Oxytocin is a hormone which is produced in large amounts during labor, orgasm, and probably in small amounts at other times. It has various functions which depend greatly on species. One interesting property of oxytocin is that it tends to suppress laying down of memory. One theory about this is that this evolved in humans to prevent women from avoiding pregnancy again after having gone thru it once.
But what if small amounts of oxytocin or related substances are clouding memory to lesser degrees all the time? I propose that a competitive antagonist for oxytocin could be used to sharpen memory and enhance learning. Oxytocin is very short acting, and related drugs (vasopressin) are given by nasal spray. People could take these drugs to spur short, intense bursts of learning, then let it wear off later.
It also occurs to me that this drug might be useful in preventing premature ejaculation.-- bungston, Oct 11 2003 Anti-unrequited-love drug Anti-unrequited-love_20drug [xaviergisz, Jun 28 2007] WTF!? http://www.physorg.com/news100355263.html [quantum_flux, Jun 28 2007] Did it make oxytocin?-- bungston, Oct 11 2003 I'm not a big fan of medicating memory, just because I think medicating people to learn things is somehow unethical. Perhaps I've read a few freakish books too many times.
Way I figure it, if you're too dumb to learn things, you're too dumb to do them for a living.
As for preventing premature ejaculation, there are much more fun ways to go about that.-- shapu, May 11 2004 I thought that people remember things better when their emotions are actively into whatever they are experiencing, but also that emotions tend to actively shape one's own mindset as well.... if you are angry, you are more likely to magnify the details that matter the most to you (see link about anger and decision making), and if you are happy then you tend to forget the stuff that rubs you the wrong way.
Pleasure=forgive and forget all the important details while passively accepting the overall situation
Anger=grudge= magnify and remember all the important details while actively experiencing the overall situation-- quantum_flux, Jun 28 2007 I can't find that article about the link between anger and good decision making, perhaps it got deleted or something.-- quantum_flux, Jun 28 2007 random, halfbakery