Hacks

HACKS

 To hack something is to intentionally enter something. 

Human use hacks – substances, actions, experiences – that give pleasure, lower distress.

Hack Origins

The basic hacks we share with other animals:

• Eating food when hungry.

• Escaping when scared.

• Having sex when horny.

People now have advanced hacks -that can be harmful:

• Eating comfort food when not hungry.

• Drinking alcohol when nervous at a party.

• Hours watching porn on-line.

A hack can be good, bad or both.  Many hacks are beneficial in small amounts and damaging in larger quantities. 

Our hunter-gatherer minds and bodies were designed for a time of limited everything. 

• Food was limited. Light was limited, from the sun and campfires.  News was limited to word of mouth. 

• Drugs, alcohol, caffeine, porn, and added sugar didn’t exist for most of our ancestors. 

Civilizations increased known and available damaging hacks.  When people discovered a mind-altering substance, the supply and usage was limited, it would be used on special occasions.  Only the rulers of a civilization would have unlimited access to a few hacks – perhaps, food, sex, and alcohol.  

 Now, every American has access to an unending buffet of hacks.  With technology people

• discovered hacks,

• amplified the hacks, and

• created vast supplies of hacks. 

Hacks – food, caffeine, nicotine, opiates, alcohol, sugar, news, light, sex, shame, envy, etc. – damage us as consumption increases.  In our modern maze the supply of many hacks is unlimited to you: 

You can have coffee 24-7.  Smoke one pack after another.  Eat cookies all day long. 

Hacking Your System

Computer systems are vulnerable to design hacks.  A computer hacker uses openings to enter a system and change things.  White-hat hackers do-good things, like improving system security.  Black-hat malicious hackers do bad things - they make news when they steal millions of dollars, or millions of records.  Malicious computer hackers care more about money than ethical behavior. 

Human systems have been designed by millions of years of evolution.  Our systems are open to a wide variety of hacks – physical, psychological, and a combination of both.  Malketeers are malicious marketeers who put their financial interests ahead of concern for customers.  Snake-oil salesmen with MBAs, marketing plans and billions in advertising dollars.  Malketeers exploit human hacks through delivery systems - levers – and use deception, promotion, and psychological tricks – lies.

Hack-based industries destroy their best customers.  Casinos want you to gamble all your money.  Cigarette companies want you to smoke two packs-a-day.  Soda companies want you to drink only soda. 

Hack Examples

Hack: Sweetness

Reason for vulnerability: Mother’s milk and fruit are healthy, natural, and sweet. 

Discovery: People discovered that sugar cane was very sweet to chew on. 

Amplification: People developed ways to extract sugar from sugar cane, then sugar beets, then corn.  Sugar cane came from South and Southeast Asia.  As it became a profitable crop to grow, often with slave labor, it’s cultivation spread. It’s now farmed worldwide in warm wet climates.   

Supply increase: 500+ years of technology improvements have made sugar from cane and beets, and recently HFCS from corn, widely available and inexpensive.  In only 500 years - sugar sweetened food and drinks have gone from non-existent - to expensive and rare – to cheap and everywhere. 

Dangers: People like sweet things.  People develop a psychological and physical dependence on sweet.  Many people have come to expect sweetness in everything that they eat and drink. 

Sweetness dependence leads to obesity, metabolic disease, diabetes, liver disease, heart disease, dementia, sleep apnea, erectile dysfunction, cancers, and death. 

Hack: Light

Reason for vulnerability: Light allows us to do more when it’s dark out. People aren’t nocturnal – our eyes perform poorly in the dark.  Being able to see at night makes us comfortable because we can scan our surroundings for danger. 

Discoveries: Wood fire - animal fat fire – animal fat oil lantern - candles – gas lights - electric lights. 

Amplification: In colonial times, the primary home illumination was the fireplace.  Candles and lanterns were expensive.  Rapid technology advances in the last 140 years have allowed us to make more light at less cost.  Light now comes from lightbulbs and screens. 

Supply increase: Increased energy production and electrical lighting have eliminated darkness inside, and outside in our towns and cities.    

Dangers: People don’t get enough rest because light and distractions are unlimited.  The blue light from screens – tv, computer, smart phones – interferes with sleep patterns.  People don’t make their sleep environment dark enough to allow the body to get deep sleep and restore itself.   Sleep deprivation leads to obesity, poor health and low energy.