Brain enhancing drugs

Alexanderhili

This is a murky area to discuss. Cognitive-Enhancing drugs are usually used to treat conditions such as sleeping disorders and ADHD. However, if taken by a person (and we do not recommend these pills) without these conditions, they can enhance the brain for a short time. But no gain comes without pain.

Side effects are a problem. Take coffee, a weak stimulant that increases focus for a short period. A person slowly builds up tolerance and an addiction to the effect of caffeine. The ability to maintain a normal state of focus now requires that cup of coffee. Mind enhancement drugs taken without a prescription could lead to sharper wits in the short term, however they could lead to addiction in the long term. Ritalin and Adderall, prescribed for ADHD, can also lead to heart problems.

The benefits many of these drugs give are usually minor—nothing like the movie Limitless. But while our minds do have limits, they are probably fewer than one might expect, especially if we push ourselves that extra mile.

Send in your science questions to think@um.edu.mt

What is More Addictive: Cannabis or Coffee?

Alexanderhili
The answer is coffee. Coffee is drunk by around 80% of Americans. The large numbers call for extensive studies on the effect of this drug on the brain.

Caffeine is a stimulant. It has a similar molecular structure to adenosine, a chemical linked to us feeling tired. Caffeine binds to adenosine and stops it from working. Coffee does not wake you up but makes your body forget it is tired.

Taking that espresso in the morning makes your body increase the number of receptors to caffeine in the brain. This increase makes us dependent on that cup of coffee in the morning to reach normal functional levels. On the other hand, cannabis has minimal risk of long-term addiction.

Read more about cannabis.

Send in your science questions to think@um.edu.mt

Does the Kraken exist?

Written by Alexander Hili

‘Release the Kraken’ is a very famous quote from Clash of the Titans. In the movie scene, a monstrous being, with characteristics of both squid and octopus, is summoned from the sea to smash a city to the ground. The Kraken is clearly a mythological creature, but the colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) is very real. The monstrously large squid grows to an estimated 12–14 m in length and has sharp swivelling or three-pointed hooks on its limbs. The bloated carcasses of this organism could have inspired the ancients. Large adults have never been caught since it is thought to live around 2.2 km beneath the water’s surface when it develops. Like the Kraken it is a very elusive creature that is rarely seen.

Can humans live on other planets?

Alexanderhili

Well this is a vast question, yes they can. However, it is not all that simple. Start off with the fact that we don’t have the technology to access Earth-like planets we could live on. Over forty planets that could be habitable have already been found. 

Reaching the exoplanet might only be half the problem. Will the planet already be suitable for life? Or, will we need to terraform it, manipulate its environment, so we can mould it into our Mother Earth? Will we be wiped out by some unknown disease we have no resistance to—as happened to the aliens in War of the Worlds. Will we be able to adapt to the environment? What about building a colony outside our planet which will be completely independent of Earth? Eventually yes, on a planet with the right conditions, but let’s get there first.  

Send your questions to think@um.edu.mt and we’ll find out if it’s the truth or just a fib!

Colouring Chemistry

Alexanderhili

Smart, logical, and colourful. Dr David Magri and his team develop intelligent molecules. They are not only smart because they perform logical functions, similar to computers, but because they can detect miniscule changes in their surroundings that causes them to emit a large array of colours. These colour changes are intriguing researchers and are a great benefit to society.

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Why do banana-flavoured sweets taste differently from real bananas?

Alexanderhili

The flavour profile of banana sweets was created using the Gros Michel banana. This variety was the original reference banana flavour. In the 50s the fungal Panama disease wiped it out.

Why did the Gros Michel banana fall prey to disease? Well, commercial bananas are clones­—identical copies to one another—so when a disease infects one banana it can quickly spread throughout plantations. Couple that to a globalised world and the fungal infection spread like wildfire. With no resistance and time to adapt, this banana variety was doomed.

The Cavendish banana was introduced to meet commercial demands. Unfortunately for us, this banana is a bit bland. The superior taste of the Gros Michel banana was relegated to artificial flavours leaving us with a hint of the original banana taste.

Algae Farm

Alexander Hili

What is Malta’s most abundant resource? The sea and sun. Till now very few uses have been found for such resources due to the lack of applications in conventional industries. However, what would happen if we became unconventional?

Think Algae farms. Malta and Gozo could be using the warm waters around them to produce a cheap, healthy food. With copious sunlight prevalent throughout the year, local sushi bars could serve sushi wrapped in local nori. Malta could export to large profitable markets overseas. The farms could provide a large influx of work and increase cash flow to the Maltese Islands.