So you want to be a brain surgeon?

Thousands of years ago, the brain was operated on with stone tools and no anaesthetic. Amazingly, some people survived these crude attempts.

We've come a long way since then, but the stakes are still high. Technology and teamwork have transformed brain surgery. Brain scanners can reveal damage in detail so that surgeons know in advance what they are dealing with. Powerful drills cut neatly through the skull, leaving the delicate tissue underneath intact. Electrocautery stops the bleeding. And operating microscopes enable the team to see minute structures of the brain, highly magnified, during an operation.

But what is it that makes the brain so special for neurosurgeons? Is it the small areas in close proximity that might look the same to the untrained, naked eye, yet are responsible for diverse functions, such as pain or language? Is it because the brain defines who we are? Perhaps it is the fear of the loss of self' or the chance to restore normal life. Or is it that there is still so much to be discovered about the brain?

Our team of brain surgeons will describe the history of neurosurgery, what is possible now and might be possible in the future. Some of the latest surgical technology and instruments will be demonstrated.

Then it's your turn. And this is where the jelly and eggs come in.

You will have the chance to try your surgical skills in the same mock procedures that surgeons use for training, under the expert eye of those who do it every day.

Please note that as sharp instruments may be handled, no alcohol will be served this evening.