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.

Week 4 - Medicine + Technology + Art

I really found that this weeks material and topic spoke to me in a larger way than the previous topics in this class. I believe this has something to do with the fact that medical technology has somewhat been a larger part of my life than most people due to the fact that I'm a student athlete. In addition, by just growing up and participating in various sports the risk of injury can go up rather than not playing a sport. I can remember when I was 13 that I had to get a few MRI's as a result of a fall I had when I was skiing. Initially the doctors believed that I tore my ACL and needed to get the images from my knee to determine the extent of my injury. On a broader spectrum the advances in medical technology have allowed doctors to explore the human body non-invasively through the use of these photos provided by MRI's, PET scans, or CT scans. This has also lead to hundreds of breakthroughs for doctors and researchers alike which in turn has contributed to saving millions of lives per year. 

This week the Professor also touched on the use of Grey's Anatomy, a medical book published by Henry Grey, which is vital to understanding the intersection of art and medical technology and or medical studies. This book comes with several diagrams and photos of various parts of the human anatomy. Without these pictures or other artistic representations, doctors would have a limited understanding of the human body and would be unable to perform the correct medical procedure based on the patients needs. Before I reviewed Grey's Anatomy I was much less educated on how the worlds of art and the medical field really intertwine and without it I believe that this world would be a much different place.

Sources: 

Fornell, Dave. "Recent Advances in MRI Technology" 

https://www.itnonline.com/article/recent-advances-mri-technology

Glatter, Robert MD. "Can Studying Art Help Medical Students Become Better Doctors" 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertglatter/2013/10/20/can-studying-art-help-medical-students-become-better-doctors/#426ce5664cdb

"Positron Emission Tomography - Computed Tomography (PET/CT)" 

https://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=pet 

Rosenhek, Jackie. "Dissecting Grey's Anatomy" 

http://www.doctorsreview.com/history/dissecting-grays-anatomy/ 

UCSF Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging. "MRI Safety" 

https://radiology.ucsf.edu/patient-care/patient-safety/mri 

Week 3 - Art & Robotics

This week the topic of discussion was the emergence and the continued but  eventual merger between art and industrialization along with robotics. The connection between robotics and art can be traced back to the enlightenment period with Gutenberg's printing press. However, it wasn't until the industrial revolution where the paths of art and robotics really came together. In Lecture Part 1, the professor discusses the genius behind the printing press that paved the way for information to be mass produced throughout the world during the Renaissance period. I see the marvel of the printing press along with other machinery as the beginning of a domino effect that gave way to other enlightenment thinkers to not only share their knowledge but progress their work in ways that they were unable to do prior to these technological advancements.

Additionally, the creation of robots has had far reaching benefits to our society. It has allowed us to simplify and efficiently mass produce items such as cars or other everyday house hold items. Henry Ford for example was the first to introduce the assembly line for his company Ford. This form of manufacturing was a milestone for industrial revolution and would go on to be the most widely used form of manufacturing worldwide even to this day.

In terms of the relationship between robotics and art it is clear to me that this dynamic duo works only to its benefit. One of the best examples of this partnership between technology and art can be found with the arrival of the camera which is eloquently stated by Walter Benjamin when he says, "the camera introduces us to unconscious optics as does psychoanalysis to unconscious impulses." 

Sources:

Hackett, Lewis. "Industrial Revolution"
http://history-world.org/Industrial%20Intro.htm

New York Daily News. "Ford's Assembly Line Turns 100: How it Changed Manufacturing and Society"
http://www.nydailynews.com/autos/ford-assembly-line-turns-100-changed-society-article-1.1478331

Palermo, Elizabeth. "Who Invented the Printing Press"
https://www.livescience.com/43639-who-invented-the-printing-press.html

Rieland, Randy. "7 Ways Technology is Changing How Art is Made"
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/7-ways-technology-is-changing-how-art-is-made-180952472/

Thein, Ming. "The Line Between Art and Photography"
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/ming-thein/art-and-photography_b_4297646.html



Pictures:

Assembly Line. http://theoldmotor.com/?p=154610

Printing Press. http://cronkitehhh.jmc.asu.edu/blog/2015/04/disruptive-innovation/

Robots in Assembly Line. https://www.techrepublic.com/article/robot-kills-worker-on-assembly-line-raising-concerns-about-human-robot-collaboration/

Event 1

As I attended this fantastic event one thing in particular stood out to me. While the topic of bread may be somewhat vague or one dimensional the concept of the project speaks volumes in regards to overlying themes in art. This project gives anyone the opportunity to express a feeling that they possess in regards to society through the lens of their drawing of bread. However, the depiction of how the individual perceives the bread sheds light on to how that individual views the world at the time of the drawing. Bread has left several imprints throughout history ranging from beyond the times of Ancient Egypt to as far as the Holocaust where bread was viewed as a symbol of hope throughout the concentration camps. As if it were a fingerprint every individuals drawing is unique and unlike anyone else's drawing. In my opinion one of the most important themes in art is the value of the individual and how no one form of art or one drawing is better than the next. Art is a spectacular vehicle for individuals to depict a larger picture in which they release and advertise their own personal commentary on society or life as a whole. It is through this project of collective bread diaries that this is masterfully accomplished. I would recommend this event to anyone who believes or is interested in finding out how depicting something as simple as bread can tell a remarkable story that encapsulates centuries of history.