The Atlantic magazine included Hank Greely (BA ’74), Deane F. and Kate Edelman Johnson Professor of Law, among its 27 “Brave Thinkers” in 2009 for his provocative views on cognition-enhancing drug use. The Atlantic referred to Greely’s argument in a Nature article in which he suggested that prescription drugs such as Ritalin and Adderall, which have become popular on college campuses for the non-prescription purpose of enhancing focus during exams, could be viewed in the same general category as education, good health habits, and information technology, “ways that our uniquely innovative species tries to improve itself.”

In response to the rapidly changing world of neuroscience and medicinal advances, Greely and his colleagues suggest that researchers and policymakers need to adapt their moral and legal frameworks to accommodate potentially advantageous advances, as has been done with computers, calculators, the Internet, and coffee.