That's because Jack3d (and all similar pre-workout supps) are just massive amounts of caffeine and sugar and a bunch of scientific sounding compounds that have near negligible effects. You'd save yourself tons of cash if you just buy caffeine pills.Before A test, however, I take some of my Jack3d, (it's a pre workout supp), it gives me a ton of focus. Too bad theres a massive crash afterwards.
I didn't see the 60 min. segment, but I have read quite a bit on Adderall and similar drugs. Has there ever been a large double blind study to show if Adderall actually improves cognition? I have serious doubts on this. Adderall is just mixed amphetamine salts. Both the Allies and the Axis tested amphetamine on their pilots (amphetamine was a wonder drug at the time), and what they found was that the pilots had no performance increase (or a slight performance decrease). The biggest measureable affect is that pilots who took amphetamine was on their perception of their performance. In other words, pilots would take amphetamine and then believed they were better.
If adderall really does boost school performance, I wouldn't be surprised if this is why. Kid has low confidence and bad work habits as a result, takes adderall and believes he is now smarter. Confidence goes through the roof, effort increases, voila!
Anyone interested in this subject should really check out this book. http://www.amazon.com/Speed-Many-Liv...2293648&sr=8-1
Compare 2 students at 3:30am studying, one on adderall and one on coffee. There is NO comparison.
I bet the market for adderall will skyrocket after this.
No one is arguing that it gives you energy. I'm asking if it improves cognition. That seems to be what a lot students believe.
And I think the market is already pretty saturated.
I need to find me an ADD friend.
I didn't see the 60 min. segment, but I have read quite a bit on Adderall and similar drugs. Has there ever been a large double blind study to show if Adderall actually improves cognition? I have serious doubts on this. Adderall is just mixed amphetamine salts. Both the Allies and the Axis tested amphetamine on their pilots (amphetamine was a wonder drug at the time), and what they found was that the pilots had no performance increase (or a slight performance decrease). The biggest measureable affect is that pilots who took amphetamine was on their perception of their performance. In other words, pilots would take amphetamine and then believed they were better.
If adderall really does boost school performance, I wouldn't be surprised if this is why. Kid has low confidence and bad work habits as a result, takes adderall and believes he is now smarter. Confidence goes through the roof, effort increases, voila!
Anyone interested in this subject should really check out this book. http://www.amazon.com/Speed-Many-Liv...2293648&sr=8-1
That's because Jack3d (and all similar pre-workout supps) are just massive amounts of caffeine and sugar and a bunch of scientific sounding compounds that have near negligible effects. You'd save yourself tons of cash if you just buy caffeine pills.
In the 60 min segment they weren't talking from going from a B+ to an A- it was more like the students would get C's but with the drugs they got A's (whether it was a placebo or not remains debatable). It made the boring subjects more interesting and allowed them to study better and organize the information in detail.
In the grand scheme of things you go to college to get a good job or into secondary education to become a professional. Your GPA is what lets you into these opportunities. With unemployment still high, these undergrads want the best chance at getting the best grades.
HAHA! Anyone aspiring to get a "good job" is so full of bullshit that they'd better stay on the drugs.
Anyone who has worked in a job for any period of time will eventually dislike what they are doing. I've hired dozens of people over the years and do you know how many I've hired because of their GPA? None. Zero.
Drugs can make you stronger. Drugs can make you faster. Drugs can make your senses more acute. Drugs can make you immune to pain. Drugs can make you happier. Why is it so unreasonable that drugs could make you smarter?This is bullshit. Taking drugs won't make you smarter or more intelligent.
Drugs can make you stronger. Drugs can make you faster. Drugs can make your senses more acute. Drugs can make you immune to pain. Drugs can make you happier. Why is it so unreasonable that drugs could make you smarter?
Because people don't like to think that our innate "human: characteristics are just as based in chemicals as much as every other trait. People don't like to think that human consciousness, complex human emotions, any anything else hat separates us as uniquely human aren't special after all. Not saying that cyclohexane is saying this, but this is usually why people don't want to think along these lines.
It depends on the type of intelligence you're thinking of. Also, altering physiological characteristics through drugs is usually merely hyperplasia or reducing sensitivity to neuronal action potentials, which is relatively easy to induce. We know the mechanisms of how they work, we have the 3D structures of the enzymes, transporters, and receptors that mediate this process, and we know what substances naturally regulate the process, so we can create synthetic compounds to manipulate it. However, with intelligence we have no idea what factors affect this, we have no idea what neurotransmitters enhance/degrade the process, and we have no idea what doses they should be in so that the drug doesn't have a negative impact.Drugs can make you stronger. Drugs can make you faster. Drugs can make your senses more acute. Drugs can make you immune to pain. Drugs can make you happier. Why is it so unreasonable that drugs could make you smarter?
It depends on the type of intelligence you're thinking of. Also, altering physiological characteristics through drugs is usually merely hyperplasia or reducing sensitivity to neuronal action potentials, which is relatively easy to induce. We know the mechanisms of how they work, we have the 3D structures of the enzymes, transporters, and receptors that mediate this process, and we know what substances naturally regulate the process, so we can create synthetic compounds to manipulate it. However, with intelligence we have no idea what factors affect this, we have no idea what neurotransmitters enhance/degrade the process, and we have no idea what doses they should be in so that the drug doesn't have a negative impact.
Some drugs can make you 'smarter' for short periods of time (c.f. caffeine) but no drugs as far as I know, both synthetic and natural, can permanently increase intelligence, memory, or cognitive ability.
Yeah pretty much. I'm not an expert on drugs by any stretch, but to automatically rule out the possibility of improving intelligence with drugs seems naive to me. Pretty much Locut0s nailed it in his post - people don't want to believe that amazing things like human intelligence could be governed by "boring" laws of physics and chemistry.I think GA was responding mostly to cyclohexane's statement about the idea being bullshit. I agree that we don't understand intelligence well enough yet to produce such a drug but there is no reason why such a drug would no be in theory possible once we do understand it. cyclohexane's response seemed more to be along the lines of the very notion being bull.
It's not so much the intelligence factor as it is the input factor. Adderal stresses your brain and you try X solution, then Y solution, then A solution, then B solution, back to back to back to back without a break. You don't need to rub your eyes or sit back and take a break to let a solution to a problem flow to you. You just keep attacking the problem relentlessly, and eventually you'll get it.It depends on the type of intelligence you're thinking of. Also, altering physiological characteristics through drugs is usually merely hyperplasia or reducing sensitivity to neuronal action potentials, which is relatively easy to induce. We know the mechanisms of how they work, we have the 3D structures of the enzymes, transporters, and receptors that mediate this process, and we know what substances naturally regulate the process, so we can create synthetic compounds to manipulate it. However, with intelligence we have no idea what factors affect this, we have no idea what neurotransmitters enhance/degrade the process, and we have no idea what doses they should be in so that the drug doesn't have a negative impact.
Some drugs can make you 'smarter' for short periods of time (c.f. caffeine) but no drugs as far as I know, both synthetic and natural, can permanently increase intelligence, memory, or cognitive ability.