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Konkvistador comments on Open Thread, October 7 - October 12, 2013 - Less Wrong Discussion
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Why haven't we done an systematic investigation of drugs as means towards debiasing?
I recall some limited discussion of nootropics and microdosing on LSD but not much else. In particular I'm thinking about substances that are easily acquired such as off label use of medication, easy to synthesize substances or recreational drugs (legal and otherwise).
Ritalin is pretty helpful for me (when I can get it) against akrasia. Dunno about bias.
Also, of course, caffeine. These example prove that it is possible in theory, and as such they strongly prompt the notion that this is a field that has not yet been fully plumbed.
There was a lively "spray cold water into your left ear for debiasing purposes" discussion.
Remembering how extensive that was compared to the under-exploration of the means I propose makes me cringe. Also on IRC someone corrected me LSD microdosing wasn't even discussed on LW but Yvain's blog apparently.
What microdose discussion are you talking about?
You mentioned it on LW. Just before the comment I'm replying to, Scott mentioned it, but failed to generate any discussion. Gwern has a big post, but that's probably anachronistic.
I have focussed my attention more on enhancing cognitive function more generally, which has some benefits with respect to debiasing but is far from explicitly targetted. There are some specific behavioural and psychological biases that I can target pharmaceutically but not all of them, not without combining drugs with training. Of course there is much that can be done to enhance the executive function, motivation and relaxed self awareness that makes training oneself out of biases much more viable.
By systematic investigation do you mean a literature review? I hope so. Does such literature even exist, have you done any searches?
I have to take SSRIs to stay sane, but they blunt my emotions (which is usual) and kill my motivation. This has to affect my biases in some way. Then again depression would make me ridiculously biased. Nicotine and caffeine seem to make me overconfident, but help me to get things done.