Marking the 40th anniversary  of the invention of the Rubik's Cube, and after a forum at Cambridge University discussing the relationship of the Cube with autism (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0217k6m) I will be carrying out a 12 hour speedcubing marathon in order to raise funds and awareness for the Autism Research Trust and for autism. The marathon will be on August 18th, from 8am to 8pm. I'll be solving a variety of puzzles, from the small 2x2x2 cube all the way to the massive 10x10x10 cube (picture below!) throughout the event.

The live stream of the event will be found here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4ZMdjdkkoc

Please give generously to the Autism Research Trust to support my marathon. I'm going to live stream the first two hours of the event, and for every £100 raised I'll stream an additional hour of the event, so that if £1000 is donated, the entire event will be streamed. If you want to ask a question about autism or speedcubing, please make a donation of £10 or over and leave your questions in the comment, and I'll answer them in the first hour of the marathon. After the event tit will still be available at the same address so you'll be able to listen even if you aren't able to watch the first hour of the event.

I study Medicine at Cambridge and gained an interest in autism in my third year when I took psychology. At the end of the academic year I demonstrated speedcubing methods in a forum discussion at the Cambridge Union Society titled "Autism and Talent". The inventor of the cube, Erno Rubik, spoke at the event along with several outstanding individuals who also have autism, showing that while autism is often seen as a disorder, outstanding talent and originality is possible. I started speedsolving in 2007 in New Zealand, and I'm currently ranked #5 in the country, averaging around 13 seconds. Aside from speedcubing, I also take part in rowing and have played competitive chess.

The Autism Research Trust is a fundraising organisation for the Autism Research Centre based in Cambridge, UK. As a prevalent condition that lasts throughout the lifetime of those affected, research into autism has the potential to improve the quality of life for countless families in the UK and all over the world.