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Comment by mrguyorama | Hacker News Reader

I bet even with literally perfect lives humans would still drink alcohol and consume other drugs. It's a chemical you can ingest that gives you different experiences than you normally could or would. That will NEVER not be attractive to the human brain, even if you think that's irrational. Humans are curious creatures, and that curiosity includes the desire to understand dangerous or weird things.

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Fully concur!

However what you describe - effectively novelty seeking, which is very human - is a far cry from the chronic alcohol culture that permeates society.

The former is healthy exploration, what we have however is chronic dissociation.

I think there’s a second order effect here you’re not seeing. Social acceptance makes imbibing orders of magnitude less stressful and you can still call yourself a “normal” person while doing it. I think that makes a huge difference.

I love drugs that directly affect the brain. It's incredible what you can do, they give you direct control over your own brain/body.

I hope in the future biochemical augmentation will be just as accepted as electromechanical.

> biochemical augmentation will be just as accepted as electromechanical

I'm not sure that electromechanical modification is accepted today. Things like limb replacements are now accepted for those with injuries - but I don't think there is widespread acceptance of mechanical augmentation for _enhancement_. There is a grey area though for tool usage which is acceptable and what is "augmentation".

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