Comment · Thu, April 18, 2013 · Ceretropic
r/Nootropics Purity Testing
Original post in this thread
MisterYouAreSoDumb · 142 points
Myself and the other moderators have come up with a plan for 3rd party testing of various vendor's nootropics. Some of the vendors approached us looking for a way to advertise here, but have the money benefit the community directly. So we came up with a plan where they could sponsor 3rd party purity testing through us. They will donate funds to an account we have set up that will be used to test nootropics from the community. For doing so, they will be recognized in the FAQ with being an /r/Nootropics supporter.
We have been complacent for too long, ingestigating substances with only manufacturer COAs. Sometimes we don't even have reliable COAs at all. Along with my upcoming objective nootropic studies, this step should bring some scientific data that we have been lacking. Yes the study is still going forward. Samples from the HSW batches that will be used in the study are being tested as we speak at the lab. Once the results are back, we can move forward with the study.
Sophie from Modup has also donated funds to test two batches of nootropics. She has been very enthusiastic about helping the community out, and we thank her for being the first to donate money to the testing fun…
What they were answering
GoFrackOnCobalt · 1 points
This would basically be a grass-roots version of the FDA, which would be pretty cool if it is sustainable.
To encourage vendor competition, perhaps it would be best to use the fund to test products from as many vendors as possible. (As opposed to multiple supplements from one vendor.) also, I suggest some randomization in which product from a particular vendor is chosen for testing. Another point is that some compounds may be more difficult to test than others, for technical reasons.
Vendors should be encouraged to donate to the fund - and their donations should be public.
I personally would contribute to compensation/stipend for whomever does the organizing necessary for this testing.
It really is in everyone's interest for something like this to go forward. The key here is transparency, and patience. There is a lot of talk in the tech world about "failing fast". One thing to keep in mind is that chemical biology fails a bit slower than Friendster.
Although we are a bunch of kids screwing around without adult supervision, the anecdotes being collected here can give professional scientists important leads. Who says experiments on the healthy can't benefit Alzheimer's treatment?
u/MisterYouAreSoDumb · Ceretropic
We are definitely going to be testing many vendors. The response to this has been amazing so far. The donation account is up to $1,000, and Sophie from Modup has pledged another $1,000!