121–130 of 307 posts
Steve Jobs admits to taking LSD. I rest my case.
On the other hand, I remember reading that Feynman never wanted to mess with his mind and avoided experimenting with drugs.
Ha, maybe that works too ;)
Things like LSD (or meditating, running, ...) allow you to to get your mind into a state that enables you to look behind nature, people, society and everything else. It's not a productivity tool and should not be used as such I think :-)
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Note: Methylphenidate is not actually an amphetamine derivative, although it's similar in structure and function.
Yes, it is a derivative of methamphetamine. Adderall (amphetamine) and Concerta both are used to treat ADD.
In that case, wouldn't a better process be to expose yourself to new experiences, especially those that challenge you or take you out of your comfort zones? How about reading books and watching movies you have not viewed before? That would have a similar effect, right?
If you need to take psychedelics to 'unlock the wonders of your mind' or whatever just to do some simple programming, software may not be the field for you.
But if you've ever seen Little Miss Sunshine, the grandfather has a perspective on drug use that I've adopted wholeheartedly:
Don't you start taking that shit. When you're young, you're crazy to do that stuff.
What about you?
I'm old! When you're old, you're crazy not to do it.
Is this really a matter of discovering new patterns? Aren't those patterns just mutations and combinations of already-known patterns? In that case, wouldn't a better process be to expose yourself to new experiences, especially those that challenge you or take you out of your comfort zones? How about reading books and watching movies you have not viewed before? That would have a similar effect, right?
>expose yourself to new experiences, especially those that challenge you or take you out of your comfort zones?
I haven't, and am not saying you should, merely pointing out that you seem to object on principle rather than for a reason. Drug "education" when I was in grade school amounted to massive scare tactics, usually without supporting evidence, while they now give you similar things for ADD (but you pay a hell of a lot more, and the chemicals have only existed for a few years). There's a lot of general, unsubstantiated fear in this area, and a lot of irrational trust in drug companies.
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I'm sorry. You're asking me to... enumerate every single problem in software engineering? I don't see the point. How about we take one of the most impressive, extreme cases of software ingenuity: launching the Space Shuttle. http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/06/writestuff.html "But how much work the software does is not what makes it remarkable. What makes it remarkable is how well the software works. This software…
The shuttle is an excellent example of many things, but not necessarily of a conceptually difficult task. It's hard , but it's not mind-bending. The hardest part comes from having to prove the systems correct because lives depend on it.
Do you have any experience of the challenges of spaceflight software to demonstrate that all problems are of "sub-mind-bending" difficulty?
In college I lived with artists. A few of their artist friends come over with big sketch pads, pencils and whatever else artists use. They all drop acid while telling me they can't wait to see their amazing creations once their minds are opened. I went out for a few hours and came back to find them all sitting around the living room. One sketch pad had a long black squiggle on it, the same design you'd make if you fe…