British Government Looks to Ban Intelligence…Enhancers July 31, 2009
Posted by Matt Brown in Human Enhancement, Transhumanism.Tags: Human Enhancement, intelligence, nootropics, Transhumanism
add a comment
If I told you that a government was planning on banning performance enhancing drugs because of issues like preventing unfair advantages, you’d probably think I was talking about sports. You would be wrong. The British government has recently asked their expert on illegal drugs to look into whether nootropics, intelligence-enhancing drugs, should be banned. The use of nootropics is becoming a very common phenomena as students and workers search for every possible advantage they can find to get an edge in school or in the workplace. One study published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence found that in 2002 more than 7 million Americans used intelligence-enhancers, with 1.6 million of those being student age.
So why is the British government spending it’s valuable time talking about banning smart drugs? It began with a study published by the Academy of Medical Science entitled “Brain Science, Addiction and Drugs.” The study looked at three types of drugs (recreational drugs, medicine for mental health and cognition enhancers,) assessed the risk of there use and recommended what steps be taken. I’ll skip the first two parts and go right to cognitive enhancers. In brief, the study looked at the types of cognitive enhancers that are currently on the market and looked at what effects they have, how they improve cognition and what potential risks come with there use. The list of drugs was fairly extensive and included some well known ones such as methylphrenidate (Ritalin) and modafinil (Provigil.) According to the study most of the substances listed have been shown to improve cognition in one way or another (short term memory, learning, focus) though not all improve all areas of cognition and some may even detract from some areas while improving others.
Where the study became interesting is where they began to discuss the ethical issues involved in intelligence-enhancers and what form of regulation may need to be put in place. The first paragraph of this section went right to the heart of the matter stating:
“Any potential human enhancement challenges traditional ideas about medicine, i.e. that the role of medicine is to overcome some sort of impediment to normal physical or mental functioning, and thereby restore an individual to ‘normal’ health.”
This is a common belief in most of the medical community and has been used by prominent bioconservatives such as Leon Kass as an argument against human enhancement. Naturally I disagree with this position and it is interesting do note that the study did not come out unequivocally in support of it and made note of the fact that physical enhancement (i.e. cosmetic surgery) has been gaining widespread acceptance. Unfortunately, it then made quite possibly the stupidest argument against enhancement I have ever heard:
“Currently, individuals with higher than average cognitive abilities are valued and rewarded, but making such attributes available to all individuals could reduce the diversity of cognitive abilities in the population, and change ideas of what is ‘normal’.” (emphasis mine)
If by reduce the diversity of cognitive abilities they mean reduce the number of stupid people then I agree that is what cognitive enhancement could very well do. What I have a hard time seeing is how this could be anything but a good thing. In many cases diversity is very desirable since an abundance of different traits in a population often enhances that species adaptability and thus odds of survival. However there is no benefit to having a diversity of cognitive abilities, to having a population where some people are less intelligent, less creative and more forgetful. This is akin to saying that some forms of medicine should be abolished because it is might reduce the diversity of health in a population. There is no benefit to taking this action, and generally that’s a good enough reason not to do it.
As to the popular argument as to whether use of cognitive enhancers should be banned in certain situations such as athletic or competitive event the study didn’t take one side or another, only stating that more discussion was necessary. It did trot out the same tired argument we hear every time this discussion comes up, that performance enhancers are an unfair advantage. This was a stupid argument against enhancement in sports and it’s a stupid argument now. Genetics and upbringing already give some people an advantage over others and if anything cognitive enhancers could help to level the playing field. It also didn’t address the largely arbitrary way we decide which drugs should be banned and which are acceptable, such as why a powerful stimulant such as caffine is not being considered in this ban or why dangerous drugs like nicotine or alcohol are legal while drugs like cannabis are not. Please note that I am not advocating the banning of said drugs, quite the opposite, I merely wish to point out the ban’s arbitrary nature.
The study did contain one thing that advocates of human enhancement can look to approvingly. In closing the study stated :
“Further debate is needed about whether it is, in fact, desirable for pharmaceutical companies to have explicit programmes for developing
cognitive enhancing drugs to be used by ‘healthy’ individuals in non-medical contexts. If such programmes are found to be desirable, incentives for their development should also be considered.” (emphasis mine)
Could a top science academy be advocating the potential of human enhancement? Could we be seeing the beginning of a redefinition of the purpose of medicine? Time will tell.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/jul/28/watchdog-intelligence-performance-psychoactive-drugs
Iranian Scientists Clone Goat July 26, 2009
Posted by Matt Brown in Cloning.Tags: Cloning, stem cell
add a comment
This story honestly surprised me. Not because it’s about scientists cloning a large animal, heck that’s positively mundane these days, but because it took place in Iran. Yes, that’s right Iran. The country where morality police can arrest you for wearing “inappropriate” clothing is working on cloning and stem cell research. Needless to say, Iran is one of the last countries on Earth I would have expected to find an advanced stem cell and cloning program but not only is it flourishing it apparently has the financial backing of the government and the blessing of Iran’s religious authority, though human reproductive cloning is still forbidden. Still, I suppose the potential to become a regional biotech powerhouse trumps any religious hang-ups Iran’s government may have.
http://www.hplusmagazine.com/articles/multimedia/videos/2009-cloning-iran-documentary
A Healthy Lifestyle Reduces Risk Of Heart Disease July 21, 2009
Posted by Matt Brown in Longevity, Nutrition.Tags: anti-aging, Longevity, Nutrition
add a comment
Shocking. Absolutely shocking. According to a study published in JAMA you can actually reduce you risk of heart disease simply by exercising regularly, not smoking, eating a diet high in fruits and whole grains and drinking alcohol in moderation. This is mind-blowing, the idea that you can increase your health and longevity without resorting to expensive drugs or fancy gimmicks. Now that we have this information I have no doubt that we will see rates of heart disease plummet once people start taking up this advice. (To those unable to detect the sarcasm in the previous paragraph, I pity you.)
Okay so maybe that was a little over the top but seriously, how does this qualify as news? We know that a healthy lifestyle can increase lifespan and decrease risk of heart disease, along with a lot of other stuff. We’ve known that for quite awhile now. We’ve been telling people for quite awhile now. The problem is that while people have certainly been listening it hasn’t changed a damn thing. As a personal trainer I am amazed at how many times I have been talking to a client about fitness and find that they already know all the information I’m giving them. They know what they need to do to be healthy and know all of the benefits that it brings yet they still don’t do it. This conundrum has been frustrating public health officials for decades and to be honest I don’t see it ending soon (though I do see it ending, which I’ll address at the bottom.)
To be blunt, people don’t change their habits because they are short sighted. Considering that for most of our history as a species individuals died before reaching 30 it’s very hard for us to think 50 years into the future and make plans accordingly. Most cultures that are healthy like Okinawa or the Basque are not so because they choose to be, they are because of there culture and circumstances. They eat healthy diets high in vegetables and fruits because that’s what they traditionally eat. They get more exercise because the design of their cities or the way in which they live favors walking over driving. Many of these cultures place a large emphasis on strong social and familial bonds, a factor linked to longer longevity. The point is that they do not choose to healthy, their culture is just more conducive to a healthy lifestyle. Change their culture and diet to something closer to the standard Western one and you’ll see those longevity number drop (something we are seeing in younger members of traditionally long lived communities.)
There is basically only a few ways to make populations healthy on a large scale (note that I am using the term healthy here to refer to longevity and lack of degenerative diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, etc.) You can change the culture, change humans or make being healthy so easy that it no longer becomes an issue. The last option is what most people want and seem to be waiting for, the metaphorical silver bullet. Exercise in a pill. The good news is that scientists are hard at work developing just that and within most of our lifetimes we should witness it. This is what I meant when i said I do see it ending. Technology will make it so easy to be healthy that people will do what they need to without thinking about. The bad news is that those technologies are still a ways off and unless we start taking care of the bodies we have now, some of us won’t live to see that day.
http://www.physorg.com/news167416892.html
Lose Weight by Exhaling Fat July 8, 2009
Posted by Matt Brown in Genetics.Tags: gene therapy, Human Enhancement, weight loss
add a comment
No this is not a joke. A study published in Cell Metabolism shows that genetic alterations in mice allowed them to convert fat into carbon dioxide. Let me say that again. Convert fat into carbon dioxide.
When I first read that my jaw dropped and I shouted “what the fuck” probably louder than I should have. Even to a science nut like me who thinks that proper application of technology is the answer to most of the worlds problems and that the singularity is only decades away, this sounds crazy. But on further reading and retrospection it’s actually not too far fetched.
According to the article the researchers injected DNA from bacteria into cultured human cells. In bacteria the DNA coded for enzymes that converted fat into sugar but in the human cells they found the enzymes converted fat into carbon dioxide. They then injected the genes into the livers of lab mice and found the same effect. Fat was converted not into sugar but into CO2, and the mice who had the new genes stayed thin and athletic despite being on a high fat, high calorie diet. Many more tests need to be run to determine if there are any side effects but at first glance it seems safe.
Now I realize this sounds pretty far fetched, but it’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility. Fat is made up of essentialy just three molecules: hydrogen, carbon and oxygen. As a matter of fact, most food is made up of those three molecules plus nitrogen. If two substances are made out of the same stuff, all you really need to do to change one into the other is rearrange the structure of the molecules (think coal and diamonds.) Since the raw material are already in place, the right enzyme could certainly manage to do the trick. Perhaps someday all you’ll need to do to lose weight is take a deep breath.
http://www.hplusmagazine.com/articles/health-medicine/inhale-exhale-diet
Easter Island Compound Shows Anti-aging Properties July 8, 2009
Posted by Matt Brown in Longevity.Tags: anti-aging, Longevity, Transhumanism, rapamycin
add a comment
When I first read this I thought it must either be a joke or some new age mumbo-jumbo, but this seems to be for real. Scientists have found that a compound called rapamycin, first found on Easter Island, may have longevity enhancing capabilites. What is more interesting is that it seems to have this effect regardless of what age it is administered. This could be a big step forward because caloric restriction, the only way outside of gene therapy to increase lifespan, doesn’t seem to be effective when implemented in elderly animals. Rapamycin, which is also used in stents and transplant operations, seems to affect the same metabolic pathways as caloric restriction but may be a more effective treament because of this. Another way it may be better than caloric restiriction is that people may actually use it. Anyone can tell you that asking people to cut down their calories for the rest of their lives is a strategy doomed to fail, but asking people to sprinkle a drug on their food for the same effect is a different story.
Mediterranean Diet Improves Longevity, But Some Foods More Important Than Others June 23, 2009
Posted by Matt Brown in Longevity, Nutrition.Tags: anti-aging, Longevity, Nutrition
add a comment
It seems the much touted Mediterranean Diet is a bit more nuanced than we may have thought. A recent study found that certain foods commonly found in the diet are more important than others. Specifically eating more vegetables, fruits, nuts, pulses and olive oil, and drinking moderate amounts of alcohol was linked to greater longevity while eating more fish, seafood and cereal was not. Read the whole article in the link below.
New Technique Kills Cancer By Cutting Off It’s Food June 15, 2009
Posted by Matt Brown in Genetics, Longevity.Tags: cancer, gene therapy, Longevity
add a comment
Cancer is the number one killer in the United States, is responsible for 13% of all human deaths, and even for those it doesn’t kill it leads to a drastic decrease in quality of life. As such, any serious discussion about improving human longevity has to start with treating and curing cancer. Thankfully scientist don’t need us to remind them of that and have been hard at work looking for better and better ways to stop this deadly disease. One such group is a team at the University of Florida, who have developed a new gene therapy which treats cancer by cutting of the supply of blood to the tumor.
To do this, the researchers developed what they call a “fusion protein” which was delivered into the cells by a transposon they call Sleeping Beauty. The imbedded protein does two things: first, it promotes thrombosis, or blood clotting, and second it reduces blood vessel density inside the tumor. Both of these effects result in the tumor receiving less nutrients. The researchers found that in their test mice tumor volume decreased 53 percent and cancer cell growth slowed by 49 percent.
S.O.D, Antioxidant Which Could Slow Aging Process June 11, 2009
Posted by Matt Brown in Longevity.Tags: anti-aging, antioxidant, Longevity
add a comment
Here’s an interesting article about an enzyme that may be an important factor in the fight against aging. Superoxide dismutase (S.O.D, a rather amusing acronym) is an important antioxidant that is produced in the body and helps eliminate the dangerous free radicals that we all hear so much about.
For those of you who don’t know free radicals are basically ions (oxygen ions being the most commonly talked about) that have lost an electron, usually during aerobic glycolisis when oxygen is used to produce energy. Since they lack an electron these free radicals roam around the body searching for cells to steal one from. In doing so they damage whatever part of the cell they took it from which can be very dangerous if they happen to take one from your DNA, damaged DNA being the main cause of cancer. Antioxidants are important because they neutralize the free radicals by sharing one of their electrons, thus removing the danger.
S.O.D. is important for a few reasons. One, it is an antioxidant which as we’ve already established is something you want in your body. Two, it is produced by the body rather than being taken in from food. According to the article ”[internally produced] enzymes are vastly more potent than dietary antioxidants, such as vitamin C. S.O.D., for example, is 3,500 times more potent than vitamin C at reducing superoxide radical.” Three, there seems to be some evidence that the amount of S.O.D your body produces is correlated with longevity. Animals with large amount of S.O.D have longer lifespans than those with smaller amounts.
Unfortunately like most things in your body the production of S.O.D decreases with age. As such researchers are attempting to find a way to keep levels of the antioxidant at youthful levels. The article lists a few scientists who are working on a solution, though there products seem to fall under the category of promising, but not quite there yet.
http://www.hplusmagazine.com/articles/forever-young/longevity
Improving IQ by Improving the Brain’s Wiring June 10, 2009
Posted by Matt Brown in Human Enhancement, Transhumanism.Tags: Human Enhancement, intelligence
add a comment
Don’t get your hopes up, they haven’t invented a a smart pill for us yet. Scientists at Utrecht University Medical Center have found that how efficiently your brain is wired may account for a large part of you intelligence. Researchers studied the brains of subjects at rest using MRI and found that connectivity accounted for 30% of the difference between subjects studied, though interestingly enough researchers did not find a link between the total number of connections in the brain and IQ. All this sounds pretty interesting but allow me to rain on your parade by pointing out that the study only contained 19 subjects. Not to say the findings are false but I’d like to see a larger study. Read the full story in the link below.
Fantastic Voyage, Nutritional Advice for Immortality June 3, 2009
Posted by Matt Brown in Longevity, Nutrition.Tags: Longevity, Nutrition, Ray Kurzweil, Transhumanism
1 comment so far
The first few chapters of the book are essentially introductions. The first one lays the groundwork for the rest of the book by explaining the basic premise which I outlined above. The second chapter outlines the Bridge idea that play’s a major part in the book structure. Basically, Ray and Terry both consider the information in the book to belong to Bridge One, current technologies that can be used to improve health and increase lifespan. These current technologies consist primarily of nutrition and exercise advice, some of which is pretty standard mainstream science and some which, as I’ll show later, is decidedly not. Bridge Two is biotechnology, which at some point in the near future will enable humans to control our biology and genetics and thus improve our health and longevity even further. This will lead to Bridge Three, nanotechnology-AI, at which point we will not be reliant on our biology and will be able to replace many or all of our, according to the book, sub-par biological features. Throughout the book there are side boxes containing information on Bridge Two and Three technologies usually in relation to what ever current technologies the book is talking about. While they are mostly theoretical they are still fun to read and think about and considering the authors ultimate aim is immortality they don’t feel out of place.
Ray and Terry both take a chapter to tell us there personal stories and how they became interested in health and longevity. Ray tells his now pretty famous story of his father passing away at a relatively early age of heart disease, his own diagnosis with diabetes and his subsequent rejection of conventional medicine in favor of at the time radical treatments that ultimately stopped and reversed his diabetes. Terry’s story is also one of growing dissatisfied with conventional medicine though obviously from the view point of a doctor rather than a patient. Both men met at a meeting of the Foresight Institute and struck up a friendship and correspondence, on result of which was ultimately this book. These chapters are nice little asides that give the reader a view it the authors motivations and backgrounds.
Now we come to the important part, what does the book actually say and is any of it true. Considering this book was written by a licensed physician and a genius inventor you probably won’t be surprised to learn that much of it is sound science. The book recommends a relatively high protein, low carb, low fat diet but presents a much more nuanced view than most low-something diets. For carbohydrates the book stresses avoiding foods with a high Glycemic Index (or more specifically a Glycemic Load.) The Glycemic Index is a measurement of how quickly carbs are converted into sugar and make there way into the blood stream. Carbs that break down quickly (candy, potatoes, refined grains) lead to a spike in blood sugar which then leads to a spike in insulin. Over time, heavy spikes in insulin can lead to Type 2 Diabetes. In addition diet recommends eating foods high in fiber as there is some evidence that high fiber diets can lower the risk of certain types of cancer. The book does recommend a much lower carbohydrate level then most diets (between 1/6 and 1/3 of your daily intake, which is still higher than the Atkins diet) but this can partially be explained by its emphasis on low calorie, high fiber carbs like vegetables, beans and whole grains. For fats the book emphasizes unsaturated over saturated fats, which is also good advice. While saturated fats have been linked to atherosclerosis, unsaturated fats have been shown to actually improve lipid profiles and thus aid in heart health. Finally the book also recommends slight calorie restriction, both to aid in weight loss and for the purported longevity benefits. While calorie restriction has not yet been shown to improve lifespan in humans it has been demonstrated in every animal species it’s been tried on so it’s a safe assumption that it works for people too. Overall, the books diet advice is pretty mainstream and spot on. Where it starts diverging from mainstream opinion is in it’s supplement recommendation.
Let’s get one thing straight, I take and recommend supplements. While it’s true that nutritional aids can never replace a healthy diet they can do what the name implies, i.e. supplement your diet to ensure no vitamin or mineral deficiencies. Kurzweil though is not satisfied with simply preventing deficiencies. His program calls for a massive supplement load with the goal of curing and correcting diseases and conditions in the body. Note that when I say massive, I mean massive. Kurzweil’s supplement recommendations are often 4-5 times the RDA currently prescribed and in some cases much more. Kurzweil himself takes upwards of 150 pills a day to reach the levels he prescribes. To be blunt, that’s a shit load of pills and there is a lot of disagreement over whether such aggressive supplementation is helpful, or even good. It’s a well known fact that excess levels of some vitamins, such as A, K and B12, can lead to severe side effects and most nutrition scientists seem to agree that supplements can be useful for special populations there remains a lot of debate over whether even simple multivitamins can be helpful to healthy population. To be fair Kurzweil address’ some of these points, none of his recommendations are above the UL (tolerable upper limit) and a some of his supplement recommendations are specifically for special populations. On the whole, I tend to lean more towards Kurzweil’s view of supplements than the medical establishment, but be warned that there is no consensus on there benefits.
There is a lot more information in this book that I could go into but since I doubt you want to here me talk about homocysteine levels and methylation for another three paragraphs I’ll wrap things up. Does this book offer good advice? Overall, yes it does. The dietary advice is based on sound nutritional science so you could sure do a lot worse than following the dietary regimen this book outlines. The exercise advice, which basically boils down to the standard recommendation of 30 minutes of cardio a day for 5 days per week and resistance training 2-3 days per week, is also sound. The supplement recommendations are a little more iffy, some of the claims are backed up with evidence while others are still up in the air, so think really hard before you shell out hundreds of dollars and start popping 150 pills a day.
