Check out this funny youtube animation, the story of a psychedelic pitcher. Who needs steroids?

And now for a topic a little closer to my heart:  Lasers. The always-terrifying Wired had a write-up a few days ago about a new technology that sounds just swell, the laser-controlled man.

 The essential idea is that by introducting a very  carefully-constructed virus into a person's brain, scientists of the future may be able to mark off neurons they want to activate by dumping a genetic payload that causes light-activated ion gates to form. Since ions are how a neuron shoots signals, this in theory gives the well equipped geneto-optician control of a patient's brain to the level of the individual neuron, which is much higher fidelity than previous methods as clunky as drugs and electro-shock.

If there's ever been a better reason to learn a little science, nobody has told me it. I can picture the mass-produced versions of this technology already. Infini-boner Bluray orgasm gas: you're one huff away from effortless spastic laser-tantra. Even though you're technically snorting a virus.

There's an interesting new article at the New Yorker on the recent collegiate trend of "neuroenhancer" use. The piece, despite it's balanced presentation, reads a little like a warning of another plague of forthcoming horrible addictions.

 The  numbers are legitimate and spooky enough--some five to 35% of students polled from various universities admit to currently using or having used stimulants like Adderall (mmm... meth) and antinarcoleptics like modafinil to boost their cognitive and attentive capacities for academic gains. Academic sources themselves have pointed out that the community--up to and including your thesis advisor--seem to generally accept the idea.

Noteworthily, there is a positive correlation in the crowd of willing towards accepting and indulging in the odd--or not so odd--hoot. Though it is brushed by in a decidedly numeric fashion, the fact underscores a point that is missed in many discussions of the topic: "enhancement" is a culturally biased idea.