Awesome that someone is doing this however I have to say the parts involved are only worth about $10 so $99 is a bit nuts. Someone should just post the plans and the parts list with instructions and anyone can build one of these safely in a couple hours.
GoFlow: a DIY tDCS brain-boosting kit
21–30 of 90 posts
Re: GoFlow: a DIY tDCS brain-boosting kit
#22> It’s not hard to see how tDCS could pose some ethical considerations, though. Only if you're primed by your culture to blanch at transhumanism. > What if some students can afford tDCS kits, but others can’t? What if some students can afford college, computers, calculators, tutoring, study guides, etc. but others can't? This is one of the silliest purported ethical issues I've ever seen, but it consistently gets con…
Only if you're primed by your culture to blanch at transhumanism.
I think they meant the stigma of "cheating" or somehow getting something without working for it. I think you're right though.
Re: GoFlow: a DIY tDCS brain-boosting kit
#23A cautionary tale. I'm getting a skin graft on Monday after I gave myself 1% full thickness burns with 3 x 9v batteries. I'm a paraplegic and I fell asleep with electrodes on my back so I'd didn't feel anything but awoke to some pretty nasty burns. I completely underestimated the risk of hurting myself.
Was that with or without a current regulator?
Without. I think the current increased beyond what I measured while testing because I started to sweat. v0.02 will have some substantial design changes.
Re: GoFlow: a DIY tDCS brain-boosting kit
#24Are the measured effects of tDCS really large enough to outweigh any effects from confirmation bias and statistical anomalies? Were the tests performed double-blind using placebo units?
At the risk of appealing to authority, I have to assume that if DARPA is using it to train snipers, they know it works whether it's due to the tDCS or mental priming as mentioned below. Obviously, from a theoretical standpoint it's important to know why it's working but from a lifehacking/making better snipers/learning Perl/selling $99 tDCS kits standpoint, it doesn't matter how it works, only that it does.
> I have to assume that if DARPA is using it to train snipers, they know it works
This keeps getting thrown around but I'm having a hard time identifying a good source (other than a bunch of blogs repeating the same 'fact'). The best I can do is this set of slides which claim 'a 2.1x improvement' [1], but no confirmation that it's actually in use.
The brain is very poorly understood, and throwing random electrical fields across it "because I saw it on extremetech" is a terrible idea.
Re: GoFlow: a DIY tDCS brain-boosting kit
#25Awesome that someone is doing this however I have to say the parts involved are only worth about $10 so $99 is a bit nuts. Someone should just post the plans and the parts list with instructions and anyone can build one of these safely in a couple hours.
Absolutely. Once the device has been tested to our satisfaction, a full schematic and parts list will be published for the solder junkies out there. Free of charge.
The $99 kit is a solderless, and no tools necessary setup.
- Matt @flowstateengage
Re: GoFlow: a DIY tDCS brain-boosting kit
#26Earlier quoted context omitted.
Was that with or without a current regulator?
Without. I think the current increased beyond what I measured while testing because I started to sweat. v0.02 will have some substantial design changes.
Regulator is a must. Be careful man, skin grafts es no bueno. A simple timer that shuts the current off after a set time is smart as well.
Good luck though!
Re: GoFlow: a DIY tDCS brain-boosting kit
#27Would be interesting to try this about 5 years after the first batch of users lead the charge. If it has any effect then the side effects would be my first major concern.
The tech is over 40 years old actually. Tons of research out there if you've got some free time.
Re: GoFlow: a DIY tDCS brain-boosting kit
#28Here's the schematic for current limiter and description how to pick components for it. http://www.vidisonic.com/2008/07/10/current-limiting-circuit...
Re: GoFlow: a DIY tDCS brain-boosting kit
#29I've been fascinated by all of the articles posted on here about tDCS, so I definitely signed up. I'm willing to pay $99 for a device that's probably worth $10 in parts, so long as its easy to use, easy to assemble, and works. Besides, if it works, I wouldn't mind starting my own business selling pre-built tDCS machines.
Re: GoFlow: a DIY tDCS brain-boosting kit
#30Are the measured effects of tDCS really large enough to outweigh any effects from confirmation bias and statistical anomalies? Were the tests performed double-blind using placebo units?
At the risk of appealing to authority, I have to assume that if DARPA is using it to train snipers, they know it works whether it's due to the tDCS or mental priming as mentioned below. Obviously, from a theoretical standpoint it's important to know why it's working but from a lifehacking/making better snipers/learning Perl/selling $99 tDCS kits standpoint, it doesn't matter how it works, only that it does.
Well DARPA is an applied research funding organization, not a sniper training organization. So their funding doesn't automatically mean it was successful.
Nevertheless, they probably wouldn't have funded it without some indication that it could be useful.