early memories

How to Get Monkey Off Your Brain

Society has been fighting the plague of addictions without knowing how drugs, cigarettes, and alcohol hot-wire the brain's pleasure response. Now researchers may be closing in on a magic bullet.

Jeff was your everyday successful guy. He owned a thriving clothing business, had plenty of friends, and seemed to be living the sweet life in sunny Florida. Except for one thing: He was a heroin addict. It began eight years ago at a party with a snort of just one line of the drug. Within weeks, Jeff, then 30, was a frequent user and enjoying it. So much so that before long snorting didn't deliver a powerful enough high to satisfy his cravings; he moved on to smoking heroin.

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December 2009: Best of What's New

In our December issue, Popular Science names the 100 best innovations of the year: bombproof wallpaper, self-parking cars, the fastest helicopter, and 97 more. Plus inventor profiles and videos.

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