Opening the document handed over by Feng Wenbin, a line of eye-catching titles came into view.
"Dopamine receptor sensitizer? What do you mean? Are you planning to develop some contraband?"
Xia Xu raised his eyebrows slightly.
After following Gu Haiming and others in Xinghai Biology for so long, he is no longer a novice in biology and medicine, so he can naturally understand what this line of vocabulary means.
There is a saying in biology that people are actually just slaves of genes. The Carroll Laboratory's super-brain project is largely based on this theory, aiming to break free from the limitations of the body and genetic instincts.
This statement may be a bit exaggerated, but it actually makes sense.
Human birth, aging, illness and death are actually controlled by genes, and all behaviors of genes are only for their own continuation. They will control the body's desire to reproduce when food is abundant, and enhance their own adaptation to the environment when the environment is harsh, but they will also become more capable when the environment is harsh.
Choose to sacrifice individuals when necessary.
Aging and death are actually the best example. Many studies have actually shown that the human body has strong repair capabilities when it is young, but after a certain stage, various repair mechanisms actively break down and stop, and then the physical condition becomes worse and worse.
The worse.
This is a way to save resources. In essence, it sacrifices old individuals to save materials for the survival and reproduction of young individuals, thus creating a long-term continuation of genes.
Of course, this is not a conspiracy theory, it may just be a physiological mechanism selected by the survival of the fittest in the long process of evolution.
But it is undeniable that a large number of behaviors of the human body, and it can even be said that all behaviors are controlled by genes and the body, rather than subjective consciousness, and this even includes desires and emotions that seem to come from the heart.
For example, endorphins, which have similar properties to K-protein secretion, can prevent pain and make people feel happy. Its essence is a hormone that compensates for pain, driving people to accept behaviors that will cause pain to themselves.
Another example...dopamine!
Dopamine is directly linked to the joy and happiness felt by the human body.
When you feel happy, your brain actually secretes a large amount of dopamine, and the dopamine receptors are stimulated by dopamine, making you feel happy, joyful, and happy.
To a certain extent, this thing is much scarier than those psychotropic drugs. It is the real source of happiness for the human body. You play games, read novels, and exercise. The results and essence of various entertainment methods are actually the secretion of dopamine.
What does dopamine receptor sensitizer mean?
We have to talk about dopamine receptors first. The sensitivity of this receptor to dopamine is actually in a floating state, which is also a limitation and regulation of the human body.
When a person is in a happy state for a long time, that is, when dopamine is secreted in large amounts for a long time, the sensitivity of dopamine receptors will automatically decrease.
In other words, if you want to enjoy the same happiness next time as you do now, you need to secrete more dopamine, which also means you need stronger entertainment stimulation.
This is also the most fundamental reason why people lose energy no matter what they do after playing games, watching short videos and doing crafts for a long time, let alone study and work.
Because the behavior that was once tolerable and even enjoyable has become unbearably boring and cannot bring any happiness, so naturally there is no interest and motivation.
After getting used to those rough and cheap entertainment, the dopamine they get from lower-level normal activities can no longer produce happy feedback in their receptors.
Of course, this receptor is actually floating. If you are bored or even painfully depressed for a long time, the sensitivity of this receptor will gradually increase.
After all, if you are bored, high-pressured and unhappy for a long time, you may lose motivation and even develop self-destructive tendencies. At this time, the human body will naturally give you some sweetness to try to make it easier for you to obtain happiness.
At this time, the sensitivity of dopamine receptors increases, and by secreting very small amounts of dopamine, you can feel joy and happiness, and you can also get happiness from boring behaviors such as studying and working, thus generating motivation and interest.
As the name suggests, this dopamine receptor sensitizer obviously bypasses the body's self-regulation process and directly uses drugs to increase the sensitivity of dopamine receptors, allowing people to feel strong pleasure even in boring behaviors.
Sounds wonderful, right?
On the contrary, this thing can directly turn anyone into a cripple and is more destructive than any psychotropic drug.
What would you do if you could just lie down and press a button to create endless feelings of happiness and joy?
The answer is that you get addicted, you keep trying to get pleasure, you keep doing nothing all day long, you keep pushing that button.
An experiment was once conducted in biology, where electric shock was used to stimulate dopamine secretion in mice, and the mice were also given a button to control it.
The result is that the mouse presses that button frantically, loses interest in the opposite sex and food, and dies of exhaustion.
Of course, this experiment is not actually necessary. In Xia Xu's memory, he could lie down for a whole day with his mobile phone. It was too common for him to keep watching videos all day long even though he was feeling bored.
This is true for indirect entertainment such as mobile phones, not to mention directly sensitizing dopamine receptors.
"Contraband? This..."
Upon hearing Xia Xu's inquiry, Feng Wenbin was slightly startled at first, and then his face turned pale:
"I didn't think about it, boss. What I thought about was using dopamine sensitizers to regulate psychological problems. To be precise, it regulates dopamine receptor disorders.
As long as you control the dosage of dopamine sensitizers, you can easily make people fall in love with learning and work again, turn learning and work into a kind of enjoyment, and greatly increase efficiency.
The most important thing is that it can be used in the field of education. Although it is not as good as super-brain medicine, it can at least make people patient enough to study seriously, and be happy and enjoy learning."
"I understand that this is not within the scope of your duties, Professor Feng, but as a pharmaceutical company, we must consider the consequences of drug abuse. The original intention of many hallucinogenic drugs was to suppress pain and treat mental illness.
"
Xia Xu sighed and rubbed his eyebrows...
Feng Wenbin's idea is actually correct. The value of dopamine receptor sensitizers is immeasurable. It can make everyone become a top student and workaholic, and truly enjoy learning and work from the heart.
This effect may not be as good as the super-brain potion, but it is actually more universal, and the solution is closer to the essence. After all, even if you take the super-brain potion, those who should be unwilling to study and work are still unwilling, and those who should be drunk and dreaming are still drunk and dreaming.
.
But as a pure scientific researcher, Feng Wenbin only saw the effect of the results themselves, and obviously did not consider the possibility of abuse, let alone human nature.
You may not feel it in Xia Country, but in the West and some African countries, drugs with psychotropic ingredients are basically used as open and honest poisons, and they should even be called psychotropic poisons disguised as drugs.
Moreover, the dosage control of dopamine receptor sensitizers is also a major issue. Once the sensitivity is too high and you can enjoy happiness while lying down, then everyone will be lying dead at home, and no one will do such high tasks as studying and working.
Effortful and low-reward behavior.
"Then this project company plans to..."
Feng Wenbin hesitated.
"Research and development should continue as usual. The drug itself is not bad and is a good drug, but the production and sales after the research and development are completed need to be carefully considered to ensure that it will not be abused, and confidentiality must be done well."
Xia Xu hesitated for a long time with a gloomy expression on his face, but in the end he was still unwilling to give up this black technology.
After all, as long as it is not abused, this is a magic medicine that can really benefit the whole people and everyone is like a dragon. There is no distinction between good and evil in medicines and technologies. If there is something wrong, it is only wrong in people's hearts.
"Okay, then I will write the project application now."
Seeing Xia Xu's decision, Feng Wenbin, who was already so inclined, immediately stopped hesitating and started to go through the approval process vigorously and resolutely, selecting personnel to establish a research and development team.