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« Last post by Chip on May 29, 2025, 08:01:08 PM »
1. If a person starts shaking their leg as long as they sit down, they are intelligent.
2. If a person talks to themselves often, they have a sharp mind and deep thoughts.
3. If someone prefers staying quiet in a group, they are usually the smartest observer.
4. If a person gets bored easily, their brain craves higher intellectual stimulation.
5. If someone laughs at dark humor, they have a high IQ and advanced thinking skills.
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« Last post by Chip on May 29, 2025, 07:06:52 PM »
🧬 Amino Acids with Psychoactive SynergyThis list includes amino acids known to influence neurotransmitter systems or support the action, metabolism, or recovery phases of major psychoactive drugs. For informational purposes only.
🌟 L-Tyrosine💊 Synergy: Phenethylamines, Amphetamines, Dopamine Agonists 🧠 Function: Precursor to dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine ⚠️ May enhance stimulant response or recovery from stimulant depletion
🌈 DL-Phenylalanine (DLPA)💊 Synergy: Stimulants, Opiates 🧠 Function: D-isomer inhibits enkephalinase (preserves endorphins), L-isomer is a dopamine precursor 🛡️ May reduce pain and improve mood during stimulant or opiate withdrawal
🌀 L-Tryptophan💊 Synergy: SSRIs, Empathogens, Tryptamines 🧠 Function: Precursor to serotonin 🌙 Supports sleep and mood regulation; do NOT mix with serotonergic drugs unsupervised
☯️ 5-HTP (5-Hydroxytryptophan)💊 Synergy: MDMA, SSRIs, Psilocybin (Post-use Recovery) 🧠 Function: Immediate precursor to serotonin 🚨 Caution: Risk of serotonin syndrome with active serotonergic substances
⚡ L-Theanine💊 Synergy: Stimulants, Psychedelics, Caffeine 🧠 Function: Promotes calm focus via GABA and glutamate modulation 🧘♂️ Smooths stimulant experience, reduces anxiety
💤 L-Glycine💊 Synergy: NMDA Antagonists (Ketamine, DXM), GABAergics 🧠 Function: Co-agonist at NMDA receptors; calming effects 🌌 May enhance dream vividness, promote sleep
🧊 L-Glutamine💊 Synergy: Dissociatives, Nootropics, Stimulants 🧠 Function: Precursor to glutamate and GABA 🔄 Supports CNS recovery after overstimulation
💪 L-Arginine💊 Synergy: Psychedelics, Nootropics, MDMA 🧠 Function: Boosts nitric oxide, enhances circulation ❤️ May increase intensity of experience and body load
🔥 L-Citrulline💊 Synergy: Phenethylamines, Sexual Enhancers 🧠 Function: Converts to Arginine, increases NO 🫀 Vasodilation may enhance physical rush or tactile pleasure
🛡️ L-Cysteine (NAC precursor)💊 Synergy: Stimulants, Alcohol, MDMA 🧠 Function: Antioxidant, glutathione precursor 🧬 Protects against neurotoxicity and oxidative stress
⚙️ Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALCAR)💊 Synergy: Stimulants, Cognitive Enhancers 🧠 Function: Enhances mitochondrial function and acetylcholine metabolism 🔋 Boosts energy, reduces mental fatigue
🎯 Taurine💊 Synergy: Stimulants, Alcohol, Benzodiazepines 🧠 Function: GABAergic modulator 🧘♀️ May blunt overstimulation and improve hydration
🧠 L-Histidine💊 Synergy: MAO inhibitors, Dream Inducers 🧠 Function: Histamine precursor, supports wakefulness and immune balance 😵💫 High doses may cause vertigo or nausea in sensitive individuals
🌿 Beta-Alanine💊 Synergy: Phenethylamines, Performance Drugs 💥 Buffers lactic acid, may increase endurance or paresthesia ⚠️ May intensify body tingles when mixed with stimulants
📜 Notes- ⚠️ Combining any supplement with psychoactive drugs carries risk—do your own research.
- 🧪 These pairings are often based on anecdotal, nutritional, or experimental neuroscience data.
- 🔍 Many of these amino acids also aid post-experience recovery or protect neurotransmitter systems.
Compiled by ChatGPT | Public Domain | For educational use only
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« Last post by Chip on May 29, 2025, 06:55:05 PM »
💊 Ranked Street Substances by Combined Psychoactivity & Addictiveness| Rank | Substance | Psychoactivity | Addiction Risk | Combined | Notes | | 1 | Carfentanil | 10 | Extreme | 14 | Extremely potent synthetic opioid (100x Fentanyl) | | 2 | Fentanyl | 9.5 | Extreme | 13.5 | Ultra-potent synthetic opioid | | 3 | Nitazenes (e.g., Isotonitazene) | 9.4 | Extreme | 13.4 | New ultra-potent opioid class, stronger than fentanyl | | 4 | Heroin | 9 | High | 12 | Semi-synthetic opioid; strong euphoria and sedation | | 5 | Methamphetamine | 9 | High | 12 | Potent central stimulant, long-acting | | 6 | Crack Cocaine | 8.5 | High | 11.5 | Smoked freebase form; intense, short-lived high | | 7 | Cocaine | 8 | High | 11 | Stimulant; short duration; strong DA/NE reuptake inhibition | | 8 | PCP | 8 | Moderate | 10 | NMDA antagonist; dissociative and deliriant effects | | 9 | Ketamine | 7.5 | Moderate | 9.5 | Dissociative anesthetic; NMDA antagonist | | 10 | MXE | 7.4 | Moderate | 9.4 | Longer-acting ketamine analog; dissociative | | 11 | MDMA (Ecstasy) | 7 | Moderate | 9 | Empathogen; serotonin and dopamine releaser | | 12 | Spice/K2 (Synthetic Cannabinoids) | 6 | High | 9 | Unpredictable synthetic cannabinoids | | 13 | LSD | 7.8 | Low | 8.8 | Classic serotonergic psychedelic | | 14 | DMT | 7.7 | Low | 8.7 | Ultra-short-acting intense psychedelic | | 15 | 5-MeO-DMT | 7.6 | Low | 8.6 | Non-visual, ego-dissolving psychedelic | | 16 | NBOMe compounds | 6.5 | Moderate | 8.5 | Highly potent 5-HT2A agonists | | 17 | Alcohol | 5.5 | High | 8.5 | GABAergic CNS depressant | | 18 | Psilocybin Mushrooms | 7.3 | Low | 8.3 | Serotonergic tryptamine psychedelic | | 19 | Toluene (Inhalant) | 5.2 | High | 8.2 | Solvent with disorienting CNS effects | | 20 | Marijuana (High-THC strains) | 6 | Moderate | 8 | Cannabinoid agonist; euphoria + relaxation | | 21 | 2C-B | 6.8 | Low | 7.8 | Psychedelic phenethylamine; visual + empathogenic | | 22 | Mescaline (Peyote/San Pedro) | 6.7 | Low | 7.7 | Natural psychedelic phenethylamine | | 23 | Benzodiazepines (e.g. Xanax, Valium) | 4.5 | High | 7.5 | GABA-A agonists; anxiolytic/sedative | | 24 | Ayahuasca | 6.3 | Low | 7.3 | Oral DMT + MAOI brew | | 25 | Salvia divinorum | 6.2 | Low | 7.2 | Kappa-opioid agonist; intense short hallucinations | | 26 | Barbiturates | 4.2 | High | 7.2 | GABA-A potentiators; older sedatives | | 27 | DXM (in high doses) | 5 | Moderate | 7 | OTC NMDA antagonist/dissociative | | 28 | Nitrous Oxide | 5.4 | Low | 6.4 | Dissociative gas; NMDA antagonist | | 29 | Codeine | 4 | Moderate | 6 | Weak opioid; often combined with paracetamol | | 30 | Kratom | 4 | Moderate | 6 | Mitragynine; mild opioid agonist/stimulant hybrid | | 31 | Tobacco (Nicotine) | 3 | High | 6 | Stimulant and neuromuscular modulator | | 32 | Zuclopenthixol | 3.8 | Low | 4.8 | Notazine antipsychotic; strong D2 blocker | | 33 | Flupenthixol | 3.7 | Low | 4.7 | Motivational lift + antipsychotic effects | | 34 | Clopenthixol | 3.6 | Low | 4.6 | Sedative Notazine; rarely used recreationally | | 35 | Haloperidol | 3.5 | Low | 4.5 | Potent typical antipsychotic; tranquilizer effect | | 36 | Olanzapine | 3.4 | Low | 4.4 | Atypical antipsychotic; heavy sedation in high doses | | 37 | Caffeine | 2 | Moderate | 4 | Adenosine receptor antagonist; mild stimulant |
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« Last post by Chip on May 29, 2025, 06:44:26 PM »
📚 Known Psychoactive Substances by Mechanism of Action of Interest
🔋 Dopamine Reuptake Inhibitors (DRIs)
- Methylphenidate
- Bupropion
- Ethylphenidate
- 4F-MPH
- HDMP-28
- Prolintane
- Desoxypipradrol (2-DPMP)
- Amineptine
🔥 Dopamine Releasers
- Amphetamine
- Methamphetamine
- PEA (Phenethylamine)
- Ethylhexedrone
- Mephedrone
- α-PVP
- 4-MEC
- Naphyrone
🧠 Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)
- Fluoxetine
- Sertraline
- Paroxetine
- Citalopram
- Escitalopram
💗 Serotonin Releasers and Agonists
- MDMA
- MDA
- MDEA
- MDAI
- 5-MAPB
- 4-FA
- Psilocybin
- LSD
- 5-MeO-DMT
- 2C-B
- 25I-NBOMe
- DMT
- 4-AcO-DMT
❄️ NMDA Receptor Antagonists
- Ketamine
- DXM
- MXE
- PCP
- 3-MeO-PCP
- Methoxphenidine
- Nitrous Oxide
💤 GABA-A Agonists (Anxiolytics/Sedatives)
- Diazepam
- Clonazepam
- Alprazolam
- Zolpidem
- Etizolam
- Phenobarbital
- Gabapentin
😴 GABA-B Agonists
- Phenibut
- Baclofen
- GHB
🧬 Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors (AChE-Is)
- Galantamine
- Huperzine A
- Donepezil
- Tacrine
- Rivastigmine
🎨 5-HT2A Agonists (Psychedelics)
- LSD
- Psilocin
- 4-HO-MET
- 2C-E
- 2C-I
- DOC
- 25C-NBOMe
- Mescaline
- AL-LAD
🧪 MAO Inhibitors (MAOIs)
- Harmine
- Harmaline
- Selegiline
- Rasagiline
- Isocarboxazid
- Phenelzine
🧲 COMT Inhibitors
- Tolcapone
- Entacapone
🛑 Opioid Receptor Agonists
- Morphine
- Codeine
- Heroin
- Oxycodone
- Hydrocodone
- Fentanyl
- Methadone
- Buprenorphine
⚙️ Opioid Antagonists
- Naloxone
- Naltrexone
- Nalmefene
📈 Nootropic Racetams & Cognitive Enhancers
- Piracetam
- Aniracetam
- Oxiracetam
- Phenylpiracetam
- Noopept
- NSI-189
- Modafinil
- Centrophenoxine
- Uridine Monophosphate
💡 Neurosteroids and Hormonal Modulators
- DHEA
- Pregnenolone
- Arimidex
- Letrozole
- Clomiphene
- Tamoxifen
- Melatonin
- Testosterone
💉 Peptides and Neuropeptides
- Semax
- Selank
- DSIP
- Oxytocin
- Vasopressin
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« Last post by Chip on May 29, 2025, 06:34:53 PM »
📚 Psychoactive Drug Categories and Examples (Expanded)
🌿 Ethnobotanicals
- Ayahuasca — DMT + Harmine, Harmaline
- Ibogaine — Ibogaine
- Kava — Kavalactones
- Kratom — Mitragynine, 7-Hydroxymitragynine
- Salvia divinorum — Salvinorin A
- Peyote — Mescaline
- San Pedro Cactus — Mescaline
- Blue Lotus — Aporphine, Nuciferine
- Syrian Rue — Harmaline, Harmine (MAOIs)
- Yopo / Vilca — Bufotenin, 5-MeO-DMT
- Amanita muscaria — Muscimol, Ibotenic acid
- Calamus root — Beta-asarone
- Voacanga africana — Voacangine
- African Dream Root (Silene capensis) — Triterpenoid saponins
- Calea zacatechichi — Unknown bitter sesquiterpenes
🧠 Oneirogens (Dream Inducers)
- Calea zacatechichi — Dream herb
- Silene capensis — Xhosa dream root
- Galantamine — Acetylcholinesterase inhibitor
- Mugwort — Thujone, cineole
- Phenibut — β-Phenyl-GABA; GABA-B agonist with dream-enhancing properties
☠️ Deliriants (Anticholinergic Hallucinogens)
- Datura stramonium — Scopolamine, Atropine
- Brugmansia — Hyoscine
- Belladonna — Atropine, Scopolamine
- Diphenhydramine — H1 antagonist; anticholinergic in high doses
- Mandrake root — Scopolamine derivatives
💥 Designer Dopaminergics (Stimulant RCs)
- Prolintane — NDRI
- Ethylphenidate — Dopamine/NE reuptake inhibitor
- Isopropylphenidate — Longer acting analog
- Desoxypipradrol (2-DPMP) — Ultra-long acting stimulant
🧬 Peptides / Neuropeptides
- Semax — ACTH(4-10) analog, nootropic, anxiolytic
- Selank — Tuftsin analog, anxiolytic, immune-modulating
- DSIP — Delta sleep-inducing peptide
- Oxytocin — Social bonding, trust, cognition
- Vasopressin — Memory, aggression modulation
🧫 Immunopsychoactives (Inflammation-Modulating Psychoactives)
- LPS (Lipopolysaccharide) — Induces sickness behavior in animal models
- Infliximab — TNF-alpha blocker studied for depression
- IL-6 modulators — Linked to mood regulation in current research
🌬️ Inhalants and Volatile Agents
- Nitrous Oxide — NMDA antagonist
- Amyl Nitrite — Vasodilator, mild euphoria
- Butyl Nitrite — “Poppers”, similar to amyl
- Toluene — Solvent abuse (dangerous)
- Ether — Legacy anesthetic
- Chloroform — CNS depressant, toxic
🎨 Psychedelic Amphetamines (DOx / NBOMe Class)
- DOC — 4-chloro-2,5-dimethoxyamphetamine
- DOB — 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyamphetamine
- DOI — 4-iodo-2,5-dimethoxyamphetamine
- 25I-NBOMe — Extremely potent 5-HT2A agonist
- 25C-NBOMe — Chlorinated analog
🧪 Hormonal Modulators (Neuroendocrine-Linked Psychoactivity)
- Arimidex (Anastrozole) — Aromatase inhibitor
- Letrozole — Estrogen synthesis blocker
- Clomiphene — Estrogen receptor modulator
- Tamoxifen — SERM; sometimes nootropic-like effects
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« Last post by Chip on May 29, 2025, 02:42:29 PM »
📜 Forum Charter: The Ethos of Our Space 📜
— but we are far more than our name implies.
🔍 Our Mission: To create an open, informed, and resilient space where users can explore all aspects of life—from the chemical to the cerebral. We aim to reduce harm, expand knowledge, and share in a journey of self-awareness and mutual growth.
📌 Core Principles:✅ Harm Reduction First We do not glorify, endorse, or promote reckless use. We believe in sharing accurate, evidence-based information to support safer choices. ✅ Open-Minded, Not Open-Ended Diverse perspectives are welcome. Personal attacks, hate speech, or ungrounded conspiracy material are not. ✅ Beyond the Buzz Drugs may be part of the journey, but they’re not the destination. Our forum supports discussion on philosophy, mental health, creativity, cognition, AI, energy systems, and life itself. ✅ Privacy is Sacred What you share here stays here. Respect anonymity, don’t dox, and avoid personal inquiries unless invited. ✅ No One Left Behind We support each other, especially during comedowns, crises, or recovery. No shame. No judgement. Just support.
🌱 Topics Encouraged (Not Exhaustive):• Neurochemistry & Brain Health 🧠 • Renewable Energy & Future Tech ⚡ • Philosophy, Spirituality, and Ethics 🌀 • Mental Health & Recovery Paths 💬 • Music, Mixing, and Sound/AV Exploration 🎧 • Artificial Intelligence & Human Augmentation 🤖 • DIY Projects & Lifehacks 🔧 • Personal Journals & Creative Expression 📓 • Science, Society & Speculation 🌍 • Just Good Old Banter 😺
🚫 Prohibited: ❌ Spam (unless in Unsolicited Random Avertising) ❌ Selling or sourcing illegal drugs ❌ Abuse, harassment or vilification ❌ Unverified medical claims (unless stated or obviously assumed) ❌ Plagiarism without sources
👥 Who We Are:
Long-time thinkers. First-time posters. Scientists, skeptics, artists, addicts, and allies.
We are a living archive of the human experience — flaws and all.
If you’re here, you probably belong here.
Welcome to the neural underground. 🧬
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« Last post by Chip on May 29, 2025, 02:26:48 PM »
🌟 Expand the Conversation 🌟
Our community is more than just one topic. Let's explore the full spectrum of life, together.
🧠 Interesting Ideas Got a theory, thought experiment, or a deep philosophical musing? Post it in our The Lounge and share your vision. 🎶 Music & Media Whether you're into vinyl classics, digital soundscapes, or underground mixes— Let’s vibe together in the Music and Entertainment. 📚 Literature & Learning Books, documentaries, courses, random facts—anything that grows the mind. Our General and Private is always open. 🧰 DIY, Hobbies, and Builds Show off your creations, tinkering, and tools of the trade. From woodworking to coding—bring it to General and Private. 🌏 World Talk News, events, culture, politics—your perspective matters. Step into the The Lounge and have your say. 😺 Chill Zone Memes, life updates, off-topic banter, or just saying hi— Find it all in our "Non-Drug related/Other".
📣 You don’t need to be on a substance to contribute something brilliant. We're building a community that thrives on curiosity, respect, and good vibes. ✨ Let's keep evolving — together ✨
Start a new topic today in a fresh board — or suggest one if we don’t have it yet!
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« Last post by Chip on May 24, 2025, 06:25:09 AM »
https://biomodal.com/blog/how-dna-methylation-affects-gene-expression/DNA methylationWiki serves as a pivotal epigenetic mechanism that significantly influences gene regulation by recruiting proteins that facilitate gene repression or by hindering transcription factors from attaching to DNA. This process, alongside histone modifications, forms the core of what is gene expression and plays a fundamental role in molecular biology and genetics, impacting development, differentiation, and the onset of various diseases. Understanding DNA methylation and its effects on gene expression is vital for advancing our knowledge in the fields of health and disease. It not only sheds light on the underlying mechanisms of gene regulation but also opens avenues for research into therapeutic interventions for genetic and epigenetic disorders. ● Mechanisms of DNA methylation DNA methylation is a sophisticated epigenetic mechanism crucial for regulating gene expression in eukaryotic organisms. This section delves into the intricate processes and enzymes involved in DNA methylation, highlighting its significance in gene regulation. ● DNA methylation process 1. Transfer of methyl groups: the process begins with the transfer of a methyl group to the 5th carbon in the cytosine ring in DNA, forming 5-methylcytosine. This transfer is facilitated by DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs). 2. Role of DNA methyltransferases: DNMTs such as DNMT1, DNMT3a, and DNMT3b play pivotal roles. DNMT1 is responsible for maintaining methylation patterns, while DNMT3a and DNMT3b add methyl groups to DNA during early development. 3. CpG sites targeting: methylation predominantly occurs at CpG sites, though non-CpG methylation exists and is significant in embryonic stem cells. ● Patterns and detection Erasure and re-establishment: methylation patterns are not permanent; they are largely erased and re-established between generations, ensuring genetic diversity and proper development. Detection techniques: various techniques such as methylation-specific PCR (MSP) and whole genome bisulfite sequencing (BS-Seq) are employed to detect DNA methylation patterns, providing insights into the methylation status across the genome. ● Functional implications of DNA methylation Gene expression regulation: by modifying the cytosine bases of DNA, methylation alters the genetic expression. Areas rich in CpG dinucleotides, particularly promoters and enhancers, are key targets for methylation which can suppress gene activity. Developmental changes: during different developmental stages, the DNA methylation landscape of the genome is dynamically altered, balancing between methylation and demethylation. Tissue-specific patterns: each cell type inherits a unique methylation pattern, which is crucial for regulating tissue-specific gene expression. Epigenetic inheritance and imprinting Genomic imprinting: methylation plays a central role in genomic imprinting, where only one allele of a gene is expressed while the other is silenced epigenetically through methylation. This imprinting is crucial for normal development and is meticulously regulated during gamete formation and after fertilisation. ● Interaction with histone modifications Collaborative epigenetic regulation: DNA methylation works in concert with histone modifications to maintain the epigenetic landscape, ensuring that specific patterns are inherited by progeny cells, thus influencing gene expression across generations. This detailed exploration of the mechanisms of DNA methylation underscores its critical role in gene regulation and its complex interplay with other epigenetic factors. The article continues ...
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« Last post by Chip on May 22, 2025, 09:46:35 AM »
The brain is responsible for every thought, feeling, and action. But how do the billions of cells that reside in the brain manage these feats? They do so through a process called neurotransmission. Simply stated, neurotransmission is the way that brain cells communicate, and the bulk of those communications occur at a site called the synapseWiki. Neuroscientists now understand that the synapse plays a critical role in a variety of cognitive processes—especially those involved with learning and memory. What is a synapseWiki? The word synapse stems from the Greek words “syn” (together) and “haptein” (to clasp)This might make you think that a synapse is where brain cells touch or fasten together, but that isn’t quite right. The synapse, rather, is that small pocket of space between two cells, where they can pass messages to communicate. A single neuron may contain thousands of synapses. In fact, one type of neuron called the Purkinje cellWiki, found in the brain’s cerebellum, may have as many as one hundred thousand synapses.   PurkinjeCell.jpg (93.69 kB . 580x679 - viewed 513 times)How big is a synapse? Synapses are tiny—you cannot see them with the naked eye. When measured using sophisticated tools, scientists can see that the small gaps between cells is approximately 20-40 nanometers wide. If you consider that the thickness of a single sheet of paper is about 100,000 nanometers wide, you can start to understand just how small these functional contact points between neurons really are. More than 3,000 synapses would fit in that space alone!  synaptic-transmission-cartoon-basics.png (155.48 kB . 465x434 - viewed 488 times)How many synapses are in the human brain? The short answer is that neuroscientists aren’t exactly sure. It’s very hard to measure in living human beings. But current post-mortem studies, where scientists examine the brains of deceased individuals, suggest that the average male human brain contains about 86 billion neurons. If each neuron is home to hundreds or even thousands of synapses, the estimated number of these communication points must be in the trillions. Current estimates are listed somewhere around 0.15 quadrillion synapses—or 150,000,000,000,000 synapses. What is synaptic transmission? Generally speaking, it’s just another way to say neurotransmission. But it specifies that the communication occurring between brain cells is happening at the synapse as opposed to some other communication point. One neuron, often referred to as the pre-synaptic cell, will release a neurotransmitter or other neurochemical from special pouches clustered near the cell membrane called synaptic vesicles into the space between cells. Those molecules will then be taken up by membrane receptors on the post-synaptic, or neighboring, cell. When this message is passed between the two cells at the synapse, it has the power to change the behavior of both cells. Chemicals from the pre-synaptic neuron may excite the post-synaptic cell, telling it to release its own neurochemicals. It may tell the post-synaptic cell to slow down signaling or stop it all together. Or it may simply tell it to change the message a bit. But synapses offer the possibility of bi-directional communication. As such, post-synaptic cells can send back their own messages to pre-synaptic cells—telling them to change how much or how often a neurotransmitter is released. Are there different kinds of synapses? Yes! Synapses can vary in size, structure, and shape. And they can be found at different sites on a neuron. For example, there may be synapses between the axon of one cell and the dendrite of another, called axodendritic synapses. They can go from the axon to the cell body, or soma-that’s an axosomatic synapse. Or they may go between two axons. That’s an axoaxonic synapse.  types-of-synapses-cartoon-basics-e1565574118145.png (111.08 kB . 464x360 - viewed 439 times)There is also a special type of electrical synapse called a gap junction. They are smaller than traditional chemical synapses (only about 1-4 nanometers in width), and conduct electrical impulses between cells in a bidirectional fashion. Gap junctions come into play when neural circuits need to make quick and immediate responses. While gap junctions don’t come up often in everyday neuroscience conversation, scientists now understand that they play an important role in the creation, maintenance, and strengthening of neural circuits. Some hypothesize gap junctions can “boost” neural signaling, helping to make sure signals will move far and wide across the cortex. What is synaptic plasticity? Synaptic plasticity is just a change of strength. Once upon a time, neuroscientists believed that all synapses were fixed-they worked at the same level all the time, but now, it’s understood that activity or lack thereof can strengthen or weaken synapses, or even change the number and structure of synapses in the brain. The more a synapse is used, the stronger it becomes and the more influence it can wield over its neighboring, post-synaptic neurons.  child-cartoon-hippocampus-basics.png (103.43 kB . 430x342 - viewed 465 times)One type of synaptic plasticity is called long term potentiation (LTP). LTP occurs when brain cells on either side of a synapse repeatedly and persistently trade chemical signals, strengthening the synapse over time. This strengthening results in an amplified response in the post-synaptic cell. As such, LTP enhances cell communication, leading to faster and more efficient signaling between cells at the synapse. Neuroscientists believe that LTP underlies learning and memory in an area of the brain called the hippocampus. The strengthening of those synapses is what allows learning to occur, and, consequently, for memories to form.
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« Last post by Chip on May 22, 2025, 09:39:09 AM »
https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a61777484/2045-singularity-ray-kurzweil/A Scientist Says Humans Will Reach the Singularity Within 21 Years
THE countdown is on.Aug 08, 2024 ● Futurists have long debated the arrival of the singularityWiki, when human and artificial intelligence will merge, a concept borrowed from the world of quantum physics. ● American computer scientist and futurist Ray Kurzweil has long argued that the singularity would likely occur around the middle of the 21st century, and with the rise of AI, his predictions are gaining more credence. ● In his new book, The Singularity is Nearer, Kurzweil doubles down on those predictions and details how humanity’s intelligence will increase a millionfold via nanobots (among other things). You don’t exactly become a world-renowned futurist by making safe predictions. And while some of these past predictions haven’t exactly come to pass (Back to the Future Part II, specifically), these ideas help expand our thoughts on what exactly the future might look like. And no one makes futuristic predictions quite like Ray Kurzweil. An American computer scientist-turned-futurist, Kurzweil has long believed that humanity is headed toward what’s known as “the singularity,” when man and machine merge. In 1999, Kurzweil theorized that artificial general intelligence would be achieved once humanity could achieve a technology capable of a trillion calculations per second, which he pegged to occur 2029. Experts at the time scoffed at the idea, figuring it’d be at least a century or more, but with Kurzweil’s timeline only a few years off—and talk of AGI spreading—that decades-old prediction is beginning to loom large. “We’re going to be a combination of our natural intelligence and our cybernetic intelligence,” Kurzweil said in an interview with The Guardian, “and it’s all going to be rolled into one. We are going to expand intelligence a millionfold by 2045, and it is going to deepen our awareness and consciousness.” While this idea subscribes to a merger more akin to physical intervention to bridge the gap between man and machine, other philosophers and AI experts agree that some form of merger is likely inevitable, and in some ways, is already beginning. In July, Oxford’s Marcus du Sautoy and Nick Bostrom both expounded on the hopeful and harrowing possibilities of our AI future, and for both of them, a kind of synthesis appeared inevitable. “I think that we are headed toward a hybrid future,” Sautoy told Popular Mechanics. “We still believe that we are the only beings with a high level of consciousness. This is part of the whole Copernican journey that we are not unique and we’re not at the center.” Of course, this “Brave New World” of a hybrid AI-human existence brings with it a plethora of issues both political and personal. ■ What will humans do for jobs? ■ Could we possibly live forever? ■ Would that change the very idea of what it means to be human? Kurzweil, like many other futurists, are relatively optimistic on this front. In that same interview with The Guardian[/i[, Kurzweil highlights the idea of a Universal
Basic Income as a necessity rather than a fringe idea currently supported in more progressive circles, and AI will bring unprecedented advancements in medicine, meaning the very idea of immortality isn’t out of the realm of possibility.
“In the early 2030s we can expect to reach longevity escape velocity where every year of life we lose through aging we get back from scientific progress,” Kurzweil told The Guardian, “and as we move past that, we’ll actually get back more years. It isn’t a solid guarantee of living forever—there are still accidents—but your probability of dying won’t increase year to year.”
Just like “Back to the Future Part II” predicted flying cars, so too could these technology-fueled utopias crumble to dust as these dates inch closer and closer, but 25 years ago, Kurzweil predicted we’d be rapidly approaching a major moment in humanity’s technological history at the tail end of this decade.
Currently, no evidence suggests the contrary.
John Lund//Getty Images:
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