[snip]
>Another thought: it is known (I can cite some articles) that caffeine
>drinkers perform better at memory tests, reaction tests and similar
>cognitive stuff (taking confounding variables into account), and
>nicotine seems to have other cognition enhancing effects. It is not
>unreasonable to think that the introduction of coffee, tea and
>tobacco into the western culture accelerated its growth in areas
>where this kind of effects are useful (like technology).
>
Interestingly, McKenna goes into this in Food of the Gods, where he
talks about the link between caffeine and tobacco and what you might
call the 'Protestant Work Ethic'.
Guru George