8 ms·
DIY Neurostimulation on the rise
- jhallenworld 11y agoHave they invented the Tasp (http://larryniven.wikia.com/wiki/Tasp http://larryniven.wikia.com/wiki/Tasp) yet? http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=235788 http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=235788
- Jasamba 11y agoGiving instant orgasms to disable an enemy? Well played.
- resurge 11y agoIIRC it wasn't used as a weapon in the books but more as a drug like heroin.
- gjm11 11y agoI'm pretty sure I remember one scene in a Niven book in which someone weaponizes it. It must be at least twenty years since I read it, so my memory is extremely hazy, but I vaguely think (1) the viewpoint character, who is probably Louis Wu, is shocked and offended that anyone would do that; (2) the weaponized-tasp-wielder might possibly have been a Pierson's puppeteer; (3) it happens near the start of the book (or story?); (4) the narration of the event occurs in close proximity to an instance of one of Niven's "there ain't no X" abbreviations (TANJ, TANSTAAFL). (Wireheading is also used in a drug-like way; the aforementioned Louis Wu is an ex-addict.)
- Tossrock 11y agoYeah, it's definitely the puppeteer tasping the kzin
- Lambdanaut 11y agoStimulation of the nucleus accumbens has been around since the 50s: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleasure_center https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleasure_center
- valine 11y agoCurrently neurostimulation is like trying to fix software bugs by applying arbitrary current to places on your motherboard.
- Rhapso 11y agoWelcome to how we treat most neurological conditions?
- delecti 11y agoIn practice it's far more like percussive maintenance on a rattling mechanism. You're certainly not guaranteed any amount of success, but the right smack on the right part of the machine might just fix the rattle.
- ska 11y agoc.f. DBS (deep brain stimulation) ?
- pussinboots 11y ago>Lincoln walks into the neurohacker meeting I am attending in a garage in San Francisco. first sentence really paints a picture
- nkrisc 11y agoThe search for a magical panacea continues. I'm sure there's some beneficial discoveries that will come out of this research, but I don't think it's going to elevate you to a "mystic" state by strapping electrodes to your head. My guess: at best these "neurohackers" will accomplish nothing other than some good times socializing with each other (good for them), at worst they'll hurt themselves.
- gherkin0 11y agoYeah, this tool seems like a pretty blunt instrument at this point. From the OP: > It is very difficult to target a specific region of the brain, especially with simple home set-ups that use wet sponges as the contact points. My layman's speculation is that things like cognition have complicated and fine-granted regulatory systems associated with them, which may have sub-optimal set-points for many people. To get true "cognitive enhancement" you'd have to 1) influence these systems in precise targeted ways (i.e. not with a blunt instrument) and 2) do it in a way that won't trigger counteracting regulation. Anything less would probably cause side-effects and/or be temporary with negative withdrawal symptoms.
- nkrisc 11y agoPretty much. I don't want to discount the potential in this field of research, but I really don't think they're going to achieve much with DIY transcranial stimulation at this point.
- mdomans 11y agoI thought that tDCS was already debunked as problematic since it increases neuroplasticity at the cost of information retention. So yes, it can be used to accelerate skill learning for skill dependant people but can be (and is) detrimental for knowledge workers
- robgering 11y agoI am fascinated by brain hacking. That said, a routine of high-quality sleep, daily exercise, nutritious food, mindfulness meditation, and limited caffeine use will do far more for the average person – with substantially less risk.
- debacle 11y agoWhat is limited caffeine? I see/hear this a lot recently, how much caffeine impacts our sleep cycle. I have 2-3 caffeinated beverages a day (usually 1 dark coffee and 1-2 cups of tea), but wonder if even that limited amount is impacting my sleep cycle.
- xenihn 11y agoI think it depends on your height and bodyweight, tolerance, and how quickly you metabolize caffeine. You also should be counting total mg of caffeine ingested. I metabolize caffeine slowly and have practically no tolerance. A medium-sized latte anytime after 5 PM will keep me up all night. A decaf equivalent will make it really hard to fall asleep (remember that decaf still has caffeine). I think my limit when not ingesting caffeine in the early morning is about 200mg before I have issues with falling asleep.
- robgering 11y agoI think the optimal quantity of caffeine varies from person to person and would be affected by individual tolerance and biochemistry. I've seen research suggesting the use of repeated low dosages (20-200mg per hour) throughout the morning and early afternoon for optimal performance. However, many of these studies have very small sample sizes and should be read cautiously. I feel best with no caffeine at all.
- tryitnow 11y agoI'm familiar with the evidence for all your claims except for the one about caffeine. Why limited caffeine? What I've seen is that caffeine works for some people and it doesn't work for others.
- hyperpallium 11y agoI used to do lot of DIY neurostimulation, until one day I accidentally stimulated the part of my brain that made lose interest in it. Intellectually, I know I should just unstimulate that part but meh.
- GrumpyNl 11y agoI'm waiting for the amateur who just put the clippers of the car battery on his ears. Yeah, lets simulate my brain a little.
- cryoshon 11y agoThe article mentions that it's mostly men between the ages of 21 and 30 who use neurostimulatory devices. I know I've been tempted to try. Maybe this is silly, but I view this as evidence of societal sickness. Young men are pushed so hard to be the very best at whatever they do that they are willing to use unproven, unsafe technology to alter their biology to give them an edge. Sure, if you asked them they'd say that they wanted to be smarter for smartness' sake, but I doubt it's true.
- adambard 11y agoMaybe. The other explanation is that men in general and young men in particular tend to have a higher tolerance for risk, which is reflected in everything from crime rates to willingness to ride a bicycle in traffic.
- CompanyLaser 11y agoTotally. I'm 23 and I'll readily admit I can't program to save my life without taking piracetam and a light dose of dextroamphetamine. I was sick and tired of living with my parents, no money, no friends. After a year and a half of DIY binge learning I have an incredible job. It's really messed up that that's the only way I felt I could dig myself out of the tar pit and find a job that doesn't make me hate my life. I mean, when has society not ever been sick? Think of the gold rushes, oil rushes. There's always been desperate people willing to risk it all. It's only now they have access to these options. The only surprising thing should be for people who don't understand the weird new societal pressures placed on people in this age range.
- guyzero 11y agoWhy do we have any reason to believe that there's any electrical field inside the brain at all? The skin is reasonably conductive, bone is not. Do we have any proof that the current doesn't just run along the skin taking the path of least resistance? The is the one part of transcranial electrical stimulation that I've never understood - there doesn't seem to be any proof it does what people say it does.
- lawpoop 11y agoI don't know for certain, but this is basically very low voltage shock therapy, and we know that has effects on the brain, and is efficacious in treating depression.
- maxxxxx 11y agoThere is deep brain stimulation that plants electrodes deep into the brain to create a field there. The results are pretty reproducible: Turn on stimulation, Parkinson patient can walk, turn it off, he can't walk. That at least is evidence that the brain responds to electrical fields.
- guyzero 11y agoSure, that makes sense bu tit's not the same as simulation applied to the skin.
- Pxtl 11y agoTrepanning for the 21st century!
- 6stringmerc 11y agoI was wondering if there would be any sort of discussion regarding pain relief a la TENs unit approach, which I haven't tried, but it doesn't look to be part of the article. Chronic lower back pain is such a market I kind of hope more devices keep getting created to address the issue. In fairness there's still a lot of barely substantiated / anecdotal evidence with most of the stuff out there (inversion therapy, TENs) and the one arena that should be helpful (chiro) but can be conflated with new-age rigmarole.