Ask HN: I'm writing a book about white-collar drug use, including tech sector

Re:Ask HN: I'm writing a book about white-collar drug use, i... by Blahah on Monday February 26, 2018 @12:15PM (#16466933)

I was at Cambridge for 4 years and I can safely say that none of the professors in my department were using stimulants other than coffee. I can clock someone who is up across a crowded room. None of them were ever up. A large number of the ambitious PhD students and postdocs were though, and a very large proportion of the undergraduates. I think it's probably a generational thing. Students sell to students. Nobody is selling to professors, and even if they tried, those people have already achieved their success in a generation of people that didn't have access to these things.

I think we will see a generation of people come into these positions (e.g. professorships) where a significant proportion of them are using pharmaceutical enhancement as one of the many tools in their box. Stimulants aren't magic, they don't make idiots clever. But if you're a clever person who is tired or stressed, they can (seem to) make a big difference.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: I'm writing a book about white-collar drug use, i... by Eilene on Monday February 26, 2018 @12:29PM (#16467068)

how can you tell if someone is up? Just from years of using stimulants yourself or are there obvious, telltale signs? I missed a boatload of them with Peter.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: I'm writing a book about white-collar drug use, i... by Blahah on Monday February 26, 2018 @12:42PM (#16467193)

Dilated pupils. Tense jaw. Muscles around the eyes are slightly more tense (small wrinkles temporarily disappear for example). People react faster and speak more coherently (or if they took too much, incoherently but very fast). Dry mouth (very slight lisping or tongue sticking when they talk). Straighter back, clenched fists, grasping or fidgeting hands that they don't normally have. A general appearance of alertness. Unusually impressive performance in a social situation.

Some combination of the above, but it's pretty obvious once you get used to it. At the same time, I'm pretty sure many people in my life have no idea that I take stimulants (though as I said, I don't hide it), but just see me as being at my best when I'm on them.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: I'm writing a book about white-collar drug use, i... by Eilene on Monday February 26, 2018 @03:55PM (#16468878)

understood, thanks.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: I'm writing a book about white-collar drug use, i... by unimpressive on Monday February 26, 2018 @09:42PM (#16470727)

Flinches if surprised, picks at skin or scratches more than normal (there might be visible sores from this), intense preoccupation with things ordinarily beneath interest, hard to interrupt from work, drinks lots of water if responsible, particularly unconcerned with thirst if not. Particularly prone to discuss subjects at length, perhaps an unusually quiet or loud vocal tone.

There's also of course the side effect list, which usually reflects this sort of thing: https://www.drugs.com/sfx/amphetamine-side-effects.html

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: I'm writing a book about white-collar drug use, i... by geofft on Monday February 26, 2018 @10:10PM (#16470826)

> Flinches if surprised, picks at skin or scratches more than normal (there might be visible sores from this), intense preoccupation with things ordinarily beneath interest, hard to interrupt from work, drinks lots of water if responsible, particularly unconcerned with thirst if not.

... is someone giving me stimulants without my knowledge? That's me at baseline.

Or should I cut out even my one cup of coffee per day?

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: I'm writing a book about white-collar drug use, i... by loeg on Monday February 26, 2018 @01:15PM (#16467524)

(Excess) scratching, excess fidgeting. Staring off into the distance in the same direction for a while. Overconfidence and they really like to talk about stimulants ;-).

[ Parent | on HN ]