they potentially had serious physical side effects, would you take them?

this is basically the steroid situation with a twist to try and understand it from a different angle

11/28/2008 10:42:00 PM

whats your definition of potentially?

like 90%?...10%?

if the potential was like the potential of getting lung cancer from smoking cigs, why not...plenty of folks smoke into their 70's/80's

11/28/2008 10:51:04 PM

and how much smarter would they make you? Just a bit smarter, or you make Einstein look like DNL smarter.

11/28/2008 11:31:51 PM

What kind of side effects? There's a big difference between difficulty sleeping and anal leakage.

11/29/2008 1:53:48 AM

If the effects were similar to steroids, then yeah probably

11/29/2008 2:06:10 AM

How f'ing VAGUE could a question get?

What side effect?
What's the potential of getting them?

11/29/2008 7:17:40 AM

"It depends"

Honestly, I'm quite comfortable with what I've got already. I imagine that the "smartness" that you would gain would begin to deteriorate once the drug leaves your system. Plus, the effects of losing increased intelligence would be an overwhelmingly depressing experience for most users which would result in higher suicide rates. At the same time, the elongated exposure to the drug would harm you and possibly even kill you as well. So unless it was as safe as caffeine, I would not take it.

11/29/2008 8:11:40 AM

There was a kids book about this, but I cant remember what it was called - something like a handicapped kid is forced to take these drugs that make him a genius (but also an asshole), but after a while the drugs wear off and he's slow again.

[Edited on November 29, 2008 at 10:09 AM. Reason : it was fiction, not rooted in fact]

11/29/2008 10:08:42 AM

Ha ha ha ha! I'm already smart enough to know this is working!

11/29/2008 11:59:12 AM

Drugs to enhance mental performance already exist.

Are y'all using them?

11/29/2008 12:23:51 PM

What are they? I would like to take them.

11/29/2008 12:37:10 PM

Provigil, Adderall, etc.

http://www.wired.com/medtech/drugs/news/2008/04/smart_drugs

11/29/2008 12:44:42 PM

I would likely take them, but of course depends. And so would everyone else.

people do crazy things to get ahead in the rat race.

11/29/2008 12:50:15 PM

It exists and it's called coffee

I drink it all the time despite getting the shits, so there's your answer

11/29/2008 12:57:19 PM

^^^Those are just uppers.

I thought we were talking about something that like, when taken over time, would strengthen the little connections and shit.

11/29/2008 1:14:23 PM

Quote :

"There was a kids book about this, but I cant remember what it was called - something like a handicapped kid is forced to take these drugs that make him a genius (but also an asshole), but after a while the drugs wear off and he's slow again."

not really a "kids book"... more like an award winning science fiction short story

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flowers_for_Algernon

[Edited on November 29, 2008 at 1:29 PM. Reason : .]

11/29/2008 1:26:33 PM

Ahh, damn, I remember watching Charly as a little kid. Pretty sad movie.

11/29/2008 1:48:42 PM

11/29/2008 1:59:45 PM

Quote :

"or you make Einstein look like DNL smarter."

ahahahaha

11/29/2008 9:34:08 PM

Quote :

"not really a "kids book"... more like an award winning science fiction short story Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flowers_for_Algernon"

ahh, my bad - we read it in elementary school so I thought it may have been a kid's book.

11/30/2008 2:36:23 PM

I hated flowers for Algernon.

I would take them if the benefits outweighed the negatives and it added value to my life overall.

12/1/2008 12:53:25 AM

Quote :

"It exists and it's called coffee"

truth. Although, I've heard of folks doing acid do take standardized tests. I've had friends who think excessive drinking helps solve relativity problems, but I've not seen concrete proof of their results.

I find techno helps certain calculation.

[Edited on December 1, 2008 at 2:00 AM. Reason : s.]

12/1/2008 2:00:16 AM

^On a related note,


is an accurate assessment.

12/1/2008 2:04:10 AM

i am pretty sure increased intelligence is a major risk factor for depression and other brain disorders. people are happier when they are on steroids because they feel like they are more perfect, but i doubt that many people that took the hypothetical drug would feel fufilled in that way. I suspect they would say "oh, being more intelligent blows." its not a drug that makes you better at business or more likeable or popular with the opposite (or same) sex. I believe that with an increased intellect comes an increased capacity to suffer, and there just aren't that many people in the world who get off on being smart for smart's sake.

12/1/2008 2:11:52 AM

i agreed with you tremendously until

Quote :

"that many people in the world who get off on being smart for smart's sake."

have you seen what message board you're on?

12/1/2008 9:43:45 AM

Quote :

"I believe that with an increased intellect comes an increased capacity to suffer, and there just aren't that many people in the world who get off on being smart for smart's sake."

But increased ability to do things you want also comes with increased intelligence.

Your connection of intelligence and suffering is indicative of YOUR particular set of values. Just as the creators of House chose to show an intelligent man in massive psychological pain, you've chosen to connect intelligence and suffering in your mind.

I believe intelligence and suffering do not necessarily go hand in hand. I don't think they have to have any connection at all if one advocates the proper set of values.

12/1/2008 12:14:29 PM

ignorance is bliss

12/1/2008 12:38:16 PM

Pretty sure there are a lot of highly intelligent highly callous individuals.

And ignorance is not bliss, only a dipshit would believe that.

12/1/2008 12:47:11 PM

Quote :

"I don't think they have to have any connection at all if one advocates the proper set of values."

i think your point falls apart a little right here. one can advocate the right set of values but if society as at large does not that person can still be laid victim to psychological suffering based on their impotence to act on this elevated value set or by means of their given intelligence.

that is if i'm understanding you correctly. would you please expound so that we could address this worthy tangent in greater detail?


[Edited on December 1, 2008 at 1:46 PM. Reason : caveat ]

12/1/2008 1:45:03 PM

Smarter how?
...right-brain intelligence? left brain? intuition? spatial reasoning? memory? IQ? GPA? SAT? wisdom? common sense? speed reading?
Furthermore, do we even fully understand the relationships between all these? ...like how one affects the other?


I think suddenly becoming "artificially smarter" could, itself, be a serious side effect.

12/1/2008 3:29:28 PM