> I suppose maybe this shoddy little syllogism would be forgivable if you haven't had your coffee yet this morning.
Caffeine may not be improving his intelligence, but removing damage ie. withdrawal. (And so about as surprising as 'lack of sleep deprivation increases intelligence!' or 'lack of iodine deficiency increases intelligence!') This is one of the challenges of studying addictive stimulants: how do you know whether, for experienced tolerant users, the apparent benefits are genuine benefits or just treating withdrawal?
It's a really interesting question. I'm looking askew at the coffee cup in front of me. I suppose it makes the most sense for studies to begin prior to first exposure; to have data on subjects going back perhaps even as long as it takes for them to become tolerant. I suppose factoring out the effect of learning for a long-term study which involves cognitive tests is it's own challenge as well? I'm enjoying http://www.gwern.net/Nootropics#caffeine now :)
Caffeine may not be improving his intelligence, but removing damage ie. withdrawal. (And so about as surprising as 'lack of sleep deprivation increases intelligence!' or 'lack of iodine deficiency increases intelligence!') This is one of the challenges of studying addictive stimulants: how do you know whether, for experienced tolerant users, the apparent benefits are genuine benefits or just treating withdrawal?