Comment by Killah911 | Hacker News Reader

Comment by Killah911 | Hacker News Reader

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Modafinil is overrated. There are modest gains, but meh...

No idea what paracetem does...

Amphetamines are great until you get a heartattack or go batshit crazy. Not worth the risk. Ok for weightloss but way too dangerous in my opinion. Quit it and you'll be down for what seems forever. I put phentermine in the same class

Beta blockers, now that's a first... Always thought they're boring blood pressure drugs or something...

Ritalin is OK, but you can get habituated, not entirely sure there aren't any negative side effects (certainly not as creative on Ritalin).

IMHO Best cognitive enhancer with few side effects: Exercise! Read "Spark", tried the 80% of max heartrate for 30 mins a day and boom! It works! Good ol BDNF. Better concentration, creativity & less depression. Also helps create new brain cells... I hate exercising, but now I pop in a audible & take the much needed 45min refresher every day. Haven't tried with any combination of enhancers, though beta blockers are probably not a good fit right off the bat & I wonder if Amphetamines wouldn't make you heart just want to explode...

Beta blockers are used by musicians to control performance anxiety. I used to take them for auditions. For a stage performance it can leave you a bit emotionally flat, but when you have ten minutes in which you have to be perfect, it can really help stave off the shakes.

I suppose beta blockers are prescription only in most countries? Been reading up on them, sounds like they would come in handy during a job interview or something.

I got a prescription for them from my doctor at the time (for PA, not high blood pressure), so it should be doable. Definitely would be helpful for job interviews too (I'm sure 20-40% of the people you see appearing before news cameras take them also) but be aware that they can cause your mouth to be dry. Also, try them out before the big day -- I've known people to pass out during big performances because, you know, they can lower your blood pressure.

Ritalin seems to be second best to amphetamines. It feels heavier on the body, and doesn't provide any euphoria to overcome the rush of thinking so fast. Ritalin seems to wear you out quicker than amphetamines.

Modafinil seems to vary significantly by person. I don't get any effect from it, but other people seem to prefer it as there's no powerful effects like Ritalin/amphetamines. It's quite understandable people might prefer something lower-key than amphetamines.

Ones that aren't mentioned are opiates. While not smart drugs in the sense of directly improving cognition, the reduction in pain and stress can end up providing a huge positive effect on tasks.

My suboxone treatment is an amazing booster for my work. Prior to that, I was a heroin addict, which also helped quite a lot. Shame about the whole "I'm and IV drug user and addict" bit though...

What is the book Spark you are talking about? Could you share the link?

It's a compelling read:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/721609.Spark

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