One could argue that the coffee & caffeinated soda drinking we do is a brain hack. Same with sugar and carbohydrates. Certainly alcohol and drugs are hacks for both the brain and body.
There is a lot of effort and energy around hacking your brain and you should take a peek at these:
- Focusing on Better Humans
- Center for Cognitive Liberty & Ethics
- You can hack your brain with an iPod
- There's an interesting book on Mind Hacks
- Blogs like Brainworld, CogNews for the cognitive sciences, NeuroDudes
- Sites like the International Brain Research Organization, NeuroTech Reports, and the Society for NeuroScience.
Last but not least is the whole area of cogniceuticals and -- what Zack Lynch (one of my favorite bloggers) wrote about, "Will Neuroceutical Usage Widen Ability Gaps Within And Across Societies?" and "Mental health is the ultimate competitive weapon."
This entire area of brain hacks is going to continue to accelerate. Imagine competing with someone for a job that has hacked their brain and is significantly more alert, has much more energy, is happier and more optimistic and needs A LOT less sleep than you.
Good stuff!
Posted by: Ben | November 15, 2005 at 07:55 AM
This podcast uses brain hacking in their "Brain Hack" piece (episode 11)
http://podcast.mytake2.com/?ep=11
pretty cool
Posted by: Tanner | April 01, 2006 at 07:57 PM