Nicotine: (not including reasons for smoking, addictiveness of smoking, or taking nicotine products to break smoking addiction) person − 0.1, LW − 0.8
Piracetam: person − 0.05, LW − 0.25
Oxi/Ani/other ‘potent’ racetams: person − 0.05, LW − 0.4
Amphetamines (adderall, dexamphetamines, ritalin): person − 0.1, LW − 0.8
Modafinil: person − 0.3, LW − 0.99 (!!)
Source: a rationalist’s interest in nootropics and stimulants, gwern’s site, personal experience with the first four but no statistics. Typical modern person probabilities from discussions with acquaintances of various levels of openness. Summary of probabilities: nicotine and amphetamines are very useful but have negative associations that require high levels of rationality to overcome. Modafinil is very useful but seeing that and using it properly is probably a tad difficult for the average person.
Caffeine: person − 0.9, LW − 0.9
Nicotine: (not including reasons for smoking, addictiveness of smoking, or taking nicotine products to break smoking addiction) person − 0.1, LW − 0.8
Piracetam: person − 0.05, LW − 0.25
Oxi/Ani/other ‘potent’ racetams: person − 0.05, LW − 0.4
Amphetamines (adderall, dexamphetamines, ritalin): person − 0.1, LW − 0.8
Modafinil: person − 0.3, LW − 0.99 (!!)
Source: a rationalist’s interest in nootropics and stimulants, gwern’s site, personal experience with the first four but no statistics. Typical modern person probabilities from discussions with acquaintances of various levels of openness. Summary of probabilities: nicotine and amphetamines are very useful but have negative associations that require high levels of rationality to overcome. Modafinil is very useful but seeing that and using it properly is probably a tad difficult for the average person.