Addiction & it's cure

[fuddy]

Hi, all. Fictional scenario -

 

People discover that the egg-mass of a fish is deliciously sweet. Everyone partakes, w/ no ill effect, but their offspring are born addicted to it. The withdrawal symptoms are psychologically & physically devastating, & each year they need more & more to stave them off.

 

The cure is the gel surrounding & encapsulating the egg-mass, & it must be held in the mouth to be effective (absorbed through the mucous membranes, like sub-lingual B-12, to by-pass the liver).

 

Perhaps the addiction is caused by a parasite, or an algae toxin, & the gel forms to protect the bad stuff from killing the fish, I don't know.

 

Could this be medically feasible? Any suggestions? Thanks!

[freeztar]

That's an interesting fictional scenario, fuddy.

I suppose it is possible, given the diversity we see presently and historically, but I do not know of any examples close to what the scenario suggests.

 

Most, if not all (prove me wrong here people, I'm unsure), addictive chemicals are derived from plant materials. I'm sure psychological addiction exists within tribes who rely heavily on a certain animal species. Heck, take away beef from America and people would be in chaos (psychological addiction?).

 

[freeztar]

Could this be medically feasible? Any suggestions? Thanks!

 

Rereading your post, I seemed to have not addressed the heart of the matter.

 

Medically feasible?

Sure, why not?

I'm sucking on a "nicotine lozenge" right now in my attempt to quit smoking cigarettes (4 months now ). They were able to isolate the addictive chemical and supply it without the effects of smoke-in-lungs and in a way that weens you off of chemical dependence.

[TruthfullyLying]

Stop eating em. :) Otherwise find something that tastes better and doesnt turn you into a fiend, then go ahead and knock yourself out with that. Its easier to replace a habit then kick it to the curb, I mean, everyone has to kill time with something.

[fuddy]

Thanks, guys - If only I could kidnap and interrogate a medical biologist for some detailed speculative possibilities on this, but that's not legal. Anyone know any friendly, talkative professors with active imaginations out there?

It's for a sci-fi story, so there's room to play with it, I just want to get it as real as I can. What us sci-fi guys need is a 'pay the pro for his accurately insightful speculative answer' site.

Freeztar - your nicotine thing is what I had in mind, the gel would contain an altered form of the addictive element, acting like a vaccine of sorts. Looking at your avatar... do you double for Chevy Chase? ARE you Chevy Chase?

[freeztar]

ARE you Chevy Chase?

 

He wishes! :D

[Michaelangelica]

Addiction may be hardwired in the brain.

Saturday 30 June 2007

 

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Mind Reading (Part 2 of 2): The rise of mental surveillance

 

Our lives are increasingly under surveillance. Is the mental wilderness between your ears your last truly private space? Scientists are uncovering new ways to fish for your thoughts, and to decipher the brain's neural code behind your thinking. The applications are potentially revolutionary -- from probing the mental capacity of patients trapped in coma, to lie detection or brain-machine interfaces for controlling computers with thoughts alone. But the ethical questions surrounding this fledgling science are profound. What cost for personal privacy as the cognitive borders of our minds are penetrated? Read Transcript

Saturday 23 June 2007

 

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Mind Reading (Part 1 of 2): Neuroscience in the witness stand

 

'But officer, my brain made me do it!' Brain scans are becoming commonplace as evidence in US courts, in the bid to convict offenders or free them. But is the technology half-baked? Can we biologically categorise people as criminals -- mad, bad and dangerous to know? Free will, privacy and personal responsibility are all up for grabs in the collision between science and the law. Read Transcript

All In The Mind