If you could enhance your brain, would you?

[StrongInTheArm]

According to the British Medical Association, we must at least start thinking about the ethics of altering the organ which is so central to our being before there is no turning back.

The theory is this: if people are already willing to undergo the risks of plastic surgery in search of the perfect body, who is to suggest they would not do the same to better their brains.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7080784.stm

We are rapidly approaching the point where it is possible, as individuals, to enhance our intelligence. Do you think it is right to do so from a personal point of view and more generally from society's perspective?

What about those that cannot afford the drugs? Its very different from not being able to afford a boob job, perhaps not being able to compete in the future on an intellectual level will affect your job prospects and life style, vanity vs. necessity.

[D3n!ss3_gÜrL]

wow! nothing is really impossible nowadays..

but on my point of view, it's not wrong if somebody wants to enhance their intelligence so long they can afford the operation expenses... BUT the question now is, will the operation be successful as wanted?

But one thing is for sure it will cause debate and criticism from the moralist group?

[pctec]

I don't think I could stand to be any more brilliant...

[Julie]

I don't think I would let anyone alter my brain. I am who I am because of my brain, and I like who I am. I also think I'm pretty smart.

That being said, I think that we're given what we're given for a reason. Make do with what you've got.

[Bernard]

It is already possible to improve brain performance with EEG neurofeedback. It is used by professional musicians and athletes to reach optimal/peak performance. It is also used to help treat ADD-ADHD, epilepsy and other neurological disorders.

[Turbine]

Staying on topic, here: Would I undergo surgery to give a +int bonus? Damn straight! It was only a matter of time before we can start plugging in our brains and uploading books of data and intelligence.

The smarter we are as humans the smarter we are as a race. For business there is nothing more sacred than being able to have a competative edge and, for a price, being able to be smarter than the guy next to you means you beat them on the battlefield of business. Being able to develop ourselves beyond what we are capable of doing naturally is perfectly acceptable in my humble opinion.

I'm sure 200 years ago the idea of eating low-carb diets and specifically eating foods to harness our health looked much like sticking chips in our brain to make us smarter, nowadays. It's simply part of our advancement as a race. We are creatues of intellect and intelligence and we should capture the chance to do what it takes to unlock the doors to the unknown. If someone who alters their brain for more intelligence is capable of curing HIV/AIDs compared to not being able to do so without such surgery, I call that a miracle.

Imagine getting to the point where children will spend more time to developing advanced theories of nanoprocessors and less time wasting in a classroom. Sign me and my children up! We'll alpha test this technology! It's about due for humanity to make a breakthrough!

-Turbine.

[potchie]

whew, really.. its better to develop your self and enhance it through knowledge and so with experience.. than taking surgery..

[ezhel]

engaging with brain enhancement is like putting your life at risk...I want to enhance my brain in gaining knowledge by experiences and not using any surgery.

[Bernard]

EEG neurofeedback is not surgery. It is a non-invasive form of biofeedback.

[Brian]

I do.

LSD, its magical

[Atom]

It has been my experience that my brain does not react favorably to alteration by any of the mind altering drugs that I've experimented with. That is, there are always negative side effects during it's struggle to return to it's norm. It likes the established balance of itself, in the end. When that balance is disrupted by a recreational mind altering drug, I feel good, but it's always with consequences as the drug is removed from the system, some severe. I believe that these consequences are a result of a mind's very keen sense of balance, which it strives to maintain when the mask is removed.

It's my understanding that there are about 15 major neuro-chemicals in the brain that are central to this balance. There are direct consequences to upsetting this fine tuned balance. I say fine tuned because the mind reacts to the slightest imbalance, but my main point here is that it's in ways that I've found to be negative when the alteration is ceased.

The question then becomes, is it ok to continually alter the neuro-chemical balance in the brain? One might think, sure, as long as it doesn't crave it's established normality. BTW, I'd like to interject at this point that we do not know the source of this "establishment", but it is certainly present. I have a feeling that the answer is no. However, despite my gut feeling, I don't see where research in this area is a bad thing. I do think that the research needs to be guarded, for now anyway.

To address the topic question, "If you could enhance your brain, would you?", the answer is yes.

[Rankenstein]

As long as it was 'safe' to do so, I would do it. Imagine being able to manipulate twenty different numbers in your head at great speed, or remember everything you've read in the last hour perfectly! That would be too cool.

[Atom]

Originally Posted by Brian

I do.

LSD, its magical

I did LSD about 15 times when I was around 20 years old. The experiences were very interesting and most rather intense. One day as I was coming down from a trip, I was experiencing what I can only describe as the feelings one might have when they're having a nervous breakdown, which is totally not me BTW, I'm not ordinarily the nervous breakdown type. Anyway.. this somehow culminated in me vomiting right in front of a woman that I had agreed to help out by teaching one of her troubled juveniles to play the guitar. She ran a group for troubled juveniles, and I was in a band. I came to the conclusion that this feeling of nervous breakdown, which took the whole day to subside, was the result of, rather than simply a "bad trip", a cumulative effect from all the previous trips. That trip convinced me to stop experimenting with LSD, and I haven't done it since. I will admit that most of the trips were very interesting in that they do indeed expand the thoughts of the mind, but my final determination was: not without great price.

[Brian]

I'm aware of some of the negative aspects of LSD. I do my best to keep it safe and do it within environments that support it. I might do it too much, sometimes twice a week, but whatevs.

I've lost count of the number of times I've done it, but everytime has been one of the best days of my life.

[Clarissa101]

i'm pretty much ok with my brain...

[Atom]

Originally Posted by Brian

I'm aware of some of the negative aspects of LSD. I do my best to keep it safe and do it within environments that support it. I might do it too much, sometimes twice a week, but whatevs.

I've lost count of the number of times I've done it, but everytime has been one of the best days of my life.

I understand.

I would keep an eye out though, as this magic is powerful, as I'm sure you know. I've seen a few of my peers not come back from LSD trips. One in particular was very intelligent to begin with, but ended up a nutcase needing treatment. His father was a distinguished teacher at my high school. This guy shocked the entire school, he was perfectly fine before he began experimenting with the drug, but it ended up claiming his sanity, and quite suddenly at that. But what I concluded in my case, is that the drug was doing something similar to me, but in a more gradual manner. So, just a little heads up. I can't say that my conclusion about my LSD experiences is correct, but I do feel compelled to relay my experiences here with a slant of warning.

[StarLab]

Yes, brain chemistry is a very delicate thing.

A bunch of years ago, I gave up drinking. The first couple days were tough, but nothing like the days that followed. DT's (Delirium tremens) set in and I was quite the madman. I spent 2-3 days hiding under my covers in fear the porcupine people would get me. (I'm serious!!)

And that was just from taking something away that the brain had grown a need for.

If you add chemicals to the brain to enhance intelligence, then you had better be prepared to continue with that treatment until the day you die. The minute you stop, brain chemistry will change, which may have dire effects: loss of acquired intelligence or worse...

What good is being absolutely brilliant if you do nothing but rant like a madman?

[cEejay_01]

I remember when I was in high school I wrote an article about impossible inventions and one of them is to invent brains with different I.Q level.

Anyway, given a chance to enhance a brain even for free- I won't accept it since I'm totally contented with my intelligence.. lol

[marcapad15]

in my own point of view, i dont agree with having surgeries at all..because we should be contented with whatever we have.