Team:UCL/Practice/Creative

Creative Writing Competition: 'Changing the Human Brain'

Theme: ‘Changing the Human Brain/Mind' Format: Short stories (500-1,500 words), poems (up to 40 lines) and (screen)plays (up to 30 minute run time) are accepted Entries: Multiple entries accepted, include a writer’s biography of 30 words. No restriction on entrants. Deadline: 15th September 2013 (extended from the original deadline, 5th of September) Submit to: alexander.bates.12@ucl.ac.uk

Over the last decade there has been mounting public interest in the emergence of genetic modification (GM) technologies, and a great deal of thought has been devoted to determining its risks, rewards, and overall impacts on society. These technologies promise a great deal, perhaps even treatments for brain diseases, such as Alzheimer's, where more conventional approaches have hit a dead end. However, many people feel uneasy about genetic intervention in the brain, no matter the severity of the disease it is trying to treat. Moreover, if the history of psychopharmeceuticals is anything to go by, such 'neuro-genetic engineering' could well slip over into other areas, including psychological therapy, cognitive enhancements and cosmetic psychology. If practices such as these were widely adopted, it would change the way society views the 'mind' forever. This summer, an interdisciplinary research team that makes up University College London's entry to iGEM (an international synthetic biology competition) is engaged in bringing the genetic engineering of brain cells to bear against Alzheimer's disease. Although this research is in its infancy, we feel that the implications of this technology require serious attention and a widespread public debate. As part of this, we are running a free creative writing competition in order to explore the fledgling issues raised. We are looking for quality writing about the impact of changing the human brain. We are especially, but not exclusively, interested in pieces concerning memory, genetic engineering, the use and abuse of vulnerable patients in research, dystopian and utopian views of a world where brain engineering is widespread and what brain modification technology means for our sense of selfhood.

The 'changes' do not necessarily have to be genetically engineered. The winning 10 entries will be displayed on our website, with commentary by UCL scientists/ethicists on the ideas presented. Winners may also be asked sit an interview as part of a documentary being created on our project. The judges' decision is final.