Would it be possible to create a device, maybe a brain implant, that would give you say dopamine with a random function built in every time you do something you wanted to do? The reason it's so hard to sit down and study or in general work on a long term project is because there are no immediate rewards. The reason video games like world of warcraft are so addictive is because they give you a small and random reward every time you do a small incremental step , like killing a monster.

My device would allow you to program it to recognize the activity you are doing and then reward you. For instance I'd like to learn juggling but it's hard to motivate myself to work on it for many hours at a time. My device would just spurt chemicals into my brain at random intervals whenever I train and I'd be hooked on training and improve way faster.

There would have to be strict programming access built in so you couldn't just program it to flood your brain with chemical delight while watching Coronation Street. That's the trouble with rewards - if they're accessible 24/7...temptation can be a real bitch...therefore kSafe.


Also: another thread about yourself is it? If you want to learn how to juggle just get on with it, we're all sick to the back teeth of hearing about your problems.

dochmbi wrote:Would it be possible to create a device, maybe a brain implant, that would give you say dopamine with a random function built in every time you do something you wanted to do? The reason it's so hard to sit down and study or in general work on a long term project is because there are no immediate rewards. The reason video games like world of warcraft are so addictive is because they give you a small and random reward every time you do a small incremental step , like killing a monster.

My device would allow you to program it to recognize the activity you are doing and then reward you. For instance I'd like to learn juggling but it's hard to motivate myself to work on it for many hours at a time. My device would just spurt chemicals into my brain at random intervals whenever I train and I'd be hooked on training and improve way faster.

How would that work exactly ?
It seems to me that a manual trigger would be much more reliable, and more simple to implement.

A camera installed in the room, programmed with optical recognition software to tell when the required activity is being performed and then transmitting to the administering technology that it is to dispense the required chemical. Or alternatively just pay somebody to come round and only "feed you jam doughnuts" if you're working hard at the designated task.

Or set oneself small, manageable goals (ie not 2 whole hours of solid juggling practice) about which one can feel accomplished upon completion (ie. 10 minutes of juggling practice.) That's how I managed to complete the whole narrative and illustration plan for my next book.

Keep It Real wrote:Or set oneself small, manageable goals (ie not 2 whole hours of solid juggling practice) about which one can feel accomplished upon completion (ie. 10 minutes of juggling practice.) That's how I managed to complete the whole narrative and illustration plan for my next book.

Breaking it down is definitely helpful. Thanks for the insightful responses, Keep It Real! But I was also curious just scientifically, if maybe in 20 years such devices might be available to the public. Yeah the temptation would be there though to abuse it so I don't know how helpful it would be in the end. I guess there is just no way to replace self-discipline.

People wouldn't do a bloody thing, they'd just squirt the happy juice and lie there till they starved to death.

Good idea for population control, though.

dochmbi wrote:Would it be possible to create a device, maybe a brain implant, that would give you say dopamine with a random function built in every time you do something you wanted to do?

To see why this is ridiculous, think about whether it would be possible to create a device, maybe a brain implant, that would give you, say, dopamine (with a random function built in) every time you do something that you didn't want to do. Only make you do it not randomly. Maybe that device would inspire you to go fuck yourself.

lookit them yo-yos, that's the way ya do it
playing guitar on the MTV
that ain't workin', that's the way ya do it
yer money for nothin' and your chicks for free...

If that doesn't get your dopamine going, it's no wonder you'd like an implant.

Chocolate, that's what you need. Every time you get off your ass, chocolate bar.

Still, I don't think I played WoW because I liked it, but because the design was addictive, hmm. I played it way beyond the point of discovering any artistic merits or new experiences, it was just a skinners box in the end. It just seems in general that the things that are good for us are undesirable, but the things that are bad for us are desirable. With foods its often this way. I was wondering if it would have been possible to rewire these things. Stoicism / life philosophy / discipline...

But this is the wrong place to wonder about such things.Bye thanks back to training, I'll be a fire juggler soon.

laklak wrote:People wouldn't do a bloody thing, they'd just squirt the happy juice and lie there till they starved to death.

Good idea for population control, though.

I don't think so, because hunger is nothing to do with mood.

DavidMcC wrote:

laklak wrote:People wouldn't do a bloody thing, they'd just squirt the happy juice and lie there till they starved to death.

Good idea for population control, though.

I don't think so, because hunger is nothing to do with mood.

Well, David, this got me to wondering whether it's more urgent to know the true nature of hunger, or to get cosmology right. I don't think I know the answer, so between you and me, you're going to have to help us out, here.

People with severe insulin imbalance can get so far gone that they can't understand that they're having an insulin imbalance, and then they die. Same sort of thing happens to some people who think they know everything about everything, when it turns out they don't, really. That fate is worse than death, but just not for them.

laklak wrote:People wouldn't do a bloody thing, they'd just squirt the happy juice and lie there till they starved to death.

Good idea for population control, though.

Trump supporters would love it. They are half way there already.

Cito di Pense wrote:

DavidMcC wrote:

laklak wrote:People wouldn't do a bloody thing, they'd just squirt the happy juice and lie there till they starved to death.

Good idea for population control, though.

I don't think so, because hunger is nothing to do with mood.

Well, David, this got me to wondering whether it's more urgent to know the true nature of hunger, or to get cosmology right. I don't think I know the answer, so between you and me, you're going to have to help us out, here.

People with severe insulin imbalance can get so far gone that they can't understand that they're having an insulin imbalance, and then they die. Same sort of thing happens to some people who think they know everything about everything, when it turns out they don't, really. That fate is worse than death, but just not for them.

Cito,
1.) dying of an insulin imbalance isn't equivalent to dying of hunger.
2.) You may have noticed that I don't post in all threads. That's because you are incorrect to claim that I think I know everything. The truth is that I only post when I think I can contribute something that others have not yet contributed. I hope that clears things up for you.

DavidMcC wrote:

Cito di Pense wrote:

DavidMcC wrote:

laklak wrote:People wouldn't do a bloody thing, they'd just squirt the happy juice and lie there till they starved to death.

Good idea for population control, though.

I don't think so, because hunger is nothing to do with mood.

Well, David, this got me to wondering whether it's more urgent to know the true nature of hunger, or to get cosmology right. I don't think I know the answer, so between you and me, you're going to have to help us out, here.

People with severe insulin imbalance can get so far gone that they can't understand that they're having an insulin imbalance, and then they die. Same sort of thing happens to some people who think they know everything about everything, when it turns out they don't, really. That fate is worse than death, but just not for them.

Cito,
1.) dying of an insulin imbalance isn't equivalent to dying of hunger.
2.) You may have noticed that I don't post in all threads. That's because you are incorrect to claim that I think I know everything. The truth is that I only post when I think I can contribute something that others have not yet contributed. I hope that clears things up for you.

Well, then what you should have offered was that dying of hunger (a form of malnutrition) has nothing to do with mood. That's not to say that malnutrition never has anything to do with mood, because dying of malnutrition is just about guaranteed to put one in a bad mood. Or did you want to pick another nit from my post, having failed to pick it properly from your own post? You don't post in all threads, mainly because nits are hard for you to find. The point is that commenting on psychology ("mood") requires one to do much more qualification than you seem prepared to offer.

The absurdity of fantasizing a device that can motivate one to do anything has already been addressed. It's not as if fantasizing has nothing to do with mood.

Cito di Pense wrote:

DavidMcC wrote:

Cito di Pense wrote:

DavidMcC wrote:
I don't think so, because hunger is nothing to do with mood.

Well, David, this got me to wondering whether it's more urgent to know the true nature of hunger, or to get cosmology right. I don't think I know the answer, so between you and me, you're going to have to help us out, here.

People with severe insulin imbalance can get so far gone that they can't understand that they're having an insulin imbalance, and then they die. Same sort of thing happens to some people who think they know everything about everything, when it turns out they don't, really. That fate is worse than death, but just not for them.

Cito,
1.) dying of an insulin imbalance isn't equivalent to dying of hunger.
2.) You may have noticed that I don't post in all threads. That's because you are incorrect to claim that I think I know everything. The truth is that I only post when I think I can contribute something that others have not yet contributed. I hope that clears things up for you.

Well, then what you should have offered was that dying of hunger (a form of malnutrition) has nothing to do with mood. That's not to say that malnutrition never has anything to do with mood, because dying of malnutrition is just about guaranteed to put one in a bad mood. Or did you want to pick another nit from my post, having failed to pick it properly from your own post? You don't post in all threads, mainly because nits are hard for you to find. The point is that commenting on psychology ("mood") requires one to do much more qualification than you seem prepared to offer.

The absurdity of fantasizing a device that can motivate one to do anything has already been addressed. It's not as if fantasizing has nothing to do with mood.

Not worth responding to, because it is a blatant wind-up attempt, as is your wont. I remember that, years ago, I said I would not respond to your posts, unless they improved. Alas, they haven't, because you remain intent on off-topic provocation.

DavidMcC wrote:Not worth responding to, because it is a blatant wind-up attempt, as is your wont. I remember that, years ago, I said I would not respond to your posts, unless they improved. Alas, they haven't, because you remain intent on off-topic provocation.

David gets owned.
David runs away.
Nothing changes.

More off-topic rubbish from another of the usual suspects.
I won'trespond to you, either.

DavidMcC wrote:More off-topic rubbish from another of the usual suspects.
I won'trespond to you, either.

You just did.