“Over time, a memory-enhancing drug might cause people to remember too much detail, cluttering the brain. Similarly, a drug that sharpens attention might cause users to focus too intently on a particular task, failing to shift their attention in response to new developments. In short, someone who notices or remembers everything may end up understanding nothing.” (Philip, 2006, p. 179)

Using “smart drugs” is a complicated issue which to me is very similar to the use of stimulants in sports. Both smart drugs and stimulants are chemical matters that can boost a person’s intellectual or physical performance by overcoming human being’s physiology limits. Like using stimulants is regarded as cheating in sports events, using drugs that are supposed to improve one’s memory, vigilance, and attention in a test is also commonly viewed as cheating because it is unfair for those who cannot afford those drugs or those who do not want to risk harming their body. And indeed, currently, most of the smart drugs and stimulating drugs are having huge side effects which will bring long-term harm to our human body.

However, we also admit this issue is a complex one because the technological progress have been overcoming a lot of our physical limits during human history and will continue to change our bodies, thoughts, and values in various ways. For example, surrogacy and test-tube baby are medical breakthrough that are bringing hopes for many families; cosmetology can bring beauty back to disfigured people; breast implant surgery can help improve self-confidence for women whose breast had been removed to cure breast cancer; and the Ocumetics Bionic Lens can also improve a damaged eye vision to 3 times of normal 20/20 vision. Nonetheless, when these highly praised medical breakthroughs are used for cosmetic or non-medical reasons, their roles and values are always criticized.

Likewise, when smart drugs are used to improve the intelligent performance of people with brain damage, there will not be mush criticism, but when they are used to boost normal people’s memory and attention, they are controversial. They are controversial may be because they went a bit far from the ethical boundary or because the technology is not advanced enough to make those drugs as safe and cheap as a pill of Tylenol for cold. Recently, it was said that the 3D printer had already been able to print human organs, so I always wonder if our human body will never die in the near future because of the advancement of biotechnology, then will smart drugs, stimulants, cosmetology, and breast implant still be controversial? Maybe they will just be parts of the human body building process. Just like building a house, these processes are only decorating works after the completion of the main project. By then, we even no longer need surrogacy and test-tube baby technics because we will have already overcome our ultimate limit—-death. Who knows if this is a good news or bad news!

Philip, R. (2006), Drugs that enhance student achievement: Good kids making bad decisions. In Engaging ‘tweens and teens: A brain-compatible approach to reaching middle and high school students (pp. 175-194). California: Corwin Press.