
How Caffeine Can Cramp Creativity (2013) - rpm33
http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/how-caffeine-can-cramp-creativity
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fivedogit
> creativity is notoriously difficult to study in a laboratory setting

I'm really looking forward to the day when technology can more _directly_
measure the effects of various substances on the body, rather than the inexact
observation methods used today.

Take SSRIs, for example. Here's how it works. Patient tells doctor "I feel
depressed". Doctor prescribes medicine. (A few weeks or months go by.) Doctor
asks, "Well, how do you feel?"

We need to be able to say: "Over the course of your treatment, you ingested X
milligrams of Zoloft, with an average concentration of Y in your bloodstream.
Here's the 1-month graph. Your avg levels of serotonin were Z% higher than
usual during this time. Your cortisol (stress hormone) level was C% lower. You
slept an average of S hours per night, with E% improvement in deep sleep
efficiency." etc.

At some point, the former is going to sound quaint and old-timey.

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simonsarris
Totally agree. Science is the art of measuring things and we don't even
approach what's easily possible _today_ in scenarios like yours.

Some day we'll look back on our methods of prescribing and follow-up with the
same horrified face we make when we look at Civil War amputations.

~~~
dasil003
On the other hand, continuing scientific advancement requires an exponential
amount of resources and I think we may see a high watermark where we have to
come to terms with the unsustainability of objective progress in terms of
perpetual growth.

We already look back at the early 20th century futurism's optimism as comical,
but if we manage to hold our civilization together for another century or more
I suspect we'll look back at today's faith in the practical power of data
science as equally naive.

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shittyanalogy
The shock value of this article does not magically turn in into convincing
science. Like everything else dietary related (within the limits of reason),
you should test for yourself and see how your body reacts. Changing your
habits to best suit your expectations. Just because some article says Caffeine
_may_ make you less creative doesn't mean it will. Also the net benefit of
drinking Caffeine may outweigh the loss of some creativity in your personal
case.

~~~
andy_thorburn
This exactly. Try for yourself. Personally I find myself more creative when I
don't use caffeine - being slightly tired may even help a little. However,
being slightly tired does not help with my more normal, non-creative, work.

A former coworker was just the opposite - put a few espressos in him and the
creativity almost oozed out.

~~~
MrJagil
Studies show you're more creative when tired.

~~~
simpsond
Do you have any references to support this? I find the idea fascinating.

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dwich
Here's one I know of:
[http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13546783.2011.62...](http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13546783.2011.625663)

The idea is that some types of problems are best solved with the focus you can
provide at your peak times of day. However, "insight" problems might benefit
from the reduced focus you have at non-peak times.

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matznerd
Caffeine is an amazing substance that has helped drive society forward. For
example, coffee houses in England are where the ideas of the Enlightenment
were discussed and from where the London Stock Exchange was originally based
(Jonathan's Coffee-House[1]).

Caffeine is a central nervous stimulant that increases alertness, reaction
speed and short-term memory, not necessarily creativity. If you want increased
creativity you are looking at the wrong type of chemical and may be more
interested in an area like nootropics or entheogens.

[1] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan%27s_Coffee-
House](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan%27s_Coffee-House)

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bitsoda
I thought it was well-known that when you want to come up with zany ideas you
should drink a beer, and when you want to execute on them, grab a coffee.

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NN88
I'm finding that water > coffee...

~~~
bbcbasic
water ⊂ coffee

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jqm
A small side of Ganja with your coffee may help alleviate the creativity
killing side effects....

(disclaimer, not a doctor)

~~~
thomyorkie
Amen. I've often wondered how many developers partake in this little green
herb.

~~~
jqm
second disclaimer...

Although I partook very much in my younger years I no longer indulge. Not that
I'm against it... I just have too much to remember at this stage.

but to your point... I suspect lots.

