Banish Spray

candistyx

It is some indeterminate time in the future. The MalTel corporation has just come out with a new product, "Banish". Banish is a nasal spray which lasts 1 minute. For one minute after the application your brain is incapable of laying down new long term memories. If you use it immediately after doing something that is still in short term memory you will not remember doing that thing.

Banish has been marketed as a great way to forget when you say something or do something stupid. Their slogan is "Everyone else will have forgotten it in a day or two, so why shouldn't you!"

What ethical and legal questions arise from the use of this product? How should this product be regulated? Would you buy this product? Would you ever want to use it?

Phoenix__Rising

I doubt I need it. I already have 'Sometimers'.

Meerataila

I like to think that when I say something completely stupid that I at least say it in a clever enough way that everyone will remember it forever. Otherwise I have failed at language.

And DARPA is working on a chip to implant in the brains of soldiers with PTSD to make them forget whatever caused their PTSD. I'm sure they're also all drool-happy over the idea of secret agents with wipeable memory. Talk about ethics issues. It's a real one.

JenAndSome

A spray that gives everyone else the chance to remember something I said or did, but not me? No thank you. That's called drinking too much.

candistyx

A spray that gives everyone else the chance to remember something I said or did, but not me? No thank you. That's called drinking too much.

Yeah but the spray has several advantages over heavy drinking:
1. Only lasts a minute.
2. You can administer it directly to prevent the specific embarrassing memory you want to forget before it solidifies. You have complete control.
3. Has no other cognitive effects, directly effects long term memory formation, won't effect your driving, reaction times, judgement etc.
4. Non-toxic according to studies released by MalTel.

tiptoethruthetulips

This sounds like a homework question, is it?

sixout

All I need is one minute. Sold.

ninerbuff

Lol, I can see it now:

Man has affair, sprays "Banish" and can say "I have no idea what you're talking about." to his wife.:laugh:

Sorry, but since the mind works on a chemical basis and there's probably not a long enough trial to assess if the spray affects long term memory or not, it's not something I'd like to think of as a positive. I've personally seen the effects of Alzheimers and if this company wants to do something more constructive, it should use the knowledge it knows about "forgetting" and apply it to helping people remember. That's just my opinion on it.

A.C.E. Certified Group Fitness and Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

keefmac

This sounds like a homework question, is it?

Definitely sounds like it..

KseRz

It is some indeterminate time in the future. The MalTel corporation has just come out with a new product, "Banish". Banish is a nasal spray which lasts 1 minute. For one minute after the application your brain is incapable of laying down new long term memories. If you use it immediately after doing something that is still in short term memory you will not remember doing that thing.

Banish has been marketed as a great way to forget when you say something or do something stupid. Their slogan is "Everyone else will have forgotten it in a day or two, so why shouldn't you!"

What ethical and legal questions arise from the use of this product? How should this product be regulated? Would you buy this product? Would you ever want to use it?

ETA:

LadyHobbledehoy

How could they possibly be able to pinpoint one particular memory? Even if it is administered "immediately", things have happened since then, like using the stuff? Would you even remember that you have it to begin with?

KseRz

How could they possibly be able to pinpoint one particular memory? Even if it is administered "immediately", things have happened since then, like using the stuff? Would you even remember that you have it to begin with?

Its easy. Here, let me give you directions...

goldmay

This sounds like a homework question, is it?

Definitely sounds like it..

That's what I was thinking too.

LadyHobbledehoy

Nice. (to KseRz)

candistyx

This sounds like a homework question, is it?

I'm not doing any kind of course and am presently unemployed so I am guessing not unless I am accidentally channeling some teacher's ghost somehow.

candistyx

How could they possibly be able to pinpoint one particular memory? Even if it is administered "immediately", things have happened since then, like using the stuff? Would you even remember that you have it to begin with?

It only prevents memories becoming long term not the existence of memory.

I am pretty sure this spray *could* exist if there was a market for it and a lax regulatory regime in which that market could be accessed, but yeah of course it's all make believe /for now/

candistyx

Lol, I can see it now:

Man has affair, sprays "Banish" and can say "I have no idea what you're talking about." to his wife.:laugh:

Sorry, but since the mind works on a chemical basis and there's probably not a long enough trial to assess if the spray affects long term memory or not, it's not something I'd like to think of as a positive. I've personally seen the effects of Alzheimers and if this company wants to do something more constructive, it should use the knowledge it knows about "forgetting" and apply it to helping people remember. That's just my opinion on it.

A.C.E. Certified Group Fitness and Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

If they did both they get two revenue streams instead of one :P

TheRoadDog

I wish there was such a thing, so I could banish this post from my memory.