Alan Gevins and his team at SAM Technology in San Francisco are nearing the end of a large study analyzing the effects of various drugs on cognitive performance. An editor at Technology Review recently visited their offices, and downed a stiff cocktail, to experience their work first-hand.
Gevins uses a combination of electroencephalography (EEG) and cognitive tests to measure the effects of alcohol, marijuana, caffeine and other drugs on attention, working memory, the ability to multi-task and more. His company intends to commercialize the testing technology they've developed, hoping that it could help doctors measure a person's cognitive decline, or even adjust prescriptions to keep side effects at a minimum.
Via MedGadget
138 years of Popular Science at your fingertips.
Each issue has been completely reimagined for your iPad. See our amazing new vision for magazines that goes far beyond the printed page
Stay up to date on the latest news of the future of science and technology from your iPhone or Android phone with full articles, images and offline viewing
Featuring every article from the magazine and website, plus links from around the Web. Also see our PopSci DIY feed
Science is reinventing play, from extreme sports to gamification to ridiculous roller coasters to the playgrounds of tomorrow, and this issue is chock full of fun. Also, on a less fun note: Did global warming destroy my hometown?