Re: Filtered Extropians

Anders Sandberg (nv91-asa@nada.kth.se)
Thu, 8 May 1997 18:54:32 +0200 (MET DST)


On Thu, 8 May 1997, Carl Feynman wrote:

> Anders Sandberg wrote:
> >In general, the idea of nootropics only
> >having positive cognitive effects and no side-effects is *very* unlikely,
>
> In fact it is forbidden by Algernon's Law: All simple major enhancements of
> human intelligence are net evolutionary disadvantages.

I think you misapply it somewhat; a nootropic need not correspond to any
reasonable mutation that could occur in nature. In practice you are
right, the state of our neurochemistry is likely a compromise between
several opposing factors which is optimal in general, but not in the
specific and unnatural situations we might want to employ nootropics in.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Anders Sandberg Towards Ascension!
nv91-asa@nada.kth.se http://www.nada.kth.se/~nv91-asa/main.html
GCS/M/S/O d++ -p+ c++++ !l u+ e++ m++ s+/+ n--- h+/* f+ g+ w++ t+ r+ !y