I am fascinated by the underlying concept of this article, that society is evolving to support a shared awareness or a certain augmented intelligence of the individual. Just look at how much has shifted in society regarding specific knowledge vs. a more general intuition or analytical ability.

I'm somewhat annoyed by the depiction of stimulants as intelligence enhancing pharmaceuticals. These drugs certainly do affect behavior (and as such they obviously play into that old "99% perspiration" maxim). However, I would argue that stimulants (specifically powerful drugs like modafinil and ADD medications) usually cripple intuition and creativity.

To me, these aspects of mental agility are significant components of intelligence. Intensely focusing on an extended stretch of work seldom yields optimal results (aside from those truly inspired "in the zone" moments). Years of experience/experimentation would indicate that I need sleep, breaks, and a balanced mind to produce anything even resembling my best work.

Has anyone here actually felt MORE intelligent while taking modafinil or ADD medication (or to a lesser extent, even coffee)? I'm very curious to hear what you have to say.