This Startup Gets You High On Dopamine, No Exercise Required

[Nelson Vergel]

IN BRIEF
Using electric headphones, I zapped my brain's pleasure center. Here's what that's like.


ALL OF THE FUN, NONE OF THE WORKOUT

If you think about it, every company exhibiting at CES is trying to sell the same thing: happiness. But of the booths I visited last week at the yearly electronics trade show in Las Vegas, only one delivered directly on that promise.

Nervana (not to be confused with Nervana Systems), a startup founded by a team of medical professionals with day jobs as doctors and nurses, makes hardware that stimulates your brain to release dopamine, aka the happiness chemical.

http://futurism.com/links/this-startup-gets-you-high-on-dopamine-no-exercise-required/

 

[Vince]

This sounds really cool, I hope someday I get to try it

 

[Nutpuncher]

Interesting...I wonder if its addictive

 

[JPB]

Sounds good and 299 not that high a price

 

[Re-Ride]

Works by stimulating the Vagus nerve to produce dopamine via an input to the ear canal. The claim is made that vagus nerve implants have been around decades therefore this is safe. On the question of excessive use and drug-like addiction:

[Are you sure there isn't any harm in doing this over and over?]

the marketer, an admitted alcoholic, asserts:

[Based on the literature that's out there, there's really no harm] [Going on sale next week!]

[Everyone at a festival can get the same (stimulation) at the same time]

The instructions read: Turn on, Tune in, Drop Out.

This toy is likely harmless as claimed. Hard drugs have varying and complex interactions with neurotransmitters. It is the pandering to reward without effort as Nelson notes which this infant technology promises that is a bit disquieting.

 

[Superman]

i want one