"Charly" was a movie with Cliff Robertson years ago based on the short story titled "Flowers for Algernon". An intellectually limited man took drugs and became brilliant...for awhile. And then it all reversed and he was once again intellectually limited for the rest of his life.
The movie "Limitless" is about a normal guy who takes a magic pill that opens his mind beyond belief and he becomes intellectually limitless. Fast forward to the end of the movie. He has stopped needing the drug because while he took the pills they changed the way his brain functioned. He no longer needed the drugs and he was limitless presumably the rest of his life. The change was permanent.
Two similar stories...decades apart...with different outcomes. Could that day arrive wherein we could take drugs and become intellectually limitless or does it stay in science fiction because it is impossible?.
I think it's possible that such a drug could be invented.
Already some drugs can partially improve intelligence. Stelazine can improve it by damping the anxiety that interferes with mental functioning and improving concentration. Paroxetine can improve intelligence by lifting mood so that the mind becomes more outgoing and less stuck in the negative thinking of depression. Coffee and cocaine are widely used as mental stimulants.
The problem is that almost all drugs have side effects. Some of these effects might be temporary, others can lead to permanent damage to organs like kidneys, lungs, liver etc. Often the worst effects are not known or discovered till decades later.
Norman Doidge's book, "The Brain That Changes Itself," is worth reading. It shows how plastic the brain is, and how we can develop it through practice and use in exactly the same way athletes train their bodies. This method is far more reliable and useful than "limitless" intellect. It has no negative side effects.
Thank you for a very thoughtful, useful and informative reply to my question hartfire. I think I would be very afraid to take any drug that changed my brain that significantly. Both movies were moving and powerful. Your reply is much better! :) ((hugs))
