DESMA 9 Art + Science + Technology

Spring 2015 Professor Victoria Vesna

Section [1A]

Title: “Build-A-Brain”

Customizable brains to select for the “best” brain functionalities and eliminate future genetic diseases

Name: Jaime Muñoz

ABSTRACT

The brain has been a fascinating organ to those in the medical, humanities, and artistic fields. Santiago Ramon y Cajal & Franz Joseph Gall’s influence on “Phrenology” and the idea of cerebral localization of mental function proved to be pivotal in learning about how the brain works in connection with the lives we are living. [1] With this in mind, imagine if you had the capacity to pay for certain cerebral organs and customize a brain specific to advancing yourself in your career or essentially being able to perfect your newborn’s brain to provide him or her with the best chances of success in a competitive and overpopulated world. Furthermore, what if you had a long lineage of brain cancer in family and wanted to purchase and swap out a new brain compartment to eliminate your chances of the cancer arising. You could now have the mental capacities of Einstein, the memory of an elephant, or the artistry of Picasso.

CONCEPT

With advancements in science and technology, parents could pay for a karyotype test to conduct a chromosome analysis and detect for defective chromosomes that would result in birth defects. [2] Moreover, tech allows parents to choose which embryo they want fertilized for the “best” child during through In Vitro.

Gamers and “techies’” demands in personalized computing systems and outstanding graphics resulted in the concept of “modular phones” where one is able to “mix-and-match components to build the phone they want to own, rather than accept whatever it is that phone makers think people want.” [3]

Build-A-Brain combines these advancements where parents can essentially select for the best cerebral cortex, the best cerebellum, or the best medulla for their child.

With this idea in mind, I am also interested in exploring the ethical, socioeconomic and legal implications of having the capacity to customize the brain as a newborn or adult and improve it as much as possible.

CONTEXT Taking inspiration from the 1997 film “GATTACA,” where the human race’s future is pre-determined but the protagonist undergoes and sustains a physical transformation to reach his goals, the customizable brain that one would purchase would propel him/her to great heights, selecting for “best” brain regions, and thus achieving desired goals that one would not otherwise accomplish due to their “pre-determined” brain.

In a society where college admissions are slim, the job market is still at a standstill and competition is inevitable especially with overpopulation, customizing your brain will ensure future success.

Example: Cerebellum – Responsible for balance & coordination

Selecting the “best” cerebellum would be optimal for aspiring athletics

SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY PRECEDENTS

A karyotype is a visual arrangement and representation of the chromosomes in the body.[4]

With the help of this process, parents could find anomalies. For example, if the scientist uncovers 47 chromosomes, this would mean that the child would be born with down syndrome. Being able to find this type of information would be beneficial to the parents that way they could learn about their respective genetic conditions and be prepared at their child’s birth and maximize their child's success in life. Most couples decide to pay for karyotyping when they experience multiple miscarriages. Once the chromosomal analysis is conducted, it unveils a lot of information about the baby’s development and future growth.

SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY PRECEDENTS

Very recently in the tech field, Google launched the concept for “Project Ara” into the public sphere. This technology advancement proposes a “DIY” (Do it Yourself) smartphone where people are allowed to mix-and-match modules (chips) and completely personalize a device that caters to one’s specific interest.

One is provided with a rectangular frame and various modules such as a 8-megapixel chip, or a chip for a faster processor. People who are primarily interested in gaming would opt for a stronger processor, but those who are more keen to photography will focus their customization capabilities on a more quality camera ship. Project Ara is “the ultimate form of customization”[5] and people can now have a choice on what they spend their money on.

ARTS/HUMANITIES PRECEDENTS

Child prodigies have come to the attention of many parents and media networks for their special talents. Through a few tests, a parent could find out if their child is considered a “genius” by their IQ score. I would assume that parents with their child’s best interest in mind would question why their child is not playing instruments with ease and playing a Beethoven piece or have the creative eye of a master artist. If a parent were told that they could also have a child genius on their hand through a simple procedure, wouldn’t “Build-A-Brain” be something worth looking into?

ARTS/HUMANITIES PRECEDENTS

Those kids who are most qualified and considered geniuses have access into elite societies like Mensa and GATE.

Although it may seem that one’s child can just work hard, get the best grades, and get into the greatest schools, these organizations can result in various implications such as inequalities & socio-economic gaps.

T h e r e w i l l b e n e t w o r k s , a n d opportunities will come easier for those in these groups. These organizations would foster the next leaders, presidents and the like.

Build-A-Brain would be the solution, and parents could simply pay to have their children gain entry into these societies and contribute to their future successes.

However, there may be some legal implications when it comes to seeking admittance into these societies as a result of money, rather than birth intelligence.

PROJECT PROPOSAL

BUILD-A-BRAIN

The “Build-A-Brain” procedure utilizes the concept of the modular smartphone for customizable purposes. “Build-A-Brain” is a surgical procedure where trained surgeons assemble a brain choosing from various brain regions or “pieces” that the parents (for their kids) or adults could select from. Selecting for the best brain regions would maximize their success in a competitive world and contribute to the completion of any goals they may set out for themselves.

PROJECT PROPOSAL

Doctor Great Memory

Here, a father and mother are working with their surgeon on the computer to determine which brain regions they would like their new-born to possess. Upon scrolling through the various modules, they come to an agreement that they would like to have a future doctor. The mother points out that to be a successful doctor, he/she must have great memory to excel in Medical School and the education prior to getting accepted. Thus they tell their doctor to include the module for the best hippocampus. One thing to consider is the concern of ethics of having individuals create their offspring’s functionalities. Will other parents who decide not to do the procedure have an issue with this? And does this procedure also disturb religious beliefs? Some individuals may state that this is morally wrong as people are “trying to be god.”

PROJECT PROPOSAL

During the surgery, the surgeon and his team would assemble the desired brain ensuring that they are customizing a brain strategically visualized by the parents. The surgeon would first remove some or all of the original brain regions and then begin puzzling together the purchased regions. The surgery called for a new brain stem for the best regulation of breathing and temperature to ensure great fitness, a new temporal lobe for efficient learning, a new frontal lobe that houses memory, a new occipital lobe for the best vision and an outstanding cerebellum module for coordination.

PROJECT PROPOSAL

Thalamus Orbital Cortex Hippocampus Temporal Cortex

Recognition Learning Memory Visual Memory

Lawyer? Consultant?

After the meticulous surgery is complete, the new-born is handed over to the parents and immediately they can notice their child’s purchased abilities. The child has a list of paths that he/she may take and lists of opportunities to pursue. Some implications that may arise are that the “Build-A-Brain” would be creating the same people and eliminate diversity but this is not the case. The child still has their individual personality, and emotions and their passions could lead them to diverse careers. The surgical procedure however, can provide the child with the best skills to help reach their goals. Whether they want to be a Doctor or Lawyer, the child is now more than capable. This may however widen the socioeconomic gap early on. Those kids who are enrolled in classes with these “Build-A-Brain” recipients will not be able to compete fairly in the classroom. Some inferior minds will be left behind, lack motivation, and not be able to succeed in a rigid education system.

PROJECT PROPOSAL Whether you received the “Build-A-Brain” as a new-born or not, customization is still possible as an adult. If an adult has reached a stage in their career where it is difficult to move up in a company or they need to possess a new skill to advance themselves, the “Build-A-Brain” procedure is available. There is a socio-economic issue that may be of concern here. For those who don’t have the necessary financial means of paying for a new set of functions, will they be prevented from advancing in their careers especially after working so hard? What if only those who have done “Build-A-Brain” can get the best jobs, role, careers?

Moreover, like a smartphone that has new versions or updates, the “Build-A-Brain” individual would have the ability to manage their updates from the comfort of their home through the computer (additional charges may apply).

PROJECT PROPOSAL

Another benefit of “Build-A-Brain” is being able to get rid of genetic diseases that may arise. For example, Huntington’s Disease is a disease that is not spotted until it may be too late to treat. Most of the time, adults are diagnosed in their 30s.[6] “Build-A-Brain” proves to be beneficial here as well. If one has a family history showing traces of the disease, one could undergo the procedure and swap the brain region that shows Huntington's to stem from, thus, minimizing chances of contracting the severe disease. Although people may argue that the surgery is ethically and morally wrong, others can counter by saying that if one had the opportunity to save a loved one’s life, wouldn’t they?

CONCLUSION Although there are some necessary implications to consider, “Build-A-Brain” is a necessary procedure to eliminate the idea of “pre-determined” lifestyles and move toward a life that is custom to one’s goals. Some may believe the procedure erases individuality by having parents puzzle their child together but if the kid wants to change anything about him or herself, they have the ability to select for their own brain regions later on.

The procedure would allow kids with entrance into elite groups like Mensa and then they would be able to reach more of their goals that they set out in life.

Changing career paths may seem impossible now, but with the “Build-A-Brain,” one could with ease add a brain region necessary for the transition and immediately reap the rewards of a new job.

Last but not least, diseases that horribly surprise families have the ability to know and eliminate the chance of having a genetic disease affect another loved one.

“Build-A-Brain” does not allow for an everlasting life, but it will grant those who complete the procedure with a life worth living, may it be short or long.

WORKS CITED

Dolcourt, Jessica. "Project Ara: Everything We Know about Google's Modular Phone - CNET." CNET. N.p., 18 Feb. 2015. Web. 08 June 2015. "Genetic Testing for Inheritable Diseases, Recurrent Miscarriages."Genetic Testing for Inheritable Diseases, Recurrent Miscarriages. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 June 2015. "Karyotyping." Karyotyping. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 June 2015. Tidy, Colin. "Huntington's Disease. About Huntingto's Disease (HD) | Patient." Patient. N.p., 28 May 2013. Web. 10 June 2015. Trew, James. "Here's What Project Ara Phones Will Actually Look like."Engadget. N.p., 1 Mar. 2015. Web. 10 June 2015. Vesna, Victoria. "Neuroscience-pt1.mov." YouTube. YouTube, 17 May 2012. Web. 17 May 2015.

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Vesna, Victoria. "Neuroscience-pt1.mov." YouTube. YouTube, 17 May 2012. Web. 17 May 2015.