3 ms·

compare with smoking pot daily for X years. also, can you train yourself to be smarter by forcing yourself into such a state, much like weight training or high

by jaekwon 16y ago

compare with smoking pot daily for X years. also, can you train yourself to be smarter by forcing yourself into such a state, much like weight training or high altitude training?

lotusleaf1987 16y ago
Marijuana doesn't make you dumb permanently... Alcohol has far worse effects on the brain than marijuana, especially over the long term. Listen to Dr. Drew, he says it all the time.
- grav1tas 16y ago
  I think he's means it as in compare it to someone who's stoned day in day out for X years, and then decides to quit and then their mental function returns to normal. Compare those two differences. Actually I don't think what he says contradicts anything you're saying.
- Encosia 16y ago
  The last few studies I've seen on moderate alcohol use have concluded that its short-term effects on the brain aren't necessarily cumulative over the long term, as opposed to conventional wisdom.
  - Devilboy 16y ago
    That may be true but the way young people use alcohol is usually binge drinking rather than having one glass of wine daily
    - Encosia 16y ago
      By the same token, is there any reason to assume that someone who uses marijuana doesn't drink irresponsibly too? While I was in college, the two seemed pretty inseparable on average.
  - iregdtoreply 16y ago
    Any chance of a link to any of the studies or directions where to find them? I am interested.
  - VladRussian 16y ago
    considering that alcohol helps prevent blood vessels clogging, it seems like it is a very good positive long-term effect on the brain in particular
- Cyclops 16y ago
  Actually, marijuana may make you smarter: some studies show it aids in neurogenesis (i.e. new brain cells). http://www.jci.org/articles/view/25509/version/1 http://www.jci.org/articles/view/25509/version/1
fredoliveira 16y ago
There are certain cognitive abilities that improve with practice. You'll find that you can get faster at most things you practice if you're able to do them already. A well known example is games like "Brian Age" on the Nintendo DS and Wii. If you play them often you will definitely see improvements on your performance in the exercises in the game, however not in general, as has been recently proven [1]. Intuitively I'd say that your cognitive ability isn't (to put things simple) a value but a range, and you can train yourself by studying to be higher within your range. I believe there are actual physical barriers that don't allow you to push over your "range" - or we'd see obsessed people turning into Savants. (Regarding your marijuana point: I have seen the impact of daily pot smoking on friends, and it is quite real. I have also seen the effect go away when they stopped smoking. Sounds like a cliché out of a book on morals, but it is the truth) [1] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7610884/Popular-brain-training-games-do-not-make-users-any-smarter.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7610884/Popular...
- danudey 16y ago
  I read an article a while back talking about how games like that don't boost the brain's overall ability to think and reason quickly in general, they just improve your brain's performance on those games. That is to say, you're not getting smarter or faster, you're just getting better at Brain Age. This isn't the article I remember, but it's a good counter-example to the games' claims: http://www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/Horizons/2009/0126/nintendos-brain-age-doesnt-work-researcher-says http://www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/Horizons/2009/0126/ninte...
  - gwern 16y ago
    Try http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100420/full/4641111a.html http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100420/full/4641111a.html (I have the link handy because I was looking it up yesterday for my DNB FAQ http://www.gwern.net/N-back http://www.gwern.net/N-back FAQ.html - DNB being one of the few brain games which apparently does transfer/improve 'in general'.)
- c00ki3s 16y ago
  (Regarding your marijuana point: I have seen the impact of daily pot smoking on friends, and it is quite real. I have also seen the effect go away when they stopped smoking. Sounds like a cliché out of a book on morals, but it is the truth Hi fredoliveira Would you mind elaborating on this a little? It's an area of personal interest. Only for scientific reasons of course ;) Regards c00ki3s

by jaekwon 16y ago

compare with smoking pot daily for X years. also, can you train yourself to be smarter by forcing yourself into such a state, much like weight training or high altitude training?

lotusleaf1987 16y ago

Marijuana doesn't make you dumb permanently... Alcohol has far worse effects on the brain than marijuana, especially over the long term. Listen to Dr. Drew, he says it all the time.

grav1tas 16y ago
I think he's means it as in compare it to someone who's stoned day in day out for X years, and then decides to quit and then their mental function returns to normal. Compare those two differences. Actually I don't think what he says contradicts anything you're saying.
Encosia 16y ago
The last few studies I've seen on moderate alcohol use have concluded that its short-term effects on the brain aren't necessarily cumulative over the long term, as opposed to conventional wisdom.
- Devilboy 16y ago
  That may be true but the way young people use alcohol is usually binge drinking rather than having one glass of wine daily
  - Encosia 16y ago
    By the same token, is there any reason to assume that someone who uses marijuana doesn't drink irresponsibly too? While I was in college, the two seemed pretty inseparable on average.
- iregdtoreply 16y ago
  Any chance of a link to any of the studies or directions where to find them? I am interested.
- VladRussian 16y ago
  considering that alcohol helps prevent blood vessels clogging, it seems like it is a very good positive long-term effect on the brain in particular
Cyclops 16y ago
Actually, marijuana may make you smarter: some studies show it aids in neurogenesis (i.e. new brain cells). http://www.jci.org/articles/view/25509/version/1 http://www.jci.org/articles/view/25509/version/1

fredoliveira 16y ago

There are certain cognitive abilities that improve with practice. You'll find that you can get faster at most things you practice if you're able to do them already. A well known example is games like "Brian Age" on the Nintendo DS and Wii. If you play them often you will definitely see improvements on your performance in the exercises in the game, however not in general, as has been recently proven [1]. Intuitively I'd say that your cognitive ability isn't (to put things simple) a value but a range, and you can train yourself by studying to be higher within your range. I believe there are actual physical barriers that don't allow you to push over your "range" - or we'd see obsessed people turning into Savants. (Regarding your marijuana point: I have seen the impact of daily pot smoking on friends, and it is quite real. I have also seen the effect go away when they stopped smoking. Sounds like a cliché out of a book on morals, but it is the truth) [1] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7610884/Popular-brain-training-games-do-not-make-users-any-smarter.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7610884/Popular...

danudey 16y ago
I read an article a while back talking about how games like that don't boost the brain's overall ability to think and reason quickly in general, they just improve your brain's performance on those games. That is to say, you're not getting smarter or faster, you're just getting better at Brain Age. This isn't the article I remember, but it's a good counter-example to the games' claims: http://www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/Horizons/2009/0126/nintendos-brain-age-doesnt-work-researcher-says http://www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/Horizons/2009/0126/ninte...
- gwern 16y ago
  Try http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100420/full/4641111a.html http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100420/full/4641111a.html (I have the link handy because I was looking it up yesterday for my DNB FAQ http://www.gwern.net/N-back http://www.gwern.net/N-back FAQ.html - DNB being one of the few brain games which apparently does transfer/improve 'in general'.)
c00ki3s 16y ago
(Regarding your marijuana point: I have seen the impact of daily pot smoking on friends, and it is quite real. I have also seen the effect go away when they stopped smoking. Sounds like a cliché out of a book on morals, but it is the truth Hi fredoliveira Would you mind elaborating on this a little? It's an area of personal interest. Only for scientific reasons of course ;) Regards c00ki3s