Raw intelligence is a major factor in our individual level of success - some develop more and some develop less. Whether attempting to maximize your income, research a cure for cancer or win a sporting contest, the ability to take a range of information, internalize it, and turn it into effective decisions can heavily influence whether we encounter failure or success at each task. Human intelligence is the outcome of millions of years of evolution and access to opposable thumbs has provided the ability to make the tools we have used to conquer our world. While there are proposed methods for increasing our intelligence, some individuals are using different technologies and chemicals to increase their own.

Alex Horne at Vice gives us a look at the field of nootropics and how 'noonauts' are using them to enhance their own intelligence. In the article, he provides a quote from Corneliu Giurgea, the Romanian psychologist and chemist to synthesize the first nootropic piracetam fifty years ago in 1964:

“Man is not going to wait passively for millions of years before evolution offers him a better brain.”

Chemicals aren't the only way humans are attempting to raise their intelligence. There are also technologies being developed to help us process more quickly. Here's a quick breakdown of methods claiming to enhance intelligence:

Devices
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) devices, or 'brain pacemakers', are used to control conditions in humans suffering from Parkinsons, pain, depression and other conditions. While these devices are limited to individuals with an identified medical need, these technologies could be used to enhance healthy individuals in ways not yet discovered.

A recent product is the Foc.us tDCS headset for gamers. This device promises to "Overclock your brain using transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) to increase the plasticity of your brain. Make your synapses fire faster." I've covered this technology in a previous post and Neurogadget provides both their first assessment and trial run of this device.

The Emotiv Insight offers to track our performance, to help us maximize our potential. While this may not directly influence our intelligence, if the product produces reliable tracking data, it could support identifying effective regimens using other devices and chemicals.

Chemicals
Valporoic acid (VPA) is being tested to create greater brain plasticity in adults. This chemical has shown promise in recent trials and could be an effective method of helping adult learners master content more quickly.

Nootropics, as mentioned above, are often combined to create "stacks" of chemicals and supplements to enhance human intelligence.

Combinations
There are still some things you cannot Google. I was unable to find any information about combining devices and chemicals, through Christopher R. Madan offers us a paper on augmented memory. Still, I wonder how this plays out in society.

Concerns
I have two growing concerns about neural enhancement. The first is an expansion of the digital divide. If devices and chemicals are proven effective, how long will it take for these products to reach affordability for the poor? As access to better schools, books, computing, and the Internet have all proven beneficial to the development of intelligence - and many remain unavailable to poor children, how much larger might the divide grow with the addition of posthuman drugs and devices? Not that advancement can be halted for this reason, but it is something we should be aware of as we more forward. Greater inequality can only create greater social issues.

My second thought is new and concerns the impact on emotional sensitivity. A fan of Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligence, I believe these intelligences exist in balance. This balance provides the human underpinnings to link a healthy society. What happens if this only works for specific intelligences and not all? Would we have Vulcans or Mentats walking among us? Some personality types already favor a single or small set of intelligences, but what happens when we have a growing number of artificially induced imbalances?

What about you? If a safe and verifiable method for enhancing intelligence is made available, will you use it? Why or why not?

Other reading
Humans With Amplified Intelligence Could Be More Powerful Than AI - io9
The electrified brain: the power and promise of neural implants - The Verge
This Is Your Brain on Neural Implants - Ray Kurzweil for Slate