Our Posthuman Future

Go Ask Alice

Say you wake up Friday morning and the mere thought of going to work depresses you. No problem - you pop a little pill that has just the right mix of psychotropic drugs for your individual, genetically determined constitution, and off to work you go, brimming with enthusiasm, and not feeling the least bit drugged. When you arrive, however, you soon realize you’re a bit too ditzy to focus on your work. Also no problem - you just pop a capsule, a compound similar to Ritalin but tailored to your metabolism and without the side effects. Suddenly you are able to focus with pinpoint precision, and your boss is so impressed with your efficiency that by day’s end he gives you rare kudos for a job well done. (Indeed, you wonder if he might have popped a couple of mood enhancers himself.)

When you arrive home, you make a few calls and decide to make a night of it with some friends. You barely slept the night before, however, so you drink a certain concoction that will allow you to be energetic throughout the night, while feeling neither drowsy nor agitated, no matter how late it gets. And so the evening goes, as you adjust your chemical balance to suit your needs...