Vancouver combats heroin by giving its addicts the best smack in the world

It seems counterintuitive to give heroin addicts free heroin in a heavily drug infested part of Vancouver City, but it may be the best option. The addicts receiving the free supply are able to get it safely, with clean resources, no fear of police, and doctors to regulate intake. The people in the program are described as “hopeless,” with no other treatments able to abolish their addiction. This program might be the only way to keep them and residents of the city safe.

While the program may seem like enabling the problem, one patient reported being benefited by the program. They can work and do daily tasks without worrying about how they can get more of the drug. If they did not have such easy access, they could result to crime, such as selling their body or stealing, to get money for their next fix. The city is safer with people willing to do anything for heroin off the streets.

I agree with this idea, it is safer for everyone influenced. If possible, they could start to slowly reduce the amount of heroin given and help them stop their addiction. It may not work, but it’s better than them dying from an overdose or spreading diseases from dirty needles. Many people object to this, but it’s somewhat similar to legalizing marijuana and allowing people safe access. They’re going to do it anyway, so you might as well make it safe.

Want to run a better agency? Kill good ideas

It seems counterintuitive to turn down good ideas from employees, although it may just be true intuition. As a boss, employees should be encouraged to come up with creative ways to improve the business, yet not all should be accepted. Of course, ideas that really won’t turn out well should be turned away, but even some good ideas only seem positive at first glance.

In a business, you have to be tough to keep everything running smoothly. This entails thinking of money spent and the calamities that could come with certain changes. Employees may have excellent plans to enhance the business, but they have to be within reason.

A good boss will know how to decline ideas, which may upset the employees. It would help to compromise with the suggestions or explain why it wouldn’t work. That could allow them to think better for the next time they have a proposal.

Mind reading: technology turns thought into action

It seems counterinuitive to use old technology as a modern system of analyzing the brain, yet it’s allowed scientists to make amazing new discoveries. Electrocorticography, shortened to ECoG, detects brain signals, originally designed for patients experiencing seizures from epilepsy. The technology is now being researched to control robotic arms, see how the brain perceives music, and learn if it’s possible to read thoughts from brain signals.

ECoG works best when placed directly on the brain, requiring doctors to remove a piece of the skull to place electrodes. They have only used it with a few dozen electrodes, but plan to use hundreds or thousands. The amount of information already being discovered from such old, simple technology is spectacular.

The system can analyze multiple parts of the brain, allowing scientists to see what’s activated at different thoughts and actions. They may be able to use it to “read minds,” in the sense that they could predict what people are about to say. Thoughts controlling robotic arms could let paralyzed patients move and do daily tasks on their on. It’s an incredibly innovative old piece of technology.