Caffiend

The good people over at Wired recently ran an interesting piece called, "Get Smarter: 12 Hacks That Will Amp Up Your Brainpower."

Naturally, my favorite hack involved good ol' C₈H₁₀N₄O₂: "Caffeinate With Care: Small Shots Do a Brain Better Than Big Blasts." The authors describe the best way to battle adenosine with caffeine...several small portions.

To maximize alertness and minimize jitters, keep those receptors covered with frequent small doses — like a mug of low-caf tea or half a cup of joe — rather than a onetime blast. Test subjects reported that periodic small shots made them feel clearheaded and calm, both of which enhance mental performance.

Even better

add a lump of sugar or have a carbohydrate-rich snack at the same time for an extra cognitive kick. It seems that glucose and caffeine together do more to enhance cognition than either does alone.

So, put away the tall cans of Amped/Full Throttle/etc and grab a simple cup of coffee and a donut. Stick with the classics and ya can't go wrong, eh?