首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
A new generation of mind-enhancing drugs that act as "cosmetics" for the brain could become as common as a cup of coffee, accord
A new generation of mind-enhancing drugs that act as "cosmetics" for the brain could become as common as a cup of coffee, accord
admin
2014-01-17
42
问题
A new generation of mind-enhancing drugs that act as "cosmetics" for the brain could become as common as a cup of coffee, according to an official investigation by leading scientists.
Powerful stimulants that improve memory, intellectual agility or other aspects of mental performance will almost certainly be developed over the next 20 years. They will have few side-effects, little or no addictive properties and could be used for non-medical purposes such as boosting exam performance, making better business decisions or even eliminating bad memories, the scientists said.
The first of these " cognition enhancers" is already being deve loped from research into existing drugs designed to treat medical problems. " In a world that is increasingly non-stop and competitive, the individual’s use of such substances may move from the fringe to the norm, with cognition enhancers used as coffee is today, " says the Foresight report of the government’s Office of Science and Technology. " Cognition enhancers are likely to be developed to treat people who need to improve attention, memory or wakefulness and to help people to forget, sleep more efficiently and be less impulsive, " the report says.
Drugs that help people to forget disturbing experiences raises the prospect of a future portrayed in films such as Total Recall or Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, where characters are able to forget painful relationships, the scientists said. Rut the possibility raises disturbing practical, ethical and social issues. "It is possible that such an advance could usher in a new era of drug use without addiction, " says the report.
Professor Trevor Robbins of Cambridge University, one of the lead authors of the Foresight report, said yesterday that two drugs available on prescription were known to have mind-enhancing properties when taken by healthy people.
Ritalin, which is given to children with attention-deficit disorder, is being used by a small number of students in an attempt to improve exam results and by businessmen to boost boardroom performance. Modafinil, a drug designed to treat narcolepsy, is also used to improve the concentration of healthy people so they can make more accurate decisions, Professor Robbins said.
"What tends to happen is that the drug makes you less impulsive, it makes you more reflective about the problem so you take a bit longer, but you get it right, " Professor Rob-bins said. Research into the chemistry of the brain has already identified about 60 natural compounds that affect the mind. Further work is almost certain to produce new drugs that could enhance mental performance, the Foresight report says.
" If we ever find ourselves in a society that embraced cognition enhancers, ’ mental cosmetics’ could become accepted and create new expectations about the performance and behaviour of individuals and groups, " the report says. Cognitive enhancers could also be developed to help people come off addictive drugs or overcome post-traumatic stress disorder.
Which of the following is NOT among the advances of the new drugs?
选项
A、Having few side-effects.
B、Being able to be used for a long time.
C、Being able to be used for non-medical purposes.
D、Having little or no addictive properties.
答案
B
解析
推理题。文章第二段中列举了该保健药物的各种优点,“boosting exam per-formance,making better business decisions or even eliminating bad memories”,但没有提到可以长期服用这一条,所以选[B]。
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/mZFK777K
0
专业英语四级
相关试题推荐
Everyoneknowsthattaxationisnecessaryinamodernstate:withoutit,it【C1】______notbepossibletopaythesoldiersandpol
Accordingtotoday’sweatherforecast,whichpartofEuropehasdryweather?
Joggingbecamepopularsometwentyyearsagoandhasremainedafavoritewayofkeepingfitforlotsofpeople.Ifyouhaveneve
Scienceisadominantthemeinourculture.Sinceittouchesalmosteveryfacetofourlife,educatedpeopleneedatleastsome
______before,hisfirstperformancefortheamateurdramaticgroupwasasuccess.
Beforethe1500’s,thewesternplainsofNorthAmericaweredominatedbyfarmers.Onegroup,theMandans,【C1】______inthe
Mostpeoplewhogoonlinehavemainlypositiveexperience.But,(1)______anyendeavor—traveling,cooking,orattendingschool—th
Mostpeoplewhogoonlinehavemainlypositiveexperience.But,(1)______anyendeavor—traveling,cooking,orattendingschool—th
Mostpeoplewhogoonlinehavemainlypositiveexperience.But,(1)______anyendeavor—traveling,cooking,orattendingschool—th
Mostpeoplewhogoonlinehavemainlypositiveexperience.But,(1)______anyendeavor—traveling,cooking,orattendingschool—th
随机试题
下列病毒感染所致传染病,外周WBC常升高的是
安全发展必须做到()“三个不能”。
【案例三】背景材料:某施工队承接到桩基施工任务。桩基为300mm×300mm的钢筋混凝土方桩,采用陆上打桩法施工;桩长30m,分两节施打,采用等强度焊接接头;沉桩机械采用履带式打桩机,柴油锤重4t,用25t履带吊配合运桩、喂桩。施工前
社会工作者小吕最近被机构安排到居家养老服务项目中,让其负责入户探访体弱老人的工作。小吕的督导老蔡有十余年服务老人的经验,在一次督导会谈中示范了接触体弱老人的技巧,包括不时轻轻接触老人的手和肩膀,表达肯定和关怀;说话时语速要慢,语调平缓,句子简单直接;发问时
Doyouthinkthereistoomuchnoiseinourcity?Ifyoulivenearanairport,youwillbeunhappybecauseaplaneoftenmakesa
美国睡眠专家设计了一项测试,让志愿者在睡眠实验室里连续度过13个夜晚。前4个夜晚,志愿者每晚能睡足8小时;接下来6天,他们的睡眠时间缩短至每晚6小时;最后3个晚上,志愿者出现“补觉”现象,每天要睡10小时。测试结果显示,持续几天睡眠不足后,志愿者反应速度变
英国的英文全称是________。
金融寡头是操纵国民经济命脉,在实际上控制国家政权的少数垄断资本家或垄断资本家集团,其实现自身统治的主要途径包括
阅读以下说明和C++代码,填补空缺。[说明]C++标准模板库中提供了vector模板类,可作为动态数组使用,并可容纳任意数据类型,其所属的命名空问为std。vector模板类的部分方法说明如表12-3所示。表12-3ve
PreferencesVaryonCircumstanceofDyingAmongterminallyiiipeople,attitudesdifferonwhattheythinkconstitutesa(1)o
最新回复
(
0
)