Could a realistic normal person take Accelerated Learning?

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by whswhs

Just to check, have you read the definition of Math-Shy in PU: Quirks?

Yeah... I'm not innumerate in shape or form*. I just have no desire to learn math or use† math (algebra and beyond) if I can avoid it.



* I actually have a speech quirk of repeating numbers back incorrectly when speaking (usually when under stress of some sort). I read out loud in the wrong order (so 1981 would become 1891 or 1918), but if I'm copying or writing them it never happens.

† Mostly because this often requires relearning what I've forgotten of algebra over the years. However I am almost weekly programing formulas into spreadsheets because that level of math is dead simple (and I've kept that bit of algebra up to date).



My anecdotal aside was mostly A) in support of the notion that Talent already covers some of Accelerated learning in normal folks and B) what some people might think of as "decelerated learning" (or even 'normal speed' learning) might just be a case of "I don't wanna".

[Ji ji]

Originally Posted by Alonsua

I think that one or even two levels might be realistic. What do the others say?

Mechanically a high IQ score already include fast learning. Children learn much faster than adults, but they have a lower overall performance.
In my opinion, other effects than IQ don't simulate realistic learning speed but exotic capabilities.

[AlexanderHowl]

Now, I can see the purpose of having a special talent called Fast Learner that gives a +1 skill bonus per level to anyone teaching or training you in anything, gives a +1 reaction per level from anyone who has taught or trained you in anything in the past, and reduces the time to improve anything by -10% per level. I would price it at 15 points per level, as it would apply to anything that the character is trying to improve.

[Flyndaran]

In some ways, fast learner literally is high DX/IQ in Gurps. You quickly attain higher skill levels than others given similar time/points spent learning.

Otherwise all we're talking about is being able to spend your character points faster than normal. That sounds super meta to me.

[Alonsua]

By TL8 there must be drugs around giving Accelerated Learning 1 at minimum, then by TL9 drugs giving Accelerated Learning 2 could come into play.

[Flyndaran]

There aren't any now and we're in late TL 8. But 3rd edition TL 8 is 4th TL 9.

[Alonsua]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

There aren't any now and we're in late TL 8. But 3rd edition TL 8 is 4th TL 9.

I dont know why you say there are not, when its clear that there are.

[AlexanderHowl]

No, I do not think that there is any scientific evidence of any drugs that accelerate long-term learning in the fashion of Accelerated Learning. There are drugs that improve focus, which would mechanically allow characters to avoid being distracted by disadvantages like Short Attention Span, and that improve short-term retention, which would give a temporary +1 or +2 bonus to memory-related skill rolls for essays and exams, but I am unaware of any peer-reviewed literature that shows any long-term improvement in learning due to drugs. If such a drug existed, the US military would be using it during the training regimes of Special Ops unless the side effects were crippling.

[Kromm]

The problem is not "cognitive enhancers don't exist in today's world," but rather a combination of "performance-enhancing drugs of all kinds are often seen as unfair or immoral," "many people fear that cognitive enhancers might legitimize recreational drug use, which they regard as immoral," "cognition is difficult to quantify, so it's hard to construct a controlled study," "cognitive enhancement is an off-label use of the drugs claimed to be of value, so research isn't focused there," and the like. The upshot is that manufacturers are reluctant to fund studies because that could be seen as endorsement of unpopular behavior, because such studies wouldn't be all that conclusive without better metrics, and because research into unapproved uses could raise liability concerns – nobody wants to pay lots of money for what would be at best mixed advertising and possible lawsuits.

[AlexanderHowl]

And the side effects of cognitive enhancers can be quite dramatic, ranging from Delusions created by erroneous pattern matching to Phobias created by 'learning' to associate unpleasant stimuli to specific phenomena. If a character was using TL8 cognitive enhancing drugs, I would allow them to take mental advantages after character creation for additional points that they could invest in IQ, Per, Will, and/or any skill based off those traits. The character would therefore receive a 'discount' based off the amount of mental problems that they were willing to take on, with any required training time being reduced by the discount, up to a 75% discount on point cost and training time.

For example, let us say that Mary is a character who is taking TL8 cognitive enhancers to permanently improve her IQ. After some discussion, the GM allows Mary's player to permanently give Mary a Major Delusion (Dogs are the secret agents of the Adversary) and Phobia (Dogs; 12-), giving her 15 CP towards purchasing +1 IQ, meaning that Mary only has to spend 5 CP to gain +1 IQ. While Mary is now significantly smarter, she now supports measures for the complete eradication of canines and freaks out when approached by cute puppies.