Super Drugs?

[HououinKiyoma]

I was reading a bit about the fictional 'NZT-48' drug and found one that exists called Modafinil. Apparently it promotes wakefulness and improves mental grasping ability and reduces procrastination. It's been called a bio-hack to improve our work and study output.

Apparently it is completely harmless with no side effects.

Has anyone here taken anything like this and what are your views on stuff like this?

[Porpoise101]

Apparently it is completely harmless with no side effects.
Well first off that isn't true. A quick look here tells a slightly different story.
http://www.drugs.com/cdi/modafinil.html

But I'm generally against drug use as I don't like using medication or being dependant on something to have a certain feeling. I am fond of eating well and sleep though. Maybe I would use this drug you have listed if I'm taking a high stakes test, but never on a daily basis.

[Vlerchan]

...a high stakes test...
Exactly when these drugs should be banned IMO.

[Porpoise101]

Exactly when these drugs should be banned IMO.
If you are going to abuse a prescription drug then I would make it count for something I think.

Edit: Apparently it's really bad for children and teens so I think it's pretty terrible in any case.

[Stronk Serb]

Real-life version of Mentats? I am against drugs of any kind. It's all bad one way or another.

[Sailor Mars]

Super drugs?... I know what I'm doing then

http://i.imgur.com/km6hllN.jpg

[Uniquemind]

If you want a sharper memory when older.

When little (age 2-4) master "flip-card" match up games and train for 4 hrs a day for a few years.

If you notice little details of how your brain works or strategies in information categorization, you'll do better as an older kid or teen on tests and stuff.

At least it worked for me, and my test scores.

[sqishy]

Real-life version of Mentats? I am against drugs of any kind. It's all bad one way or another.

Do you mean every kind?
(Have you ever taken a painkiller?)

_______________

Here's the wiki page on it for convenience: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modafinil

There is always a side-effect of drugs in one way or another, but not always harmful or beyond a compromise. However, that seems to be the case somewhat for modafinil:

"According to documentation distributed by Teva Pharmaceuticals, one-third of participants in clinical trials reported experiencing headaches; 11% reported nausea; other negative side-effects such as nervousness, diarrhea, insomnia, anxiety, dizziness, and gastrointestinal problems were reported by less than 10% of participants."

- From "Modafinil Information Page" (PDF). Teva Pharmaceuticals. February 1, 2012. [from the wiki page]

[phuckphace]

sounds like another one of those magic pills that gets pushed out by Big Pharma every so often to make more money (side effects may include sudden heart attack, stroke, cancer and death) instead of focusing on useful shit like more effective antibiotics and whatnot.

we already have nicotine which improves focus and concentration and we already know exactly what its side effects are and it's over-the-counter and cheap. beyond that there's really no such thing as a "bio-hack" for the brain - you're either smart, dumb or something in between and no drug can change that (well...some can make you dumber).

I'd imagine that if such a drug did exist it would cost several million dollars per dose and only available to Davos attendees in a secret ceremony under the Eye of Providence

[Stronk Serb]

Do you mean every kind?
(Have you ever taken a painkiller?)

_______________

Here's the wiki page on it for convenience: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modafinil

There is always a side-effect of drugs in one way or another, but not always harmful or beyond a compromise. However, that seems to be the case somewhat for modafinil:

"According to documentation distributed by Teva Pharmaceuticals, one-third of participants in clinical trials reported experiencing headaches; 11% reported nausea; other negative side-effects such as nervousness, diarrhea, insomnia, anxiety, dizziness, and gastrointestinal problems were reported by less than 10% of participants."

- From "Modafinil Information Page" (PDF). Teva Pharmaceuticals. February 1, 2012. [from the wiki page]

No, I have never taken a painkiller. I meant recreational use of any kind of drug. On perscrpition it's good.

[sqishy]

No, I have never taken a painkiller. I meant recreational use of any kind of drug. On perscrpition it's good.

Alright.
(I am not trying to keep digging at your view, but also wondering if this would make medically prescribed marijuana, or modafinil, okay for you.)

[Stronk Serb]

Alright.
(I am not trying to keep digging at your view, but also wondering if this would make medically prescribed marijuana, or modafinil, okay for you.)

I view weed as a narcotic, and narcotics should remain banned. THC oil is I guess okay, but I am really informed on the consequences. Maybe have it taken only at hospitals. Modafinil is okay of it's on perscription, but I can only see it working with mental disorders as a means to cope with it.

[sqishy]

I view weed as a narcotic, and narcotics should remain banned. THC oil is I guess okay, but I am really informed on the consequences. Maybe have it taken only at hospitals. Modafinil is okay of it's on perscription, but I can only see it working with mental disorders as a means to cope with it.

Right.
I am sharing (at least from first impressions) the view with modafinil.

[NickTheStar]

Even if it's banned it'll still be on the streets.

[StoppingTom]

Super drugs?... I know what I'm doing then

image (http://i.imgur.com/km6hllN.jpg)

My favorite Batman character<3

OT: As others have said, these are pretty bad for adolescents, and while I'm not opposed to expanding human capabilities, I'm concerned about side effects and pharmaceutical companies making a "Haves vs Have-Nots" Society with this kind of stuff.

[phuckphace]

I think it's pretty much impossible from a physiological standpoint anyway. the very idea of a magic drug that imparts drastic improvements in human limitations kinda reeks of outdated 60s-era concepts like spice from the Dune universe (prescience, lengthened lifespans, etc.) and it's more than a little comic-bookish to boot. what we now know about the brain and the body seems to preclude this from ever happening.

and then there's the question of even if you could, would it necessarily be a good idea. the transhumanist weirdos say yes - which doesn't surprise me much as these are the types who tend to worship technological progress unquestioningly. it's creepy and bizarre - we could always work toward improving the present and near-future by accepting our faults, limitations and fragility, and instead be content with known and easily manageable outcomes. but that of course requires a healthy sense of humility and not having a fetish for some arbitrary "progress."

[phuckphace]

bumpity-bumping this to add a somewhat-related mini rant

my grandma subscribes to those stupid women's magazines like Woman's World and Woman's Day and has done so for years - she's got a couple huge stacks of them dating back to the late 80s. what really gets me is how every single goddamn issue promises some MIRACLE WEIGHT-LOSS BREAKTHROUGH or EASY TRICK TO BUST STRESS without actually having to do anything different. with this mindset so prevalent I guess it's no wonder the magic pill market is so huge since everyone wants results with none of the work. I would think after 10,000 issues Dr. Oz would finally finally discover a MIRACLE CURE that lets you melt 40 pounds while still eating THIS DECADENT DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE WITHOUT THE GUILT! but nope, there's a new issue every week and women are still fat and stressed out.

I guess what you should take away from this is that anything billed as "do this thing that ordinarily requires effort instantly with this 1 weird trick" is guaranteed to be bullshit. rant concluded, feel free to upboat.

[sqishy]

bumpity-bumping this to add a somewhat-related mini rant

my grandma subscribes to those stupid women's magazines like Woman's World and Woman's Day and has done so for years - she's got a couple huge stacks of them dating back to the late 80s. what really gets me is how every single goddamn issue promises some MIRACLE WEIGHT-LOSS BREAKTHROUGH or EASY TRICK TO BUST STRESS without actually having to do anything different. with this mindset so prevalent I guess it's no wonder the magic pill market is so huge since everyone wants results with none of the work. I would think after 10,000 issues Dr. Oz would finally finally discover a MIRACLE CURE that lets you melt 40 pounds while still eating THIS DECADENT DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE WITHOUT THE GUILT! but nope, there's a new issue every week and women are still fat and stressed out.

I guess what you should take away from this is that anything billed as "do this thing that ordinarily requires effort instantly with this 1 weird trick" is guaranteed to be bullshit. rant concluded, feel free to upboat.

I upboat this.

[HououinKiyoma]

Not really related but there's an Ig Nobel Prize for researching that fake medicines that were expensive worked better than fake medicine thats cheap XD