Brain Enhancement Makes its Way into the Workplace
From an online survey (subscription) of Nature readers comes data suggesting that a significant number of scientists and engineers use drugs for the non-medical purpose of increasing productivity and brain power. Wired Science reports that the survey questioned 1,427 readers who mostly worked in science, engineering, and education and focused on Ritalin, modafinil, and beta-blockers. These medications, when used off-label, can respectively increase levels of concentration, reduce the need for sleep, and lower anxiety. The Chronicle has the results:
- 20 percent of respondents report using medications to increase memory retention, concentration or focus.
- 60 percent of those who admitted non-medical use of cognitive-enhancing drugs used Ritalin.
- 44 percent of the admitting respondents used Provigil, known generically as modafinil.
- 15 percent admitted use beta-blockers.
- 9 out 10 respondents said they used the drugs to improve concentration and attention.
Science Progress advisory board member Martha Farah expressed concern about the ethical use of brain-enhancing drugs during a Seed Magazine-sponsored briefing on the Hill last month:
If higher productivity can come in a harmless pill, Farah wondered if workers might find themselves saying one day, “I want this job, but I don’t want to have to take a drug to get it.”
If Wired’s coverage is any indication, her concerns may already be manifest in some workplaces. In a recent edition of the magazine’s Mr. Know-It-All column, a reader asks the following question:
One of my coworkers, a rising star at the firm, is using unprescribed modafinil to work crazy hours. Our boss has started getting on my case for not being as productive. Should I tell him about my coworker’s pharmaceutical enhancement? Or should I start taking modafinil, too?
The question of what sort of social or governmental rules will govern such ethical choices about brain enhancement remains unanswered, but it’s obvious that deliberations have already begun.
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