Overdrive (Teen Brain)
Acrylic paint, speedometer, plastic phones, magnets, earphones
Produced in collaboration with Sarah-Jayne Blakemore’s adolescent brain lab, University College London
84.1 x 59.4cm
Before adulthood, various edits or ‘upgrades’ need to occur in the brain. The main one depicted here is that of the prefrontal cortex (hence the old-school Nokia phones). In teens, this brain region is still underequipped to deal with complex decision-making / weighing up pro’s and con’s. Meanwhile the brain’s emotional centres, the amygdala (here, twin red buttons) – are particularly reactive. These nuclei tell us whether a situation is safe, exciting, or dangerous. Risk-taking can occur when emotional impulse is not counterbalanced by a mature prefrontal cortex.