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[–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (3 children)

Gwern how do you do so much stuff? I'm looking on your site about information on time planning, can't find it though.

Are there any writings in particular you think I should read if I'm interested in improving learning capabilities and intelligence?

Have you heard of the drug 2C-D and it's relatives (known as tweetios, mentioned on erowid and /r/drugnerds) and its possibility as a nootropic?

[–]gwerngwern.net[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Gwern how do you do so much stuff? I'm looking on your site about information on time planning, can't find it though.

I procrastinate on a ton of stuff.

Are there any writings in particular you think I should read if I'm interested in improving learning capabilities and intelligence?

I like spaced repetition a lot.

[–]machete234 2 points3 points  (1 child)

I tried 2C-D, the only reason people think its a nootropic is that Shulgin wrote "I feel I can learn faster this is a smart drug" in his book phikal.

Id say its an emotionally opening drug that should be used recreationally and obviosly not too often.

Even though it doesnt have the MDMA hangover

PS For time planning look for the pomodoro method, Im pretty sure I will need a lot less speed thanks to this more effective way of learning.

(The method seems way too easy but try it out and dont lie to yourself)

[–]its4thecatlol 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No, there was some other 2C-D derivative (not n-bome) that people said wasn't psychedelic but surprisingly made them feel a lot smarter somehow. It was on one of these reddits, r/nootropics, r/drugs, r/drugnerds, etc. Wish I could be of more help but I don't remember the exact name of the substance.

[–]osqer 1 point2 points  (3 children)

Can you give me a TL;DR? I would love to read this later, but I don't have the time this week

[–]gwerngwern.net[S] 1 point2 points  (2 children)

tl;dr: I double-blinded nicotine gum and did dual n-back; I found a small score increase but also a wider spread of scores, suggesting there's good and bad times for me to take nicotine gum.

[–]osqer -1 points0 points  (1 child)

Can you give me a TL;DR of your whole site? What works for you what doesn't?

[–]zaikman 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's worth taking the time to read some of his other essays for yourself. The extra detail he includes will give you a much better idea of what might work for you, rather than just what works for him.

[–]limitlesschannels 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Dammit, I just finished up Week 1 of my own nicotine experiment and have been starting my control week before posting results. Eerie timing. They do tend towards different things and yours is actually double-blind though, so there's that.

[–]spamham 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Interesting, thanks for sharing! One objection though - I'm not a chemist, but I find

if nicotine evaporates from patches, then it almost surely evaporates from gum as well

a bit questionable. The gum (the one I have, anyway - Nicorette fresh mint) doesn't seem very porous (is the nicotine a coating? The "COATED" in the product description you linked appears to refer to the "Intense Minty flavor coating").

I tried the gum, and it did nothing

Isn't this weak evidence considering your blinding data? :)

I personally never noticed any loss of strength from keeping fragments in the packaging with the blister folded back over them (which is hardly airtight); this might well be a placebo effect on my part, though.

[–]gwerngwern.net[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

a bit questionable.

Well, as I said, they were cut into quarters, exposing a good deal of surface area aside from the coating, and I let them sit out for weeks. I'm sure there's some nicotine left but enough to make any kind of difference?

The gum (the one I have, anyway - Nicorette fresh mint) doesn't seem very porous (is the nicotine a coating? The "COATED" in the product description you linked appears to refer to the "Intense Minty flavor coating").

I don't think the coating matters. It'd be foolish to make nicotine gum which had all the nicotine on the outside and so dumped all the nicotine into your bloodstream immediately.

[–]TreDawg 0 points1 point  (14 children)

I've always been interested in the effects of Nicotine as a cognitive enhancer. However, I really don't want to get addicted and never gave it a shot. Did you smoke before attempting this experiment?

Also, as a die-hard Ninja Gaiden fan (I beat NGB on Master Ninja), I find it incredibly fitting to use it as a test of cognitive enhancement.

[–][deleted]  (9 children)

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        [–]TreDawg 0 points1 point  (1 child)

        Thanks for the sources! Now I'm even more interested in this experiment.

        [–]AtomikPi 2 points3 points  (0 children)

        I've used nicotine in the form of gum half a dozen times with no cravings or dependence whatsoever. That said, I have never been addicted to anything, short of caffeine for a brief period years ago, so I am perhaps not the best person to rely on.

        [–]shrillthrill 2 points3 points  (0 children)

        I've used nicotine gum a few times over the past two months as a stimulant for studying/exams, have not developed any cravings. I'm an ex-smoker, my cravings ceased after about 3 years, I quit 6+ years ago and distinctly remember the feeling, but have not experienced anything like that with the gum.

        I don't really recommend it as a delivery mechanism though, it's annoying to chew and sublingual for 10 minutes while not swallowing the nicotine in social situations.

        [–]abomb999 1 point2 points  (0 children)

        I've used both gum and tobacco, tobacco is like 100x more addictive than gum imo.

        [–]TreDawg 1 point2 points  (1 child)

        Do you have a reference for that? I'm not saying you're wrong, I'd just like to verify it.

        [–]gwerngwern.net[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

        Did you smoke before attempting this experiment?

        No.

        Also, as a die-hard Ninja Gaiden fan (I beat NGB on Master Ninja), I find it incredibly fitting to use it as a test of cognitive enhancement.

        Black on Master? Your kung fu is best!

        [–]LuckyAmeliza 0 points1 point  (2 children)

        My parents are quitting smoking using eCigarettes, full nicotine, and I've taken drags on them a few times. I've never smoked before in my life, and I'm not at all addicted, nor do I feel an overwhelming urge to start smoking. Though it did make my mouth and throat tingle/burn.

        [–][deleted]  (1 child)

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          [–]LuckyAmeliza 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          I would, but I'm allergic to smoke. =(

          [–]machete234 -1 points0 points  (1 child)

          You are not good at dual n-back, because there should be a learning effect. I tried a few rounds 2-1back and then dual 2 back until I got 100% then I added one stimulus and now Im somewhere between 75% and 100%.

          Im not trying to say how smart I am but there should be a strong learning effect with dual n back. (withou any nootropics)

          [–]gwerngwern.net[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          Progress tends to slow down a lot past the easiest levels like 1-back or 2-back; I'm far from the only person to plateau at 5-back.