Smart Drugs and TMS: Forcing the Savant State with Technology?

Hello everyone and welcome back to 'Savants', the podcast where we unravel the mysteries of one of the most extraordinary conditions of the human mind! In previous episodes, we've explored how certain individuals are born with astonishing abilities or develop them after a brain injury. We've seen minds that calculate entire calendars in seconds, artists who recreate landscapes with photographic detail after a single glance, or musicians who play complex pieces without ever having received a single lesson.

We've always been fascinated by the idea that our brain harbors hidden talents, waiting to be discovered. But what if we didn't have to wait for a stroke of luck (or, unfortunately, a blow to the head) to unleash these capacities? What if we could activate a 'switch' that gave us a savant ability, even if only for a moment? This leads us to an intriguing question: Could we, with the help of technology or certain substances, 'force' the savant state in a normal brain?

Today we're going to dive into the fascinating and, at times, controversial world of 'smart drugs' or nootropics, and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). Imagine for a moment that, with a simple pill, you could boost your concentration to unprecedented levels, or recall every detail of a book you read years ago. This is what some of these 'smart drugs' promise, which are not like recreational drugs, but rather like a 'tune-up' for our brain, seeking to improve memory, focus, or processing capacity.

On the other hand, we have TMS. Think of it as a super powerful magnet gently placed on a specific part of your head. This magnet emits pulses that create small electrical fields within the brain. It doesn't hurt, and the effect is like giving a small electrical 'flick' to certain neurons. The idea here is that, by stimulating or inhibiting certain areas of the brain, we could awaken latent abilities. For example, Dr. Allan Snyder, an Australian neuroscientist, has conducted very interesting experiments where he applied TMS to the left prefrontal cortex of healthy individuals. The result? Some of these people showed temporary improvements in tasks requiring attention to detail, such as drawing or proofreading texts, or even in the ability to see complex patterns in numbers.

The big question that arises is: Are these methods truly bringing us closer to inducing savant abilities, or are they just temporary enhancements of existing cognitive functions? Could we one day, really, take a pill or receive a treatment that turns us into a musical genius or a prodigious calculator, even if just for an afternoon? Or, is this still pure science fiction, or a distortion of what it truly means to be a savant?