Speed of sound, speed of light, speed of thought...
As we approach Future Perfect, that abstraction of advancing technology I used to be so comfortably entrenched in, the neurostim drugs becoming available are threatening our beloved friend Caffeine from its exalted status as the Giver of Speed, Slayer of Exhaustion, and Muse of Invention. I welcome the transition, as usual — change consumes all — but some piece of me wonders if we’ll lose those charming side-effects in the process. You know the ones: teeth clenching, shivers, cold sensations, hypersensitivity.
For a time, it just won’t be the same, with no way of putting our finger on it. And then our new generation of neurostims will impart their unique gifts, maybe muscle tension or benign twitching, and then all will be forgotten.
