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I'm skeptical of IQ enhancing drugs ever coming about. Intelligence is so complex even the actual definition is a controversial topic. So far we can show that

I'm skeptical of IQ enhancing drugs ever coming about. Intelligence is so complex even the actual definition is a controversial topic. So far we can show that intelligent enhancement can be predicated on exercise, outside of that there are temporary drugs (e.g. coffee) that "boost" intelligence but in actuality boost attention.

dr_dshiv 7y ago
"In the first test, conducted in Northern California in the late 1960s, a researcher named Calvin Edlund selected 79 children between the ages of 5 and 7, all from “low-middle class and lower-class homes.” The children were randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group. First, they all took a standard version of the Stanford-Binet IQ test. Seven weeks later, they took a similar test, but this time the kids in the experimental group were given one M&M for each correct answer. On the first test, the two groups were evenly matched on IQ. On the second test, the IQ of the M&M group went up an average of 12 points—a huge leap." From Paul Tough's book "how children succeed"
- LeftHandPath 7y ago
  We're all going to be fucked, when it comes to employment in twenty years, then. Forget the M&M's. Video games are a skinner box on steroids. Kids are going to learn fast. Edit: I may have missed the point -- it looks like motivation improves performance, not necessarily actual "cognitive ability", if we can quantify that.
whereareyo 7y ago
56:30 - 58:30 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPqWstVnRjQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPqWstVnRjQ
fragmede 7y ago
Intelligence is hard to improve upon because it's poorly defined (as you noted). However, specific parts of it can be trained and targeted, eg short term memorization and recall, number of productive hours awake (especially on little sleep), ability to hold strong emotions at bay. Medications that address such things this may not "improve intelligence", but at the end of the day, if they let someone concentrate and be productive for 18 hours in a day, with no "hangover" the next, or lets them visualize complex protein makeup while altered, with enough retained to write up a scientific paper about said protein when sober, isn't that close enough for the pop-sci definition of "improved intelligence"? What the person is able to do with them, is still better than if they did not. Nootropics and micro-dosing are popular topics for those trying to use medication to improve overall effectiveness, in the quest for the drug that's still science fiction featured in the movie Limitless.
- beenBoutIT 7y ago
  Politicians blindly outlawed a shitload of potential real smart drugs in the rush to stop Americans from using MDMA. 2C-D looks promising https://erowid.org/chemicals/2cd/2cd_smartpills1.shtml https://erowid.org/chemicals/2cd/2cd_smartpills1.shtml
0xDEFC0DE 7y ago
It'll move away from the IQ 'brand' and move to job performance or some other easier-to-measure metric. I'm actually okay with this, I'd much rather they be honest that a particular enhancement is only good for particular things.
ajcarpy2005 7y ago
Mind enhancing drugs and neutraceuticals exist currently. Research Nootropics such as CILTEP or Piracetam.

dr_dshiv 7y ago

"In the first test, conducted in Northern California in the late 1960s, a researcher named Calvin Edlund selected 79 children between the ages of 5 and 7, all from “low-middle class and lower-class homes.” The children were randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group. First, they all took a standard version of the Stanford-Binet IQ test. Seven weeks later, they took a similar test, but this time the kids in the experimental group were given one M&M for each correct answer. On the first test, the two groups were evenly matched on IQ. On the second test, the IQ of the M&M group went up an average of 12 points—a huge leap." From Paul Tough's book "how children succeed"

LeftHandPath 7y ago
We're all going to be fucked, when it comes to employment in twenty years, then. Forget the M&M's. Video games are a skinner box on steroids. Kids are going to learn fast. Edit: I may have missed the point -- it looks like motivation improves performance, not necessarily actual "cognitive ability", if we can quantify that.

whereareyo 7y ago

56:30 - 58:30 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPqWstVnRjQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPqWstVnRjQ

fragmede 7y ago

Intelligence is hard to improve upon because it's poorly defined (as you noted). However, specific parts of it can be trained and targeted, eg short term memorization and recall, number of productive hours awake (especially on little sleep), ability to hold strong emotions at bay. Medications that address such things this may not "improve intelligence", but at the end of the day, if they let someone concentrate and be productive for 18 hours in a day, with no "hangover" the next, or lets them visualize complex protein makeup while altered, with enough retained to write up a scientific paper about said protein when sober, isn't that close enough for the pop-sci definition of "improved intelligence"? What the person is able to do with them, is still better than if they did not. Nootropics and micro-dosing are popular topics for those trying to use medication to improve overall effectiveness, in the quest for the drug that's still science fiction featured in the movie Limitless.

beenBoutIT 7y ago
Politicians blindly outlawed a shitload of potential real smart drugs in the rush to stop Americans from using MDMA. 2C-D looks promising https://erowid.org/chemicals/2cd/2cd_smartpills1.shtml https://erowid.org/chemicals/2cd/2cd_smartpills1.shtml

0xDEFC0DE 7y ago

It'll move away from the IQ 'brand' and move to job performance or some other easier-to-measure metric. I'm actually okay with this, I'd much rather they be honest that a particular enhancement is only good for particular things.

ajcarpy2005 7y ago

Mind enhancing drugs and neutraceuticals exist currently. Research Nootropics such as CILTEP or Piracetam.