ENHANCING COGNITION IN THE INTELLECTUALLY INTACT

As science learns more about how the brain works, and fails to work, t he possibility for developing ''cognition enhancers'' becomes more pla usible. And the demand for drugs that can help us think faster, rememb er more, and focus more keenly has already been demonstrated by the ma rket success of drugs like ritalin, which tames the attention span, an d Prozac, which ups the competitive edge. The new drug Aricept, which improves memory, more likely will join them. Whether such drugs are go od for individuals, or for society, is an open question, one that dema nds far more public discussion.