Развитие познания

I. Cognitive Improvement

(Improve current cognitive capabilities of healthy individuals within (individual) physiological/biological limitations. The substances used have mild effects and the training methods generally take a long time to accomplish, e.g.)

• Cognitive training, brain training, learning techniques (e.g. methods to improve memory and train cognitive abilities). Cognitive training trains particular systems (e.g. computer game training of working memory that increases intelligence, memory training exercises), trains cognitive strategies that improve performance (learning techniques, creatrivity techniques, mental training) or act as pieces of mental software that in themselves provide new abilities (memorization methods)

• Common substances considered beneficial for cognitive and neurological functions (e.g. coffee, tobacco, ginkgo, ginseng etc.)

• Meditation, relaxation techniques considered having positive effects on concentration and cognitive abilities)

* cognitive improvement shades into preventative medicine and even nutrition (adequate or improving pre- and perinatal nutrition, enriched environment, exercise, avoiding iodine deficiency, lead in drinking water etc).

II. External Cognitive Support (exotechnologies)

(Eternal technologies that positively support humans in cognitive and mental activities but do not directly aim at changing a human’s physiology or neurochemistry. Cognitive activities are “outsourced” to technological devices, e.g.)

* Different writing and language skills - as David Chalmer's "extended mind hypothesis" argues, this is actually external cognition. Writing expands memory, attention and communication abilities manyfold at the price of forcing them into a particular form.

• Computing devices (incl. computers, smart mobile devices, augmented reality devices, HMIs, incl. BCIs etc.)

* Software - decision support software, remembrance agents, information visualisation, specialised skill outsourcing such as symbolic math software, grammar/spellchecking, translation software...