Star Trek's Synthehol Now Possible?

[TheBORG] writes "Professor David Nutt, a psychopharmacologist at the University of Bristol in the UK, believes that there is no scientific reason why 'synthehol' (a science-fictional substitute for alcohol that appears in Star Trek:The Next Generation television series) cannot be created now. It will allow drinkers to experience all of the enjoyable, intoxicating effects of alcohol without unpleasant side-effects like hangovers." Of course, there's still the real deal, Romulan Ale, for when you want a splitting headache in the morning.

Drugs.

[Anonymous Coward]

Synthehol is my anti-drug.

Re:Actually

[jpardey]

Some nerds know about biochemistry and how to make alcohol have a lower toxicity... and some nerds know about star trek.

How About...

[Scarletdown]

Romulan Ale is okay, but real life forms prefer the Pan Galactic Gargleblaster, for when you want to feel like you have had your head smashed in by a slice of lemon wrapped around a large gold brick.

Oh no...

[likwidoxigen]

Speaking from the perspective of an American College student whom is reasonabally responsible. DO NOT REMOVE THE HANGOVER! I can only imagine how little work I would get done, and how many more students would fail out of college. There needs to be a bit of punishment, or else mass irresponisbilty would follow.

Re:Great...

[hunterx11]

I hear that alcohol leads to close dancing and jazz music. Clearly it should be banned.

Re:How About...

[LithiumX]

The main difference is that while the PGG is legal in most of the more liberal parts of the galaxy, Romulan Ale is illegal, which is part of it's attraction (much like a Cuban cigar - it's the law that makes them taste so damned good).

On the other hand, Romulan Ale doesn't leave you reeling like a man being mugged in a meadow, doesn't eat through the table when spilled, and never ever made anyone yell Pheoww in minor thirds.

It already exists

[Aqua OS X]

...and it's called pot.

In the name of science

[Thnikkaman]

If the inventors would like to send me a few kegs, I will consume them. Purely in the name of science, of course.

Re:How About...

[joe 155]

another advantage to the romulan ale is that you can drink more than 2 of them even if you are not a 30 ton mega-elephant with bhronchital pneumonia

TNG 6x04

[XanC]

Duh!

risk of psychosis and anxiety

[fantomas]

wikipedia: [wikipedia.org] -- "studies have shown that a risk does exist in some individuals to develop symptoms of psychosis [1] and anxiety [2]"

Plus of course regular heavy use may bring on the more feared long term addiction to tie dyed clothing, Grateful Dead, and believing one to be living in California in the late 1960s...

#1 Prospective cohort study of cannabis use, predisposition for psychosis, and psychotic symptoms in young people, by Cécile Henquet, Lydia Krabbendam, Janneke Spauwen, Charles Kaplan, Roselind Lieb, Hans-Ulrich Wittchen and Jim van Os, British Medical Journal, December 2004, Volume 330: 11

#2 Cannabis use and mental health in young people: cohort study, by G C Patton, Carolyn Coffey, J B Carlin, Louisa Degenhardt, Micheal Lynskey and Wayne Hall, British Medical Journal, 2005, Volume 325: 1195

Alchohol is a waste of time and money

[palad1]

The same could be said about Slashdot but you still post in here.

Only when I'm drunk!

Re:Great...

[rohan972]

We human beings need stress reduction. Many of us choose to drink a moderate amount to do so.

And there are also those of us who never use it for stress reduction, but do use it to celebrate! I like a quote I heard from a pastor one day "Jesus turned water into wine, and evangelical christians have been trying to turn it back ever since"

Great so....

[stunt_penguin]

now we can have 'Free, as in beer' and 'Expensive, as in synthenol'.

Synthenol Cristal? I'll take 4 cases.

Re:My Preference...

[Anonymous Coward]

In Soviet Russia, the Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster beats YOU!

No wait. It does that everywhere.

Witty but useless comment defeated! Argh!

Re:How About...

[xSauronx]

i heard it was the lithium content that made the things so attractive.

the cigars, that is, not the adolescents

Re:It'll never happen...

[Siffy]

the US is STILL recovering from the effects of alcohol prohibition

I don't think we're ever gonna be able to get rid of NASCAR now.

Re:Actually

[MadCow42]

Sinthehol = synthesized alcohol replacement

Sinthehole = personal entertainment device for Slashdot geeks.

One may lead to the other, but I don't think they're the same thing. :)

MadCow

Re:Yah, alcohol

[nineoneone]

I'll drink to that!

Re:TNG 6x04

[Anonymous Coward]

WOOOOP. WOOOOP. WOOOOP.

Lonestar: What the hell was that?

Dot: That was my virgin alarm!

Just what we need...

[slapout]

...a bunch of drunk people running around with phasers shouting "Make it so!"

Re:Actually

[Feanturi]

feeling it didn't simulate it all that well (considering Scotty's reaction

Aye but this is no mere mortal yer talkin' about laddie. This is Scotty, who kin tell ye which hour of the day a 60 year old scotch was bottled before the glass is off the table!

Re:Don't panick but ...

[rspress]

How come nobody mentions price when talking about the PGG or Romulain Ale. What is a better buy for my gold-pressed latinum?

Obligatory Dean Martin quote...

[modi123]

Gotta love this one. It puts off all those people who claim I drink too much. Perhaps I shouldn't BREATHE so much? Ha-haaaaaaa!

I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day.

-- Dean Martin

(Ok, so I had to throw in a Nick Cage quote from 'Leaving Las Vegas' - call it a two-fer Friday special!)

Re:Double dutch

[Anonymous Coward]

Dutch oven...