Nootropics are trending right now in Silicon Valley. A crop of new companies are selling these so-called productivity pills to "biohackers" looking to get an edge in work and life. Even if you don't consider yourself a biohacker or have never even heard the word before, chances are you already take a nootropic.
Jesper Noehr, 30, reels off the ingredients in the chemical cocktail he's been taking every day before work for the past six months. It's a mixture of exotic dietary supplements and research chemicals that he says gives him an edge in his job without ill effects: better memory, more clarity and focus and enhanced problem-solving abilities.