You know when you watch a good film, or read a good book or see a really funny TV program, and you wished you hadn't read it/watched it etc because it was that good that you want to do it all over again but you can't because the fun's been spoilt. okay, so maybe that's just me.
Well how about a device that erases memories from your head? Then you can choose to have the memory of "sixth sense" say, deleted from your head and you can watch it over and over again never guessing until the end what the story is about.
And read your favourite book, or look at the best website, without recalling that you've already been there.....-- baby_steffee, Apr 06 2001 what happened?-- technobadger, Apr 06 2001 Like the pen device in Men In Black... boy, that was a good movie. Wait a sec, what was I just talking about?-- PotatoStew, Apr 06 2001 ECT is known to affect memory (that may be its primary power, in fact). I had a friend who, while undergoing a regimen of regular ECT for depression, happenned to see the movie _Johnny Mnemonic_ with some friends. She currently has no recollection of seeing the film (or much of anything else during that time period), but is willing to believe us when we tell her to think of that as a silver lining to the whole affair.-- egnor, Apr 06 2001 Abusing this device to forget bad things could be very bad. egnor's friend has already wasted two-hours of her life on a bad movie. Without friends to remind her not to watch it again, she might lose that time again. This has already happened to me with "Lost in Space."
I'm afraid I can't vote for the "positive" effects of this substance/device either, as I cherish memories and experience.
I just have to add that I think that forgetting the movie "Johnny Mnemonic" is a terribly funny thing to do.-- centauri, Apr 06 2001 There's a story along these lines by Geoffrey A. Landis, entitled "Jamais Vu." Guy who just got fired/broken up with/etc. spends the day in, ordering a pizza, reading a book, etc., then takes the drug, forgets it all and does it again.-- bookworm, Apr 06 2001 But how would you remember which book to re-read, etc.?-- beauxeault, Apr 06 2001 how about watch them when very drunk?-- technobadger, Apr 06 2001 Back in my college days we made low cost home brew cider which had exactly this effect. Only problem was that there was always some smartass who didn't take a full dose with everyone else and was only too willing to remind you of all the (conveniently) forgotten events of the preceeding 24 hours.-- 7snottyorphans, Jul 07 2003 random, halfbakery