Keeping up With Science 喝咖啡打擊瞌睡蟲？落伍了！

To make the most of your time, you should go to bed late and rise early. But that is conventional wisdom. The future may be different because scientists are doing what they can to eliminate our need for sleep.

Researchers have been testing a new drug that can keep people awake for days. The drug is called “modafinil” and, unlike other stimulants, it has no side effects. While caffeine can wear off quickly and can make people nervous, the new drug works with the brain so that users continue to feel naturally alert for days on end.

The U.S. military is interested in this type of drug for its soldiers. It would be advantageous to have pilots and fighters who could function without sleep. Ordinary people can also benefit. Narcoleptics, people who often fall asleep quite suddenly, currently use the drug to ease their condition, and there is potential for modafinil to keep the rest of us up all night, too.

為了充分利用你的時間，你應該晚睡早起。不過那是傳統看法。未來也許會有所不同，因為科學家正竭盡所能消除我們對睡眠的需求。

研究者一直在試驗一種新藥，它可以使人一連幾天保持清醒。這種藥叫做“莫達非尼”（modafinil），而與其它興奮劑不同的是，它沒有副作用。咖啡因的效果會很快減退而且會使人焦躁不安，而這種新藥因在腦部發揮效用所以使用者會連續數日保持自然的思維敏捷的感覺。

美國軍方有意將此種藥物給軍人使用。如能使飛行員和戰士不睡也不休息繼續執行任務，將會多好啊。普通人也可從中獲益。常常忽然睡著的嗜睡癥患者，通常用此藥來減輕他們的癥狀，而“莫達非尼”也有可能讓我們其余的人都能整晚不睡呢。