# Yes! Yes! Yes! Anti-Stupidity Pill in the Works!!!!!! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 18, 2006, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-yes-yes-anti-stupidity-pill-in-the-works/369204 "2006-08-18T08:47:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-yes-yes-anti-stupidity-pill-in-the-works/369204/1 "2006-08-18T08:47:38Z")
[If this hit’s the market, I’m going to be spiking _soooooo_ many drinks with it!](http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2006-08/09/content_660398.htm) > [@](#): > > A German scientist has been testing an “anti-stupidity” pill with encouraging results on mice and fruit flies, Bild newspaper reported Saturday. > > It said Hans-Hilger Ropers, director at Max-Planck-Institute for Molecular Genetics in Berlin, has tested a pill thwarting hyperactivity in certain brain nerve cells, helping stabilize short-term memory and improve attentiveness. Dear, Og! Let them get this on the fast track to approval! ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-yes-yes-anti-stupidity-pill-in-the-works/369204/2 "2006-08-18T09:39:50Z")
Hmmm… Intelligence is a complex thing though - I suspect that any attempt to tweak it with drugs is going to magnify one thing (say, attentiveness) at the expense of another (say, creativity); might be OK as a one-off when you need to endure a twelve-hour tax calculating session, but not as a general-purpose make-you-smart pill. I don’t think there is any common _negative_ aspect of cognition (forgetfulness, inattentiveness, etc), that isn’t also sometimes a _positive_ factor in a different process. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-yes-yes-anti-stupidity-pill-in-the-works/369204/3 "2006-08-18T10:11:20Z")
Durrrrrr…wha? my cat’s breath smells like cat food! ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-yes-yes-anti-stupidity-pill-in-the-works/369204/4 "2006-08-18T10:42:46Z")
Forget stupidity… the linked article says it might help short-term memory, which would be a great help to people like my father, who has mostly lost his. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-yes-yes-anti-stupidity-pill-in-the-works/369204/5 "2006-08-18T11:02:00Z")
Anti-stupidity pill? So does that mean if Ann Coulter takes them, she’ll cease to exist? **LET’S GET THOSE PUPPIES TO MARKET, STAT!** ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-yes-yes-anti-stupidity-pill-in-the-works/369204/6 "2006-08-18T14:46:53Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Hmmm… Intelligence is a complex thing though - I suspect that any attempt to tweak it with drugs is going to magnify one thing (say, attentiveness) at the expense of another (say, creativity); might be OK as a one-off when you need to endure a twelve-hour tax calculating session, but not as a general-purpose make-you-smart pill. > > I don’t think there is any common _negative_ aspect of cognition (forgetfulness, inattentiveness, etc), that isn’t also sometimes a _positive_ factor in a different process. Clearly you don’t need the pill, what with your ten-dollar words and all. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-yes-yes-anti-stupidity-pill-in-the-works/369204/7 "2006-08-18T15:06:29Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > [If this **hit’s** the market, I’m going to be spiking _soooooo_ many drinks with it!](http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2006-08/09/content_660398.htm) (Bolding mine) I’m holding out for the proper-apostrophe-use pill;) ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-yes-yes-anti-stupidity-pill-in-the-works/369204/8 "2006-08-18T15:19:12Z")
Interesting…I checked other articles online, & then Googled. The research institute exists, & the scientist named is affiliated. So it isn’t too likely to be a “prank” article. Of course, this doesn’t mean the pill will _work_… ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-yes-yes-anti-stupidity-pill-in-the-works/369204/9 "2006-08-18T16:25:13Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > Clearly you don’t need the pill, what with your ten-dollar words and all. 😛 Monkey crap on a stick. Those words were only 50 cents when I was a kid. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-yes-yes-anti-stupidity-pill-in-the-works/369204/10 "2006-08-18T16:29:50Z")
> [@iampunha](#): > > (Bolding mine) > > I’m holding out for the proper-apostrophe-use pill;) I would take that pill. I’m well aware that my skills in that area are lacking. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-yes-yes-anti-stupidity-pill-in-the-works/369204/11 "2006-08-18T19:43:38Z")
> [@Seven](#): > > Monkey crap on a stick. Those words were only 50 cents when I was a kid. You had monkey crap on a stick? :eek: All we had was snail slime on a leaf – and we _liked_ it! ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-yes-yes-anti-stupidity-pill-in-the-works/369204/12 "2006-08-18T20:12:05Z")
> [@EddyTeddyFreddy](#): > > You had monkey crap on a stick? :eek: > > All we had was snail slime on a leaf – and we _liked_ it! All we had were frequent beatings and scurvy. What was it like growing up in four-star luxury? ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-yes-yes-anti-stupidity-pill-in-the-works/369204/13 "2006-08-18T20:21:45Z")
> [@Excalibre](#): > > All we had were frequent beatings and scurvy. What was it like growing up in four-star luxury? You had _scurvy_? Lucky bastard. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-yes-yes-anti-stupidity-pill-in-the-works/369204/14 "2006-08-18T20:45:23Z")
The quintessential and provocative aspect of said pills, as I have observed in empirical double-blind studies, is that they tend too were of prety sune and… um… thingy. ---
**Author:** ![5que](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/3bc359/32.png) [@5que](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5que)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-yes-yes-anti-stupidity-pill-in-the-works/369204/15 "2006-08-18T21:08:40Z")
So what exactly do mice and fruit flies have to remember? Where they put the car keys? If they turned off the oven? Not do any activity that starts with the phrase, “Hey, hold my beer and watch this”? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-yes-yes-anti-stupidity-pill-in-the-works/369204/16 "2006-08-18T21:17:31Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > Clearly you don’t need the pill, what with your ten-dollar words and all. 😛 I dunno, sometimes I… ooh, nice shoes! ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-yes-yes-anti-stupidity-pill-in-the-works/369204/17 "2006-08-18T21:18:46Z")
> [@Antinor01](#): > > I would take that pill. I’m well aware that my skills in that area are lacking. I think you mean _skill’s in those area’s_. Don’t thank me. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-yes-yes-anti-stupidity-pill-in-the-works/369204/18 "2006-08-18T21:27:28Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I think you mean _skill’s in those area’s_. > > Don’t thank me. Wa’sn’t plan’ning o’n it. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-yes-yes-anti-stupidity-pill-in-the-works/369204/19 "2006-08-19T05:08:15Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > You had _scurvy_? Lucky bastard. Oh sure, we had the scurvy. Every meal,. scurvy, scurvy, and more scurvy. But we didn’t know any better and we liked it. Mom used to make a nice toasted scurvy bread on special nights. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-yes-yes-anti-stupidity-pill-in-the-works/369204/20 "2006-08-19T05:59:59Z")
Hey! I thought this was [my idea!?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=383071&highlight=anti-stupid+pill) 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-yes-yes-anti-stupidity-pill-in-the-works/369204.md?page=2)