science on steroids

[Bozo Erectus]

Imagine that a new class of drugs is developed that radically boosts intelligence and overall intellectual 'performance'. Theyre made illegal. Still, more and more researchers start taking them, and we start getting radical breakthroughs in all fields of science. Would you have a problem with it? Should these scientists be ineligible for Nobel prize consideration, regardless of their achievements?

 

[philippe]

dude, why make them illegal in the first place?

Or arr you trying to push forth your "legalise dope" program again?

 

[CartesianFart]

No problem with it at all.

Hell, I would take them too if I was ambitious enough to get smarter.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

dude, why make them illegal in the first place?

Because some of the drugs, if used incorrectly, can produce bad side effects.

 

[ArneHD]

If they are illegal then they probably have some side effects, right? What kind?

Edit: Cross post, I suppose.

 

[Mise]

Well we'd probably make use of the inventions/ideas that they came up with, but we wouldn't give them any prizes for being intelligent. The Nobel Prize is to do with what they actually do/make, rather than simply being about intelligence. So I'd still give them the prize for their research.

I wouldn't let them enter our Pub Quiz though.

 

[philippe]

Because some of the drugs, if used incorrectly, can produce bad side effects.

Well then, if it's illegal then, it is the scientist problems, if achievements made by people who were currently on a drug were banned we can scrap away a lot of the art and music of various people.

So no, I wouldn't oppose such things, but I do hold in account that I had to think about the Flaming Lips song: Race for the Prize (sacrifice of the new scientists).

 

[Mise]

Guys, just so you know, Bozo's drawing an analogy between Steroids used by athletes and a hypothetical drug used by scientists. Both drugs boost performance.

But my point is that the measure of performance is different, as is the purpose of measuring that performance.

 

[Perfection]

Because some of the drugs, if used incorrectly, can produce bad side effects.

Well if you use them you should be able to be smart enough to avoid the side effects.

 

[CartesianFart]

Guys, just so you know, Bozo's drawing an analogy between Steroids used by athletes and a hypothetical drug used by scientists. Both drugs boost performance.

But my point is that the measure of performance is different, as is the purpose of measuring that performance.

Guys, i will tell y'all, Mise is drawing the analogy of athletes and scientists into immeasurable divisions.

Drugs boost both performance.

 

[AL_DA_GREAT]

I say it can be accpeptable to sacrifice the health of some scientists to make scientific discoveries. Especially those in the medical industry. However I would bann it in the less vital feilds of science.

 

[CartesianFart]

I say it can be accpeptable to sacrifice the health of some scientists to make scientific discoveries. Especially those in the medical industry. However I would bann it in the less vital feilds of science.

What fields are you referring about?

 

[AL_DA_GREAT]

What fields are you referring about?

Medical science and some feilds of environmental science are high priority. Litrurature isn't high priority.

 

[philippe]

Medical science and some feilds of environmental science are high priority. Litrurature isn't high priority.

literaute doesn't involve sientific research and there are a lot of authors who are already on "enhancing" drugs

 

[scy12]

The results of higher intelligence/scientific breakthrough are a lot more important than who can jump further or run the 400 meters faster . I would say it is more important than health provided those drugs are taken in a consideration so we have the best possible result with the most little sideffect produced.

 

[AL_DA_GREAT]

literaute doesn't involve sientific research and there are a lot of authors who are already on "enhancing" drugs

Well "intellectuals" study it at uni so I assumed it was considerd one in this thread. Maybe I should have said social science in my example.

 

[El_Machinae]

Because some of the drugs, if used incorrectly, can produce bad side effects.

If normal scientists can come up with drugs that make you smarter, can steroided-scientists come up with drugs that make you smarter but don't hurt you?

 

[bhsup]

Nobody is thinking about the perfect solution. Use it as a punishment for the hoards of criminal scientists currently packing our jails. Give them injections and say they will get early release once each of them develops some world-altering breakthrough in their field.

 

[CartesianFart]

Nobody is thinking about the perfect solution. Use it as a punishment for the hoards of criminal scientists currently packing our jails. Give them injections and say they will get early release once each of them develops some world-altering breakthrough in their field.

More like they will use their talents for a prison breakout. And next - world domination!

 

[Mango]

If they give such a strong competitive edge then more and more people would be forced to take them to compete for jobs with the people who are already taking them, forcing the adverse affects of the drugs on a higher percentage of people and forcing the government to ban them. In the case of steroids, you have a product that does not boost performance in a profitable sense for 99.9% of the world, but almost anyone could benefit from a drug that makes you smarter. The detrimental effects would be far more widespread than steroids.