Slashdot Mirror
Genetic Reason for Your Gadget Habit
You can't help it if you need to get the latest gadgets. Well... perhaps it's not quite such a serious medical affliction, but scientists have found a genetic basis for some folks' burning desire to have the latest and greatest. There's even a name for it - neophilia. Apparently, some of us have elevated levels of a cellular enzyme, monoamine oxidase A, and are more in need of stimulation from new things.
Neophilia is wanting new things...
as opposed to Necrophilia, which is wanting things that aren't really 'fresh' anymore.
So now geeks join the culture of victimhood - "it's not my fault, its my [genes|society|enviroment]!". Congratulations on finally joining the mainstream!
The scientific details are unimportant. The real question is, as it's not my fault, who can I sue over this?
Is there a way to cut the levels of this enzyme? I need to get my wife to stop
filling my house with crap from wal-mart and sams club. It isn't gadgets, but
I imagine that the need for new stuff would be filled via other means for
people that don't like electronics.
you had neophilia and amnesia at the same time. Imagine the pleasure of discovering your new right hand every 20 seconds.
Apparently, some of us have elevated levels of a cellular enzyme, monoamine oxidase A, and are more in need of stimulation from new things.
I keep telling my girlfriend that, but she just won't go for it.
I have a strange urge to possess a gadget that can measure the level of this "gadget disease" in people.
A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kick boxing.
Before it was, tell all the parents their child has ADD/ADHD and that's why he/she wont sit still or pay attention in class. Now doctors will be saying that the kids need all this new stuff and throw temper tantrums because of their genetically elevated monoamine oxidase A and not that they are spoiled/greedy/etc.
I wonder if people with elevated levels of monoamine oxidase A are more inclined to engage in infidelity, citing the need for a variety of partners.
I wonder whether I suffer from neophilia too when I fall in love with a new girl each week...
I guess the opposite would be retrophilia - the love of buying other people's junk off eBay, while dreaming of hitting the jackpot on Antiques Roadshow, or browsing antique shops while dreaming of making a fortune on eBay.
try { do() || do_not(); } catch (JediException err) { yoda(err); }
When I was younger I would have fit the neophilia profile. I had to have the latest video game system and all of the games, the latest stereo, latest everything. I've noticed that over the past 10 years or so I've become less interested in technology in general. Mind you I'm still heavily engrossed in technology every day (I'm a programmer), but I'm finding that I just don't care anymore. Maybe its just the stress of it all, I don't know. Has anyone else experienced this?
I hate to live in a world where every human trait sounds like a disease. If we could cure our need for new, and turn boredom into ever-lasting happiness; how long before we find a cure at being human?
cut this signatures madness. stop reading them now!
This is a good thing and is part of all of our natures. Without it, we would never have left the caves, invented the spiky club, fire, beer or the refrigerator (in which you keep your beer).
Great, great. Now c'mon... make with a new article, already!
We already have a cure for being human, it's called Law School.
Sig withheld to protect the innocent.
This thread is old and boring now... I need a new, more interesting topic.
They gave a new name to the "OOOH SHINEY!" syndrome that every geek has.
I'm all for it as long as they come up with a disability program that helps us. You know, add's an additional $50,000.00 a year to your income for supporting the shiney habit or offering an insurance card that allows us to buy the items with a $20.00 co-pay to offset the costs of collecting new shiney objects with blinking lights.
Although I can see it now... "Im sorry sir but you have already bought a HD-DVD player this month on your plan, you will have to wait until next month. you can buy a new CD changer or GPS though with your monthly allowance."
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
this would be old news.
I mean, "neophilia" has been in the jargon file since, what, 1973?
Clear, Dark Skies
I think I deal with this by getting new software all the time. It's a lot cheaper, especially on Linux :)
# cat
Damn, my RAM is full of llamas.
Build a better moustrap, and only the Neophilic mice will beat a path to your door.
Example. Have you ever looked at the people in the supermarkets that use food stamps. A lot of them, but not all, have their nails done, their hair professionaly styled, name brand clothing/atire, more makeup on their face than they really need, a brand new gas guzzling SUV every year or two, etc.
Those people are frauds who are cheating the poor; they buy those stamps from poor people at half the face value. Poor people like beer and cigarrettes (and many are addicted), and that job at McDonald's just doesn't buy much beer or many cigarettes, so if they have ample food stamps, they sell some. If you can afford payments on an SUV you don't get food stamps, PERIOD.
Now the kicker - there aren't any more food stamps! Food stamps have been replaced by what's called a "LINK" card in all 50 states. It's been a long, long time since actual coupons have been used. It looks exactly like a credit card or an ATM card, and it was phased in to prevent exactly the kind of abuse that you CLAIM to have seen that I described. Now, you can't tell a "food stamp" (link card) user from anybody else using their Visa.
So in short - BULLSHIT! You're busted, liar! (Ten bucks says you vote straight Republican)
The number of possible afflicitions, disorders, etc. begins to saturate the population such that it becomes apparant that everybody has *something* wrong with them. At that point, everybody becomes just like everyone else again and we can once again refocus on taking ownership/responsibility for our own issues.
Either that, or everybody is on drugs to deal with their personal "disorders".
So, the worst case is that we live in a society where smoking is banned, but you can take all the doctor prescribed mood altering drugs you want.
A goal is a dream with a deadline