Some athletes take performance-enhancing drugs to be more successful. I don’t do that. I’m not an athlete and, even if I was, it’s illegal. It’s also dangerous.
But what if I could take a drug that would enhance the chances of achieving a better return on my stocks? And it wasn’t illegal or dangerious. Someday I may be able to.
A new field called “neurofinance” – which adds biology to the mix of economics and psychology – is working on it. Claremont Graduate University is the first in the world to offer a Ph.D. specialization in neuroeconomics. It’s called The Center for Neuroeconomic Studies.
Of course, much like a stock evaluation, half say buy and half say sell. Brian Knutson, a professor of neuroscience and psychology at Stanford, believes that neuroscientists may develop psychoactive drugs or neuroceuticals, that make people better, more profitable traders. Zach Lynch, managing director of NeuroInsights, believes such drugs may be just a few years away. “The whole investment community will be scrambling to get these things,” Lynch says.
On the other hand, Alan Greenberg, the former chairman of the executive committee of Bear Sterns has said, “There’s smarts, there’s guts and there’s instincts. The other stuff – behavioral, neuro, whatever they call it – is horseshit.” (Note to self – Bear Sterns went belly-up in 2008).
For now, I don’t need Prozac. Or Viagra. But, looking at my portfolio, I sure could use some help in that area.
Randy Scheel's Blog 
Randy,
The saying better living through chemistry rings more true everyday. The line between legal and illegal PED’s is so thin. Some PED’s can be obtained with perscription and you can follow a standard medical protocol and still be outside the sports associations guidelines. Even drugs like monoxidil, propetia etc. Some bald athletes, under physician care have been accused of cheating. 5 to 10 more years HGH and many other substances will not only be legal, they will be considered critical to our vitality.
So to know I can become a great athlete, and wealthy just by taking the right drugs makes me hope the future arrives even sooner.
I’m with you on the prozac, but I could probably use a little V on occasion.