Article in the guardian by some spotty student on the dangers of "modafinil" even tho he's never actually tried it. I like the "months supply will set you back 50 bucks". That's only the "modalert" brand tho - whether that's actually modafinil or not is another question. The real stuff sets you back about £120 for 30.
Modafinil is one of a number of performance-enhancing smart drugs that can be found online. It gives a sensation of natural wakefulness for hours at a time, without the jittery buzz and disrupted sleep associated with caffeine.
It also sharpens the mind, boosts memory and aids problem-solving: the Ministry of Defence shipped thousands of pills to tired soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq.
They certainly work. While I was dozing off, bored senseless by revision, my mates were more focused than a Buddhist monk mid-meditaton.
But Modafinil does more than just keep you awake. I asked a friend who tried it out to describe his experience.
"It messes with your mental reward system," he said. "It makes you desperate to do what you know you actually need to do. You just don't want to do anything else. I wanted to revise all the time, non-stop."
One friend, a world-class procrastinator, could be found swearing at anybody who interrupted his work flow, walking away from conversations mid-sentence. When I put it to another that using brain-enhancing drugs amounted to cheating, he turned on me, accusing me of wanting to ban revision. He apologised the next day. He said it was the drugs talking.
It's easy to see the appeal of Modafinil. It's readily available on the internet – a month's supply would set you back around $50, apparently – and unlike that other popular study drug Ritalin, possession without prescription isn't actually illegal.
I'll admit that I was intrigued – but not enough to try it. Having seen the bizarre behaviour of other users, I find the effects unsettling and, frankly, a little bit scary.
Modafinil may promise to change your grades, but it might also change the way you act. Don't say you haven't been warned.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/mortarboard/2012/oct/24/smart-drugs-would-you-try-them
Modafinil is one of a number of performance-enhancing smart drugs that can be found online. It gives a sensation of natural wakefulness for hours at a time, without the jittery buzz and disrupted sleep associated with caffeine.
It also sharpens the mind, boosts memory and aids problem-solving: the Ministry of Defence shipped thousands of pills to tired soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq.
They certainly work. While I was dozing off, bored senseless by revision, my mates were more focused than a Buddhist monk mid-meditaton.
But Modafinil does more than just keep you awake. I asked a friend who tried it out to describe his experience.
"It messes with your mental reward system," he said. "It makes you desperate to do what you know you actually need to do. You just don't want to do anything else. I wanted to revise all the time, non-stop."
One friend, a world-class procrastinator, could be found swearing at anybody who interrupted his work flow, walking away from conversations mid-sentence. When I put it to another that using brain-enhancing drugs amounted to cheating, he turned on me, accusing me of wanting to ban revision. He apologised the next day. He said it was the drugs talking.
It's easy to see the appeal of Modafinil. It's readily available on the internet – a month's supply would set you back around $50, apparently – and unlike that other popular study drug Ritalin, possession without prescription isn't actually illegal.
I'll admit that I was intrigued – but not enough to try it. Having seen the bizarre behaviour of other users, I find the effects unsettling and, frankly, a little bit scary.
Modafinil may promise to change your grades, but it might also change the way you act. Don't say you haven't been warned.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/mortarboard/2012/oct/24/smart-drugs-would-you-try-them
