Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by WilliamDhalgren 3332 days ago
could be, I really don't know. I can imagine perfectly benign scenarios too; if our long-term memory grows with time, maybe there's just more possible connections/associations to filter out with time too, so that decision just becomes harder, with only the deeper old age being simply tissue decline, the exhaustion of cognitive reserves etc.

Somewhat relatedly, I think I heard on some old Skeptic's guide to the universe episode about an experiment with some nootropic, maybe it was a racetam though I think it was mondafinil, and this kind of reaction time to response accuracy tradeoff was observed, on young healthy adults. Those with less correct answers slowed down, presumably concentrated better and gave better answers, but those already good at whatever the task was simply were slower and yet no better.

1 comments

Is it possible to get a link to that episode?
ah, I'm sorry but I really don't remember. this was some years back.
hey, that's not bad; didn't even expect SGU had such detailed transcripts.

But actually looking for it now, the particular study I had in mind seems to be from a science or fiction segment from this episode:

http://media.libsyn.com/media/skepticsguide/skepticast2014-1...

Interesting to see how Steve's assesment of modafinil evolved between the two episodes

Thank you so much for your time. I was really curious.