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Correspondence

Nature 457, 532 (29 January 2009) | doi:10.1038/457532a; Published online 28 January 2009

Open Innovation Challenges

Risks and benefits may turn out to be finely balanced

Simon J. Williams1 & Paul Martin2

  1. Department of Sociology, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
    Email: s.j.williams@warwick.ac.uk
  2. Institute for Science and Society, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK

Henry Greely and colleagues' Commentary (Nature 456, 702–705; 2008) is the latest in a series of expert-led deliberations on the prospects and implications of cognitive-enhancing drugs (see, for example, refs 1, 2, 3). Much of the debate on enhancement, as illustrated by the Commentary, is highly speculative and rests on assumptions that are not well grounded in evidence or experience.