Caffeine: For the More Creative Mind

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words only definitions & notes
  1. caffeine
    a stimulant found in coffee and tea
    Caffeine remains non-prescription legal, and it's still universally considered benignly delightful to make offhand comments about how unproductive we are without it.
  2. Benzedrine
    a form of amphetamine
    Auden apparently did believe his own dependence on the stimulant Benzedrine to be a sign of weak character, but he still took it every working morning and endorsed its creative influences effusively.
  3. adenosine
    a nucleoside that is a structural component of nucleic acids
    Caffeine also blocks adenosine receptors in your brain.
  4. amphetamine
    a central nervous system stimulant that increases energy and decreases appetite; used to treat narcolepsy and some forms of depression
    Sir Elton John sang "Bennie and the Jets" ... which may be in praise of Benzedrine, but is open to interpretation, depending where you stand on mohair suits. 2013's cultural Benzedrines are Adderall (amphetamine salts) and excessive coffee.
  5. neurotransmitter
    a neurochemical that transmits nerve impulses across a synapse
    Stephen Braun, author of Buzz: The Science and Lore of Alcohol and Caffeine, once explained it as an "indirect stimulant, as opposed to, say, amphetamine which liberates dopamine, a directly stimulating neurotransmitter.
  6. cyclic
    marked by repeated series of events
    Cyclic AMP gives your body energy.
  7. receptor
    a cellular structure that connects with a specific chemical agent
    Caffeine also blocks adenosine receptors in your brain.
  8. dopamine
    a monoamine neurotransmitter found in the brain and essential for the normal functioning of the central nervous system; as a drug (trade names Dopastat and Intropin) it is used to treat shock and hypotension
    Stephen Braun, author of Buzz: The Science and Lore of Alcohol and Caffeine, once explained it as an "indirect stimulant, as opposed to, say, amphetamine which liberates dopamine, a directly stimulating neurotransmitter.
  9. ingest
    take food, drink, or some other substance into the body
    Ninety percent of people in the U.S. ingest caffeine on a daily basis, and many of them also fear death.
  10. creativity
    the ability to bring something into existence
    Meanwhile, for some, a threat to creativity is only slightly less terrifying than a threat to life.
  11. stimulant
    any stimulating information or event; acts to arouse action
    It likely began more simply as a window into the culture of the time, when hard stimulants weren't the taboo they are today.
  12. hyperactive
    displaying excessive movement, restlessness, or talkativeness
    Prescription stimulants are what enable hyperactive people to spend 12 hours memorizing organic chemistry equations.
  13. organic chemistry
    the chemistry of compounds containing carbon
    Prescription stimulants are what enable hyperactive people to spend 12 hours memorizing organic chemistry equations.
  14. biochemistry
    the study of substances and processes inside living things
    So let's look at caffeine biochemistry for a quick second. coffee-drop.jpg.jpg (picturezealot/flickr) The basic science of caffeine goes something like this.
  15. meth
    an amphetamine derivative (trade name Methedrine) used in the form of a crystalline hydrochloride; used as a stimulant to the nervous system and as an appetite suppressant
    It's the extreme version is what makes meth addicts spend 12 hours digging at an itchy scab on their face.
  16. stimulation
    the act of arousing an organism to action
    The brain is getting a natural dose of the stimulation that it might otherwise get from checking Twitter or email or taking a break to eat scones.
  17. enzyme
    a complex protein produced by cells that acts as a catalyst
    Phosphodiesterase is an enzyme that breaks down cyclic AMP.
  18. addict
    to cause to become dependent
    It's the extreme version is what makes meth addicts spend 12 hours digging at an itchy scab on their face.
  19. fascinate
    attract; cause to be enamored
    The medication makes minutiae deeply stimulating, fascinating.
  20. focus
    the concentration of attention or energy on something
    It's one that begins with what is a very real and common complaint among creatives who take hard stimulants like Adderall: that it makes them too focused.
  21. cardiac
    of or relating to the heart
    He was plenty creative, but was also a notoriously eccentric man with gastric problems who died at 51 of a cardiac issue.
  22. cognitive
    relating to or involving the mental process of knowing
    She also notes, though, that caffeine "boosts energy and decreases fatigue; enhances physical, cognitive, and motor performance; and aids short-term memory, problem solving, decision making, and concentration ...
  23. intoxication
    the physiological state produced by a poison or other toxic substance
    The new DSM does include caffeine intoxication and withdrawal as psychiatric disorders, when they're bad enough to impair our day-to-day functioning.
  24. legality
    lawfulness by virtue of conformity to a statute
    Despite its legality and social acceptance, people dependent on caffeine do occasionally betray a tenor of insecurity about it.
  25. impair
    make worse or less effective
    The new DSM does include caffeine intoxication and withdrawal as psychiatric disorders, when they're bad enough to impair our day-to-day functioning.
  26. psychiatric
    relating to the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders
    The new DSM does include caffeine intoxication and withdrawal as psychiatric disorders, when they're bad enough to impair our day-to-day functioning.
  27. prescription
    the action of issuing authoritative rules or directions
    Caffeine remains non-prescription legal, and it's still universally considered benignly delightful to make offhand comments about how unproductive we are without it.
  28. liberate
    grant freedom to; free from confinement
    Stephen Braun, author of Buzz: The Science and Lore of Alcohol and Caffeine, once explained it as an "indirect stimulant, as opposed to, say, amphetamine which liberates dopamine, a directly stimulating neurotransmitter.
  29. medication
    something that treats or prevents the symptoms of disease
    The medication makes minutiae deeply stimulating, fascinating.
  30. hypothetical
    a conjectural possibility or circumstance
    For example, name as many hypothetical new energy drinks as you can in, say, 14 minutes.
  31. diffuse
    spread out; not concentrated in one place
    Caffeine prevents our focus from becoming too diffuse; it instead hones our attention in a hyper-vigilant fashion." doescaffeinemain650.jpg
  32. motivated
    strongly driven to succeed or achieve something
    If you become to so motivated and vigilant that you spend hours perfecting every aspect of basic tasks, neglecting others, or your own relationships or hygiene, or not exercising, all of that is also no good.
  33. mimic
    imitate, especially for satirical effect
    But outside of impairment-level usage, including the sort of intoxication that might mimic the hyper-focused stimulation of taking amphetamines, we really don't have evidence that it undermines creativity.
  34. equation
    a mathematical statement that two expressions are the same
    Prescription stimulants are what enable hyperactive people to spend 12 hours memorizing organic chemistry equations.
  35. hygiene
    a condition promoting sanitary practices
    If you become to so motivated and vigilant that you spend hours perfecting every aspect of basic tasks, neglecting others, or your own relationships or hygiene, or not exercising, all of that is also no good.
  36. theoretically
    in theory; according to the assumed facts
    Overstimulated, the wandering mind's creative potential could theoretically be diminished.
  37. indicative
    pointing out or revealing clearly
    Also, using caffeine regularly is not indicative of moral weakness.
  38. productivity
    the quality of yielding positive results
    For most of us, expect caffeine to show some improvement in productivity on creative tasks.
  39. enhance
    increase
    She also notes, though, that caffeine "boosts energy and decreases fatigue; enhances physical, cognitive, and motor performance; and aids short-term memory, problem solving, decision making, and concentration ...
  40. blocking
    the act of obstructing someone's movements
    By blocking adenosine receptors, caffeine allows the brain's own stimulating neurotransmitters (i.e. glutamate and dopamine) to do their thing with greater gusto and less restraint."
  41. hierarchy
    a series of ordered groupings within a system
    Being boring is just a notch above being malicious or genocidal in the hierarchy of human values for generation Millennial.
  42. energy
    forceful exertion
    Cyclic AMP gives your body energy.
  43. drug
    a substance that is used as a medicine or narcotic
    The article read, "While caffeine has numerous benefits, it appears that the drug may undermine creativity more than it stimulates it."
  44. analogy
    drawing a comparison in order to show a similarity
    I like the analogy that it turns off the body's brakes.
  45. buzz
    the sound of rapid vibration
    Stephen Braun, author of Buzz: The Science and Lore of Alcohol and Caffeine, once explained it as an "indirect stimulant, as opposed to, say, amphetamine which liberates dopamine, a directly stimulating neurotransmitter.
  46. eccentric
    conspicuously or grossly unconventional or unusual
    He was plenty creative, but was also a notoriously eccentric man with gastric problems who died at 51 of a cardiac issue.
  47. tenor
    the adult male singing voice above baritone
    Despite its legality and social acceptance, people dependent on caffeine do occasionally betray a tenor of insecurity about it.
  48. withdrawal
    the act of pulling back
    The new DSM does include caffeine intoxication and withdrawal as psychiatric disorders, when they're bad enough to impair our day-to-day functioning.
  49. imaginative
    marked by independence and creativity in thought or action
    Konnikova makes the same point: "Creative insights and imaginative solutions often occur when we stop working on a particular problem and let our mind move on to something unrelated."
  50. dependence
    the state of relying on someone or something else
    Auden apparently did believe his own dependence on the stimulant Benzedrine to be a sign of weak character, but he still took it every working morning and endorsed its creative influences effusively.
  51. threat
    declaration of an intention to inflict harm on another
    Meanwhile, for some, a threat to creativity is only slightly less terrifying than a threat to life.
  52. chemistry
    the science of matter
    Prescription stimulants are what enable hyperactive people to spend 12 hours memorizing organic chemistry equations.
  53. concentration
    the spatial property of being crowded together
    She also notes, though, that caffeine "boosts energy and decreases fatigue; enhances physical, cognitive, and motor performance; and aids short-term memory, problem solving, decision making, and concentration ...
  54. conjecture
    believe especially on uncertain or tentative grounds
    How it affects creativity is mostly conjecture, and will vary from person to person.
  55. initiative
    readiness to embark on bold new ventures
    (Terry McCombs / Flickr) As someone who works with a lot of self-described creatives types, my experience is that the most common barriers to people creating are initiative, commitment, and self-doubt.
  56. environmental
    of or relating to the external conditions or surroundings
    (Probably do get in touch with the environmental detectives on the bee case, though.
  57. diminished
    made to seem smaller or less, especially in worth
    Overstimulated, the wandering mind's creative potential could theoretically be diminished.
  58. restraint
    the act of controlling by holding someone or something back
    By blocking adenosine receptors, caffeine allows the brain's own stimulating neurotransmitters (i.e. glutamate and dopamine) to do their thing with greater gusto and less restraint."
  59. element
    a substance that cannot be separated into simpler substances
    There's an element of fear.
  60. performance
    the act of doing something successfully
    She also notes, though, that caffeine "boosts energy and decreases fatigue; enhances physical, cognitive, and motor performance; and aids short-term memory, problem solving, decision making, and concentration ...
  61. medical
    relating to the study or practice of medicine
    If you don't have any precluding medical conditions, take a Red Bull or Full Throttle or Neurogasm or two, and then try to be creative.
Created on Mon Jun 24 14:55:46 EDT 2013

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