[extropy-chat] Wireheading

[Joshua Fox]

Hi folks. This is my first post to extropy-chat. I hope it's worthy.

Does anyone know what's up with wireheading?

Various articles say that there have been experiments since the 1950s
-- the technology has apparently been figured out.

So why is this not in more common use? I can understand the desire to
restrict the general use -- there might be risks with corrosion of the
implants, overloading of brain functions, etc. But there are people
with depression so deep that it destroys their ability to function and
threatens their lives, and in some cases no other treatment works.
(Indeed, there was an article on this in the New York Times a few
months ago.)

Still -- as far as I can tell wireheading is very rarely used for
mental illness treatment. Why?

And given the intense desire that humans have to get stoned, why is
there not at least a little experimentation with recreational
wireheading? (Yes, I know that a surgeon is needed, but on this world
of 6.5 billion people, there is usually _someone_ with the adventurous
spirit and the resources to try any given crazy experiment.)

Joshua