"Get Smarter"

p. 186 question #3
I see and understand the point that Cascio makes by saying that the use of drugs can be seen as a way to enhance productiveness, however I do not agree with this completely. Drugs are seen as cheating in the athletic world, and they can also be seen as cheating when it comes to the use of them as "brain enhancers". I don't feel like cheating would be the main issue in taking drugs to focus more clearly and be more productive. In the essay, Cascio mentions the drug modafinil that can keep a person alert. He says that the drug has been observed to make its users "smarter" by making them think with more clarity. However, if people start taking this drug on a large scale, people are going to become dependent on this drug. They aren't going to be using their natural abilities to problem solve or even to do everyday tasks. And if everyone starts taking drugs to enhance their thinking, our minds are not improving. They are just being aided. Cascio says in his third paragraph that humans have coped with the events that have happened over time by getting smarter. A drug will only temporarily make someone smarter, but will have no effect on actual intelligence in the long run. We should let our brains get smarter on their own by taking in new information and getting access to more information, not access to more drugs.