burnedouthacker

Intrigued, after reading a lot about the use of psychedelics, in programming, the expansion in consciousnes, and the realizations, some nobel laureates, have had after its use; I would love to know the experiences you have had, whether positive or negative, and the ways this kind of substances, have affected your creativity, and your capability to solve complex problems.

To give some context; I have been experiencing what I think it could be called sleep maintenance insomnia.

I exercise every day, am in a good shape, watch my diet (by trying to eat the healthiest stuff I can get my hands on), and also try to have good sleep hygiene (I tend to go to sleep everyday at 11:00 p.m.). However, I regularly (almost every day of the week) wake up like 3, 4 or 5 a.m. (it depends) and cant get back to sleep. This results on me feeling like a zombie, and being unable to get done intellectual tasks (4 months aprox. without approaching coding, the way I used to).

I can deal with the physical exhaustion, but feeling my intellectual capacity diminished is becoming frustrating (there are days I barely come up with something done!).

BTW, I have read and heard about melatonin; could anyone recommend me taking it for the sake of getting rid of this problem?

Any recommendations would be extremely appreciated.

Recently, I have heard and read some interesting things related to the usage of Piracetam as a cognitive enhancer.

It would prove rather useful to have the opinion of other hackers, whose most important asset lies between their ears.

What have been the benefits/side effects you have experienced? Would you recommend taking it, considering the pros and cons of its consumption? In which doses do you ingest it?

All this in order to make an informed decision about taking it, or not.

What happens is, that my little sister, who is at her second semester of an engineering program, asks me very often, to help her when she encounters a problem she cant do by herself.

For me, this is becoming annoying, in the sense that I have to interrupt whatever Im doing, and then make some time to read the chapter which contains the information needed to solve the problem, think about how to solve the problem, and after that explain to her how did I arrive to the solution.

I would add, that in general, whenever she is presented with a problem, she feels frustrated, and seeks either to find someone to blame, or sees it as a disgrace. She doesn't have that inquisitive nature, which makes people want to find a solution, even if the first approximation, didn't result in an answer.

What would you say I could do, in order to help her develop that inquisitive trait? How can I stop this endless cycle, of seeking for my help, whenever her approximations don't end with an answer?

Edit: Just some additional information. She's 19.

If you could comment about which substances have you used, and the ways in which have been affected by them (positive and negative).

After a day of 200mg(single dose), I cant take it after a week again, because it has no effect. How does it work for you? Any recommendations? Why would you think I am developing this tolerance so fast?

The article had to do with modern slavery. Cant seem to find it using searchyc.com

Any recommendation on how to make money as a mexican college student? The only work I have managed to get is at an electronics manufacturing line at $10/day.

I have been having this problem, in which I cant convince my parents to buy me a chair that costs above 50 bucks. After a couple of months I cant stand sitting in this thing anymore, and even find the ground more comfortable. Any recommendation on how to make them change they way of thinking? And how to pick a good chair?

This is aimed towards knowing what do think about this diet. Do you follow it? Has it improved your being in any way? Do you think its just a fad diet? Does it work? Is it unhealthy?...

Just a question, in order to know which are the things that are valuable to us. Also... which are the things you don't want, but have to do in order to get those what you want?

Okay, to put things in perspective, I'm a 23yo Computer Science student, dropped out from college last year after been studying for three years; the reason: got fed up with all the innecesary work that had to be done... spent to much time caring for grades, knowing I could be doing something with much more value, incompetent proffesors "teaching" things that they didn't even understand, those proffesors being in the positon of assigning me a grade... Some proffesors gave me an F even I knew so much more than they did; actually in regard this "proffesor" situation, I went to talk with the computer science chairman who acknowledged the situation, but it took so much time to get each of faulty the proffesors fired, and they were to much.

This year, I started attending college again (different one), and have two more years pending to get that paper that says "I'm an engineer".Sadly, even though it's a different school, situation is starting to look like a deja-vu, and I'm actually starting to see with despise, and aversion the whole "university experience", and could almost state like an axiom in my reality that "college sucks".

I'm pretty confused... should I endure this sick pain, product of tolerating this crap,just in order to get my degree?(I only want it for the supposed doors that it opens). Should I just take as many subjects as I can, so I can finish with this painful experience the fastest I can, without any consideration of the grades I get? How important are the grades in getting those "doors" open, or getting into a Ph.D program? Can't I get into a Ph.D program just by demonstrating my competence, and not having to comply with the "system"(and subsequently wasting my time)? Can just my work (research publications,conferences, open source hacks, books I've written) get me into a research program, without having the degree?

Sidenotes that could help understand more my context: I'm poor, I have to work in order to provide myself, and pay for school tuition. I do research in artificial intelligence.