Scott explores how acetylcholine-related cognitive enhancers might work by increasing sensory precision and learning rate, while speculating on potential tradeoffs and acknowledging the highly speculative nature of these ideas.
Longer summary
This post explores the mechanisms and potential tradeoffs of cognitive enhancers, focusing on acetylcholine-related substances like piracetam and nicotine. Scott discusses the role of acetylcholine in the brain's predictive coding model, where it's thought to increase sensory precision and learning rate. He speculates on how this might explain the cognitive-enhancing effects of these drugs, but also considers potential downsides like disrupted intuitive understanding or increased risk of psychotic-like thinking. The post ends by acknowledging the highly speculative nature of these ideas and noting some contradictory evidence.
Shorter summary