
Slate star codex 2016 nootropic survey results - eruditely
http://slatestarcodex.com/2016/03/01/2016-nootropics-survey-results/
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stared
LSD microdosing is rated here very highly, but it may be not working at all:
"Some early experimental studies with LSD suggested that doses of LSD too
small to cause any noticeable effects may improve mood and creativity.
Prompted by recent discussion of this claim and the purely anecdotal
subsequent evidence for it, I decided to run a well-powered randomized blind
trial of 3-day LSD microdoses from September 2012 to March 2013. No beneficial
effects reached statistical-significance and there were worrisome negative
trends. LSD microdosing did not help me." from
[https://www.gwern.net/LSD%20microdosing](https://www.gwern.net/LSD%20microdosing)

Sure, it is possible that personal responses vary. But unless people do some
blind trails, I am very skeptical of the claims (various placebo effects when
acting _and_ grading).

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eruditely
Well Gwern also administered the poll itself right? Or he might have helped
with it in some form, I think gwern is just unique in how he responds to
things.

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ars
Caffeine does so well it almost doesn't make any sense to take anything else,
except for how easy it is to develop a tolerance for Caffeine.

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ggreer
Most of the substances have different effects and durations. Their mechanisms
of action also differ, so there's the possibility of stacking for greater
benefits.

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aparadja
That's a very important point. The results can't really be mapped to a one-
dimensional score of some kind of _nootropyness_. Especially with higher
doses, many of the nootropics have wildly different effects.

If one makes you giddy and bursting with creative ideas and another gives you
drone-like immunity to distractions, they can't be linearly converted to
equivalent doses of caffeine.

I think the survey's score chart is best understood as a "how much do you like
it" ranking instead of a conversion chart.

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eruditely
Cerebrolysin seems interesting but the ROA is quite frightening to me.

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davnn
Knowing this survey tells you what? Nothing.

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davnn
Background: I don't like the idea that people could start to take one of the
higher ranked nootropics just because of the ranking. A quick google scholar
tells you that most of the stuff is complete garbage.

