straight forward I think. Higher nutrients and regularly available food is helpful as well obviously.

Re: Hacking the Brain

#116

Post by zone411 »

iikoolpp wrote: post #24
manmal wrote: post #16

I haven’t found near infrared radiation referenced in the article - I‘m using near infrared as a brain hack, by shining a cheap 850nm LED light on my forehead. This has, over the last 2 years, enabled me to code for weeks on end, for 12+ hours a day, with only minor cognitive decline. It’s not something I really want to do, but sometimes it’s useful. Before I started the near infrared routine (~5 minutes every other…

This is the funniest post I've ever read on this website Either it's entirely the placebo effect, or it somehow actually does something and you're cooking your brain to wage slave even harder

Mean-spirited post. The OP appears to be working for his own design/development studio, so your premise is already wrong. Others could be doing it because they want to be more productive at work in order to finish quicker and spend more time with their families at home.

Re: Hacking the Brain

#117

Post by dvfjsdhgfv »

jhardy54 wrote: post #45
iikoolpp wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is the funniest post I've ever read on this website Either it's entirely the placebo effect, or it somehow actually does something and you're cooking your brain to wage slave even harder

This is peak n-gate.

Yeah, I'm looking forward to reading that summary, too. I hope it gets better than the original thread as a noticed the quality of n-gate summaries go down a bit recently.

Re: Hacking the Brain

#118

Post by trhway »

BurningFrog wrote: post #93
heyoni wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I asked this elsewhere but I’ll ask again here: how is this any different from just going outside?

Not everyone lives in a sunny tropical paradise.

it more reminds me about sitting in front of campfire and my grandmother's house wood stove in the childhood. This is probably how i got so smart.

Re: Hacking the Brain

#119

Post by penispooper »

manmal wrote: post #16

I haven’t found near infrared radiation referenced in the article - I‘m using near infrared as a brain hack, by shining a cheap 850nm LED light on my forehead. This has, over the last 2 years, enabled me to code for weeks on end, for 12+ hours a day, with only minor cognitive decline. It’s not something I really want to do, but sometimes it’s useful. Before I started the near infrared routine (~5 minutes every other…

y'all need jesus

Re: Hacking the Brain

#120

Post by miscellaneous »

throwawawathrow wrote: post #8

It really takes a special kind of mind to take something originally intended to be fun, subversive and/or spiritual (recreational drugs) that's existed for decades or even centuries, and turn it into yet another tool to boost your React productivity by 12.3% on Friday evenings, under the new brand of 'enhancement' or 'hacking'. Because to what other end would that 'performance' boost be put to use?

Or perhaps these people simply aren't hedonists that orientate their lives around momentary pleasures. Instead, they derive pleasure from achievement and building things.

Recreational drugs, on the other hand, have ruined millions of people lives. You are being disengenuous to suggest that they have a positive effect to most people.

Finally, no one "intended" drugs to be anything. They are simply tools that humans have discovered. It is ludicrous to suggest that they have specific intention.

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