Week 7 - Neuroscience + Art

I found this weeks discussion and topic nothing short of fascinating. One of the greatest mysteries and wonders of the human race is that of the mind. This could be a result of us not knowing much about the human mind due to the fact that it's only recently started to be researched. One of the first questions Professor Vesna asked us was, "What does it mean to be in this moment now?" (Neuroscience Pt 1 Video). It's deeper philosophical questions like this one that have drawn me so heavily into the mystery of the human mind and the neuroscience field.

One of the more fascinating subjects that Professor Vesna touched on this week was the consistent use of chemicals, herbs, plants, etc. that humans have used for centuries in order to alter their minds for an elongated period of time (Neuroscience Pt 3 Video) . This is particularly common throughout teenagers from all over the world who use drugs such as Adderall to heighten their focus and assist them in their schoolwork.

Additionally the discussion around Sigmund Freud and his cocaine addiction along with the variety of uses and products that included cocaine was a huge surprise for me. This resulted in people becoming addicted to various products that at the time were just considered to be linked with the 'drug of their time'. 

Lastly and perhaps the most intriguing portion of the lecture surrounded the topic of mind control. While idea of controlling ones mind may seem far fetched now there are other methods of controlling and altering ones mind that exist currently. One of the ways in which this is possible can be seen through the consumption of drugs as discussed before. I agree with Professor Vesna when she says that the eventual emergence of mind control is possible. If the emergence of mind control occurs within my lifetime I would prefer to see this be conducted in a way that is beneficial to society rather than for a manipulative motive.


Sources:

arXiv, Emerging Technology from the. “Neuroscientists See a New Way to Manipulate Minds.”MIT Technology Review, MIT Technology Review, 26 Oct. 2016, www.technologyreview.com/s/602695/how-network-neuroscience-is-creating-a-new-era-of-mind-control/.

“Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 18 May 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic_resonance_imaging_of_the_brain.  

Saleh, Naveed, and Steven Gans. “Does Cocaine Have Any Legitimate Medical Uses?”Verywell Mind, Verywellmind, www.verywellmind.com/does-cocaine-have-any-legit-medical-uses-1124135.

Sandoiu, Ana. “New Sleep-Promoting Brain Cells Identified.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, 4 Sept. 2017, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319273.php.  

“The Effects of Cocaine Use.” DrugAbuse.com, 26 Oct. 2017, drugabuse.com/library/the-effects-of-cocaine-use/.

Vesna, Victoria. Lecture. Neuroscience pt 1 Video. University of California, Los Angeles, May 14, 2017. 

Vesna, Victoria. Lecture. Neuroscience pt 3 Video. University of California, Los Angeles, May 14, 2017.  

www.sfn.org/about/about-neuroscience.

Week 6- BioTech + Art

I once again found that this weeks topic of discussion was vastly interesting. I feel one of the ways this is the case has to do with the fact that biology has been one of my favorite if not my favorite subject in school throughout my life. In many ways the world of biology is always evolving and in many has endless range of possibilities. I find that the subject of the arts has many similarities in that respect due to the fact that it to is always changing. In addition, there is no limit to the creativity that an artist can bring into the sphere of his artistic realm and it is at that intersection that these two philosophies collide.

After going through the different examples of how these two schools of thought intersect I discovered that the most interesting topic in my opinion was that of Alba the fluorescent bunny. The discoveries that came of this scientific experiment or trial would then go on to revolutionize the ways of thinking medically in the human body from a biological standpoint.

Alba was injected with a bioluminescent gene from a jellyfish that essentially made him glow in the dark. This project would require the knowledge of biologists, neuroscientists, and artists alike to collaborate in order to have a successful trial with Alba. This is dually fascinating because this experiment would allow scientists and biologists to discover a way in which they could alter or inject different genes into a human. Additionally, this use of a bioluminescent being used as a marker in a human body could notify doctors about the potential onset of certain diseases or illnesses that if caught early enough could hopefully save an individuals life. I believe that this weeks topic is yet again a beautiful example of how on the surface it may not appear as if these subjects overlap, but when investigated further we find that they do in fact intertwine in several ways. It is for this reason that the intersection of these subjects has lead to and will continue to lead to a prosperous world. 

Sources:

Dunlap, P. “Biochemistry and Genetics of Bacterial Bioluminescence.” Advances in Pediatrics., U.S. National Library of Medicine, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25084994.

“Green Fluorescent Protein - Cool Uses - Alba.” Connecticut College, Connecticut College, www.conncoll.edu/ccacad/zimmer/GFP-ww/cooluses8.html.

KuroKarasu. “Bio-Art: Alba.” And I Think to Myself...What A Wonderful World., 1 Jan. 1970, myths-made-real.blogspot.com/2011/09/bio-art-alba.html.

“Mutant Bunny.” New Scientist, New Scientist, www.newscientist.com/article/dn16-mutant-bunny/.

National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), www.genome.gov/glossary/index.cfm?id=86.

Onion, Amanda. “Artist's Glowing, Live Rabbit Creation Causes Fuss.” ABC News, ABC News Network, abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=119939&page=1.

Philipkoski, Kristen. “RIP: Alba, the Glowing Bunny.” Wired, Conde Nast, 4 June 2017, www.wired.com/2002/08/rip-alba-the-glowing-bunny/.

staff, Science X. “How Our Cells Use Mother's and Father's Genes.” Medical Xpress - Medical Research Advances and Health News, Medical Xpress, 28 Sept. 2016, medicalxpress.com/news/2016-09-cells-mother-father-genes.html.