Our Mission Statement
It’s human nature to seek the pleasurable things in life. Of course, different things bring us pleasure, but there seems to be a general consensus on what’s pleasurable and what’s not. Food. Music. Friends and Family. Sports. Entertainment.
But all these seemingly irrelevant activities are bound together by our biochemistry: dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter responsible for controlling the levels of pleasure that we experience throughout our lives.
The advent of modern technology has enabled endless opportunities to find pleasure. In an age where pleasure is everywhere, we've become desensitized to it. Consequently, people have started blaming dopamine for our desensitization to pleasure, severe addictions, and decreased motivation.
That being said, Baseline believes that dopamine is NOT the enemy. Dopamine is an essential component of our bodily functions and mental health. We shouldn't starve ourselves from dopamine; rather, we should aim to be conscious of the pleasurable activities we engage in so as to maintain our dopamine at a healthy baseline. It is Baseline’s objective to help individuals adopt realistic habits to ensure an enjoyable yet productive lifestyle through the management of dopamine.
All About BOLD.
The creation of "Dopadata", our novel dopamine quantifying device, as well as the blueprint for the Baseline consultation program.
01 Brainstorming
Despite the immense scientific research about dopamine, it remains elusive and unknown because it’s difficult to visualize. As such, Baseline set out to create a device that would not only assist in honing the consultation aspect of this organization but would assist clients in understanding how their actions correlated to their dopamine.
And so, we got to brainstorming. We had to figure out the logistics of our device, named Dopadata. What form factor (e.g., watch, armband, finger-ring, headgear) would we use? When would our clients use these devices? How do we display the data obtained?
On that note, we had to figure out how to measure dopamine. After extensive research (some of which can be found under the Learn tab on this website), we decided to create a novel method of measuring dopamine based on fluctuations in vital signs and secreted body fluids.
In other words, clients would use Dopadata and execute specific activities proven by scientific literature to induce dopamine. This data could then be compared against data obtained from a large experimental group to interpret the client’s tonic levels and the severity/frequency of their phasic peaks. This information would be used to inform us about which activities stimulate irregular amounts of dopamine, helping to curate an individualized plan for each client to help recover from their dopamine “toxification.”
02 Research
Our research (in relation to developing our device and interpreting its data) can be summarized into a few sentences. Having overly frequent or excessively large peaks of dopamine production can cause “crashes” in our baseline level of dopamine. These crashes can affect our motivation, productivity, mobility, and wellbeing. Moreover, an overabundance of pleasurable activities will decrease our baseline level of dopamine, causing us to resort to these pleasurable activities.
To mend our body's relationship to dopamine, the goal should be to replenish our baseline dopamine level. Demonstrate focus and appreciation while conducting activities that bring us joy. Don’t mistake pleasure for contentment. Consider delaying your exposure to gratifying activities to prevent yourself from depleting your baseline dopamine (e.g., intermittent fasting, abstaining from pornography, setting social media timers).
And perhaps most important to the inspiration for this prototype device, we learned that dopamine levels today will influence the body’s production of dopamine for the next few days. As such, tracking our dopamine can help us keep an eye on the frequency and intensity of pleasurable activities — ensuring that we modulate our dopamine levels in ways that serve us best in the long-term.
Moreover, we began researching common methods used in scientific research to analyze dopamine levels. Though various techniques such as microdialysis, fast-scan cyclic voltammetry, and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) were used in animal studies, we deemed that these methods were unrealistic for human usage, especially for our clients who could only allot 30 minutes. As such, we began considering indirect methods of measuring neurotransmitters based on the molecular synthesis pathway of dopamine. We ultimately decided to check for vital signs and bodily fluids to measure adrenaline levels, which showed a correlation to dopamine in scientific literature.
^ One of the devices created for Baseline.
^ The first stages of research — going over scientific literature and comparing methods of dopamine measurement.
03 Prototyping
We began with designing the skeleton frame of the device using the FreeCAD software (an open-source 3D parametric modeler). We had to make multiple adjustments across four different prototypes to adjust screw-in locations, holes from USB-C or power inputs on the Arduino UNO R4 WiFi board, and specific locations for miscellaneous components (i.e., the digital display, the sensors, and the velcro band). We then used the KiCAD software (PCB layout modeler) to program our Arduino to collect and record information collected by the SpO2 and pH sensors onto a modified Excel sheet customized by PLX DAQ v2 UI.
04 Clientele Usage
^ Rough outline of device layout before beginning with 3D design using the FreeCAD software.
The device would be used by participants in thirty-minute long conferences. They would wear Dopadata to measure their dopamine level without any stimulants. Throughout the conference, we would try a variety of dopamine-stimulating activities to check for changes in data (e.g., consumption of dark chocolate, listening to music, physical exercise). This data was then compared to both the quantifiable changes in dopamine following those same stimulants reported by scientific literature and the experimental sample population whose data was obtained from colleagues who were in the workshop I used to create this device. Based on which activities did or didn’t stimulate the patient and the severity of the dopamine stimulated by each patient, Baseline would create an individualized program for each client to follow to help replenish their baseline level of dopamine.
Connecting the SpO2 (blood oxygen sensor) and the pH sensor to the Arduino mainboard. >
^ Collecting sample population data with Dopadata.
About Me
My name is Stan Cho, and I've spent the last few years of my life harnessing dopamine. Whether it's relieving my videogame addiction, making informed decisions about the food I consume, or ensuring a functional lifestyle, understanding how dopamine works has been crucial. Through Baseline, I hope to share my insight to those who struggle with mental health and productivity.
Contact Me
If you have any questions, suggestions, or criticism, please reach out to me!