Dopamine receptor sensitizers
When I opened the document handed over by Feng Wenbin, a striking title caught my eye.
"Dopamine receptor sensitizer? What do you mean? Are you planning to develop some contraband?"
Xia Xu raised his eyebrows slightly.
After being exposed to the Star Sea Biology for such a long time with Gu Haiming and others, he is no longer a novice in biology and pharmacy, so he can naturally understand what this line of words means.
There is a saying in biology that humans are actually slaves to their genes. The Carroll Laboratory's super brain project is largely based on this theory, which aims to break free from the limitations of the body and genetic instincts.
This statement may be a bit exaggerated, but it actually makes sense.
A person's birth, aging, illness and death are actually controlled by genes, and all the actions of genes are only for their own continuation. They will control the body's desire to reproduce when food is sufficient and enhance their own adaptability to the environment when the environment is harsh, but they will also choose to sacrifice individuals when necessary.
Aging and death are actually the best examples. Many studies have shown that the human body has a strong repair ability when it is young, but after a certain stage, various repair mechanisms will stop and then cause the body's condition to become worse and worse.
This is a way to save resources. In essence, it is to sacrifice older individuals to save materials for the survival and reproduction of young individuals, thereby creating the long-term continuation of genes.
Of course, this is not some conspiracy theory. Perhaps it is just a physiological mechanism that has been selected out through the survival of the fittest in the long evolutionary process.
But it is undeniable that a large number of human behaviors, or even all behaviors, are controlled by genes and the body, rather than subjective consciousness. This even includes desires and emotions that seem to come from the heart.
For example, endorphins, which have similar secretion properties to K protein, can block pain and make people feel pleasure. In essence, they are hormones that compensate for pain, driving people to accept behaviors that cause them pain.
For example... dopamine!
Dopamine, which is directly linked to the pleasure and happiness felt by the human body.
When you feel happy, it is actually because your brain secretes a large amount of dopamine. The dopamine receptors are stimulated by dopamine, making you feel happy, joyful and blessed.
To some extent, this thing is much more terrifying than those psychiatric drugs. It is the real source of happiness for the human body. Whether you play games, read novels, or exercise, the result and essence of various entertainment methods are actually the secretion of dopamine.
And what does dopamine receptor sensitizer mean
Here 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 quantities for a long time, the sensitivity of dopamine receptors will automatically decrease.
That is to say, if you want to enjoy the same happiness next time, you need to secrete more dopamine, which means stronger entertainment stimulation.
This is also the most fundamental reason why people lose motivation to do anything after playing games, watching short videos, and doing crafts for a long time, and cannot concentrate on studying and working.
Because behaviors that were once tolerable and even enjoyable have become unbearably boring and fail to bring any happiness, there is naturally no interest or motivation.
After getting used to those crude and cheap entertainments, the dopamine they get from lower-level normal activities can no longer make the receptors produce happy feedback.
Of course, this receptor is actually floating. If you are in boredom or even pain and depression for a long time, the sensitivity of this receptor will gradually increase.
After all, if an individual is bored, stressed, and unhappy for a long time, he or she may lose motivation and even develop self-destructive tendencies. At this time, the human body will naturally give you some sweet treats in an attempt to make it easier for you to obtain happiness.
At this time, the sensitivity of dopamine receptors increases, and the secretion of extremely small amounts of dopamine can make people feel happy and joyful. They can also obtain happiness in boring behaviors such as studying and working, thereby generating motivation and interest.
As the name suggests, dopamine receptor sensitizers obviously bypass the body's self-regulation process and directly use drugs to increase the sensitivity of dopamine receptors, allowing people to feel intense pleasure even in boring behaviors.
Sounds wonderful, right
On the contrary, this thing can directly turn anyone into a disabled person and is more destructive than any psychiatric drug.
What would you do if you could just lie down and press a button to create an endless sense of happiness and joy
The answer is that you will become addicted, you will keep trying to get happiness, and you will do nothing all day long and keep pressing that button.
There was once an experiment done in biology that used electric shocks to stimulate the secretion of dopamine in mice, and they were also given a button to control it themselves.
The result was that the mouse pressed the button frantically and even lost interest in the opposite sex and food, exhausting itself to death.
Of course, this experiment is not actually necessary. In Xia Xu's memory, it is very common to lie down with a mobile phone in hand for a whole day and watch videos all day long even though it feels boring.
This is true for indirect entertainment such as mobile phones, not to mention directly sensitizing dopamine receptors.
"Contraband? This..."
Hearing Xia Xu's question, Feng Wenbin was stunned for a moment, then his face turned pale:
"I haven't thought about it that way, boss. What I want to do is to use dopamine sensitizers to regulate psychological problems, or more precisely, to regulate dopamine receptor disorders.
As long as the dosage of dopamine sensitizers is controlled, people can easily fall in love with learning and work again, turning learning and work into a kind of enjoyable pleasure and greatly increasing efficiency.
The most important thing is that it can be used in the field of education. Although it is not as good as the super brain potion, it can at least make people patiently study hard and be willing and enjoy learning. "
"I understand that this is not within your scope of responsibility, Professor Feng, but as a pharmaceutical company, we must consider the consequences of drug abuse. The original intention of many psychedelic drugs was just 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 turn everyone into a top student and workaholic, and truly enjoy learning and working from the bottom of their hearts.
This effect may not be as good as that of 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 are unwilling to study and work will still be unwilling, and those who are supposed to live a life of drunkenness and dreams will still live a life of drunkenness and dreams.
But as a pure scientific researcher, Feng Wenbin only cares about the effect of the results themselves. He obviously did not consider the possibility of abuse, let alone human nature.
It may not feel like anything in Xia Country, but in the West and some African countries, drugs with psychotropic ingredients are basically used as blatant poisons, or even should be called psychotropic poisons disguised as drugs.
Moreover, the dosage control of dopamine receptor sensitizers is also a major problem. Once the sensitivity is too high, people can enjoy happiness and pleasure just by lying down. Then everyone will just lie at home and no one will do high-effort and low-return activities such as studying and working.
"So the company is planning to do this project..."
Feng Wenbin hesitated.
"R&D should proceed as usual. The drug itself is good, but production and sales after R&D need to be carefully considered to ensure it will not be abused and keep it confidential."
Xia Xu hesitated for a long time with a gloomy look on his face, but in the end he was unwilling to give up this black technology.
After all, as long as it is not abused, this is a miracle drug that can truly benefit the entire nation and make everyone as powerful as a dragon. There is no distinction between good and evil in drugs and technology itself. If there is anything wrong, it is only in the human heart.
"Okay, then I'll go write the project application now."
Seeing that Xia Xu had made the decision, Feng Wenbin, who had been inclined to this, no longer hesitated and began to go through the approval process and select personnel to establish a R&D team.