8. Memory Modification
It's a classic, used in everything from Men in Black to Harry Potter to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Well, seeing as the brain is just a big old computer, scientists have had a go at reprogramming it, dragging the concept of memory modification kicking and screaming out of the realms of fiction and into reality. The structure of your brain isn't fixed, it is actually incredibly malleable, able to constantly form new neural pathways as well as destroy them. This is known as plasticity. Scientists have already been able to create and erase short term memories in mice through behavioural conditioning, but this technique doesn't work so well with long term memories, as the neural pathways are more "fixed". This is because, when a long-term memory is formed, there is a little signal override in your brain that stops it being destroyed by switching off the plasticity gene. Scientists have managed to find a way to switch off this override, allowing them to modify even the deepest rooted memories. This technology is not just being developed to help you forget your ex, but could be used in the treatment of trauma, particularly PTSD.