Snails On Methamphetamine 93
sciencehabit writes "Science answers the question: What happens when you put a snail on speed? From the article: 'The results suggest that meth improves memory, something that has been previously observed in creatures with large, complex brains like rats and humans. But since the snails store their memories in a simple, three-neuron network, the team hopes that studying the meth effect in these gastropods will help pinpoint how the drug's memory magnification powers work.'"
Re:Science has come so far. (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Practical Usage (Score:1, Informative)
The drug Methylphenidate is the practical usage of this. It's been used to treat ADHD and other attention disorders for some time. "'The results suggest that meth improves memory, something that has been previously observed in creatures with large, complex brains like rats and humans."
Re:New land speed record for snails (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Science has come so far. (Score:3, Informative)
Biological mechanisms get reused all the time(*). It's plausible enough to be worth investigating that at least some of human memory storage uses mechanisms related to what simpler ancestors used.
(*) The API for temperature control, for example, got reused across the transition from cold-blooded to warm-blooded. Get a lizard sick, and it spends more time basking so as to give itself a fever. Give it aspirin, and it goes back in the shade.
Re:This... (Score:3, Informative)
No, this is what happens when you put scientists on pot:
Mr. X. [marijuana-uses.com]
OTC meth (Score:1, Informative)
If you want "pharm-grade" you can get a script for "Desoxyn", that's the brand name for methamphetamine. Like you said, they give it to narcoleptics mostly now, they used to give it to ADHD types more but due to the media hype not very many doctors will go near it anymore. Which is really stupid if you think about it, if someone wanted meth to get high they can easily purchase it for much cheaper and with less hassle than the legal drug dealers offer.
Personally, I've never touched the stuff. But I do take lisdexamfetamine, aka Vyvanse. It's essentially just dextroamphetamine that's been hacked in a way that makes your body process it differently. Unlike other amphetamines you don't really get "high" from it, and you barely "crash". You can't snort it, I don't think you can smoke it either. You take a pill or three and gradually over the next hour you feel increasingly enhanced. Instead of getting tweaked out in one big rush it eases into a heightened state of performance. After a few hours you notice it tapering off, about 8 hours later you are normal again. Compared to straight d-amphetamine or Adderall (mixed dextro- and levo-amphetamines) you barely feel any side effects. At least I barely do. My appetite isn't killed entirely, I don't feel jittery. My mouth gets dry, but not nearly as dry. My ability to get an erection is impacted, but not nearly as severely, it's still very possible. Which is good because the only side effect that seems more severe than with other amphetamines is a boosted sex drive. It's made a bit weird too, I'm not a kinky guy really but I am open minded. For some reason lisdexamfetamine makes me a lot more enthusiastic about going there.
The Link (Score:3, Informative)
TFA screwed up the link to the original journal article
http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/content/full/213/12/i [biologists.org]