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Can neuroscience give my brain the plasticity of a child's?

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Re: Can neuroscience give my brain the plasticity of a child's?

#31

Post by jakobegger »

ohyes wrote: post #29

"I hit a plateau..." "I haven't picked up my dulcimer in several months" In my experience learning instruments follows a 90/10 sort of rule, you can get the easy stuff in a matter of weeks, the harder stuff is subject to severe diminishing returns. You have to practice much more to make the relevant progress. That virtuoso is not a virtuoso because he practiced as a child when he had neuro plasticity, he's a virtuoso…

Same for sports. You'll improve extremely quickly in the beginning, then you'll hit a plateau and you have to train much longer and harder to improve.

Re: Can neuroscience give my brain the plasticity of a child's?

#32

Post by api »

It's always important to keep in mind that these things can be double-edged swords. There may be a tradeoff between plasticity and things like depth of focus on single subjects or the wide-ranging associations that characterize "wisdom."

Absolutely not saying we shouldn't play with this stuff, just that the fact that systems are full of trade-offs should be remembered.

Re: Can neuroscience give my brain the plasticity of a child's?

#34

Post by Synaesthesia »

xaa wrote: post #20
PinnBrain wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Neat. I take Modafinil or its enantiomer Nuvigil sometimes to be smarter or compensate for lack of sleep. Officially, it's for sleep apnea, which I had to take a sleep test to show. I don't see zero risk for cosmetic surgery (note the issues with any surgery), so perhaps that can serve as an analogue as we look more into enhancing "normal" people.

Sure. I get great results from Adderall and have heard good things about Modafinil. Tried it once with little effect, but it was from an Indian pharmacy and who knows how pure it was. I can't draw any conclusions whatsoever from this. Similarly, some people swear by racetams but I have adverse reactions to them (tired, eye strain, bad moods). The internet is chock full of anecdotes about various nootropics, but very…

I would maybe classify Modafanil as a nootropic, but Adderall is a stimulant - Amphetamine.

Re: Can neuroscience give my brain the plasticity of a child's?

#35

Post by s_q_b »

I'm not as pessimistic as most about the potential for nootropics. The usual argument against them states that if there was a way to significantly improve neural performance, evolution would have found it already.

However, our bodies and brains evolved in an environment of near constant food scarcity, where surplus glucose was the chief constraint on neural development.

Can you imagine the developmental pathways that could be opened if our bodies could leverage the massive amounts of excess energy we consume for more than stuffing it into adipose tissue?

Re: Can neuroscience give my brain the plasticity of a child's?

#37

Post by dominotw »

bsder wrote: post #36

Has anybody shown that having an adult brain with non-child plasticity is a limitation? I find that my progress on guitar is a direct function of time , which is something else that children have in abundance but adults do not.

Try learning a language.

Re: Can neuroscience give my brain the plasticity of a child's?

#38

Post by PinnBrain »

Synaesthesia wrote: post #34
xaa wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure. I get great results from Adderall and have heard good things about Modafinil. Tried it once with little effect, but it was from an Indian pharmacy and who knows how pure it was. I can't draw any conclusions whatsoever from this. Similarly, some people swear by racetams but I have adverse reactions to them (tired, eye strain, bad moods). The internet is chock full of anecdotes about various nootropics, but very…

I would maybe classify Modafanil as a nootropic, but Adderall is a stimulant - Amphetamine.

Ah, thanks. Only had Adderall once, and it didn't feel the same. Modafinil had a much more subtle effect, with few downsides (just don't overdo caffeine while on it).

Re: Can neuroscience give my brain the plasticity of a child's?

#39

Post by WhitneyLand »

aortega wrote: post #6

I don't get this "Child's brains are better" thing. A Child needs up to 10 years to speak, read and write correctly in their native language. An adult can do it in a couple of years, months sometimes (not my case!) I have a small kid and yes, their intelligence development is shocking and completely unlike any other creature on earth. But are there any proof that childrens are actually better/faster at anything than…

Most adults can never learn another language without an accent no matter how many years they practice. Children do it easily.

Can you explain this?

Re: Can neuroscience give my brain the plasticity of a child's?

#40

Post by analog31 »

bsder wrote: post #36

Has anybody shown that having an adult brain with non-child plasticity is a limitation? I find that my progress on guitar is a direct function of time , which is something else that children have in abundance but adults do not.

I could see pro's and con's. Non-child plasticity might help evade indoctrination or the effects of advertising.
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