A new sleep wonder drug is making headlines after significantly improving the performance of sleep-deprived monkeys.

Color me unimpressed. Any number of stimulants can accomplish the same feat. The authors dismiss the equivalency of existing drugs by noting that caffeine and its compatriots

"...may be limited due to their potential for addiction and/or their potent stimulant actions, which can distort cognitive and sensory processes at doses required to counteract the effects of sleep deprivation."

But of course you can't ask a monkey whether the drug you just administered made him feel spaced-out. And despite its specific inclusion in the list that precedes this quote, Modafinil/Provigil is well-known for not producing any of those effects.

So basically we've got a novel stimulant that may offer advantages over existing drugs — but we don't really know that yet. I've got to say, the way the pop-science press chooses stories completely mystifies me.