WEEK 7: NEUROSCIENCE & ART

When I think of the human brain I immediately think of a control center for the entire body. I compare this part of the body as if it is the controller for a television set. This day in age there are so many medical advances and the most progressed area is in the neuroscience are. After taking Philosophy 7 course here at UCLA, it has opened me up to the idea of conscious and unconscious thought that the mind can go though. These ideas that philosophers explore can be deep and overwhelming but I believe that the mind is a form of art because of the many states it can endure.

http://www.mindmotivations.com/articles/different-states-mind

In lecture 1 it talked about the idea of conscious and unconscious states, these are two interesting concepts. A conscious state is described as something you are aware of. For example, if you are sewing a piece of cloth and you prick your finger, you're going to feel that pain and react in a way of discomfort. Whereas when you are in an unconscious state you are unaware of what is going on for example, being in a coma. 

http://adamnannini.com/2014/04/03/writing-unconscious/

Ramon i Cajal is one of the most famous known artist/scientists. Ramon first grew up wanted to be a artist and found himself later as the father of modern neuroscience. He would look at scans of neurons and dendrites and sketch them as his own art pieces. He found fulfillment in science and began to integrate art with his obsession. He mostly drew dendrites of synapses information. I find this interesting because the brain has so many different factors it controls and Ramon i Cajal focus on the smallest factor yet the most effectual part of the body and draws these images as art pieces. 

https://neurophilosophy.wordpress.com/2006/08/29/the-discovery-of-the-neuron/

Works Cited 

Lecture 1

Lecture 2 

Lecture 3

"Swann’s Hypothesis." The New York Times. The New York Times, 03 Nov. 2007. Web. 24 May 2015.

WEEK 8

When I first read the description of this Unit's subject I was a little confused on what it could incorporate. So, I watched all the lecture videos and the one video that stuck on to me was the lecture video about the Blue Morpho and the idea of nanophotonics.

http://darwinsbeard.net/2014/10/04/scintillating-cells/

Dr. Gimzewski expressed the idea of nano photonics which the ability to notice color change in something as well as nontoxic pigmentation, differing from he usual pigmentation color change. The whole idea is thought that a blue morph should be back and show no color. But instead, it shows to the natural eye the color of blue. What's going on inside these Morpho's wings? In the inside of the wing, there's "christmas tree" protein structures in which light manipulates on the nanoscale therefore reflecting a blue shade.

(This here is an example of nano photonics, the zoomed in picture is of a data chip)

http://thefutureofthings.com/3518-worlds-tiniest-nanophotonic-switch/

It is amazing to me that nature can affect these cells and make them go through a process naturally to give off a different color. I think that this idea of nano photonics completely goes along with art in a way it is a natural way of displaying something organic in another natural way. Thorugh this unit it has opened me up to a whole new subject of art and not just the display of the visual attributes, but also the way in which the art is displayed like through nano photonics.

http://www.ictp-saifr.org/?page_id=3616

---------------------------------

Works Cited
Nanotech for Artists Part- Dr. Gimzewski
Nanotech for Artists Part 3- Dr. Gimzewski
Nanotech for Artists Part 4- Dr. Gimzewski
Nanotech for Artists Part 6- Dr. Gimzewski
"DNA Folding, in Detail." Paul Rothemund:. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2015.

Week 6: Art an Biotechnology

The incorporation of genomics to art appears to me as the most interesting concept only because you can look at two different living species and intertwine them through genomics. For example, an artist (Edurado Kac) can take their own genetics and incorporate them into a flowers genetics which connects two different species.

 http://www.ekac.org/kac.nat.hist.enigma.01.jpg

When I think of a gene I think of the most simplest unit in life which makes up the entire universe. And what is the most appealing to is the massive connecter that a gene is within everything. The genome project does not just create new life, it also saves lives as well.

 http://ethicsandsociety.org/2015/04/10/is-the-moratorium-on-editing-the-human-genome-ethically-justifiable/

Scientists use genetics to advance life, health, and efficiency. Artists use genetics to connect life, culture, and well-being. These two very different ideas can both be looked at in similarity. For instance, the genome project involves genetic material, DNA. Each and every person has their very own composition of DNA. However, they are stemmed from their parents. Barry Schuler, artist, spoke at a TED talk and thought of the genome project and DNA has a USB. Interestingly enough, he is right. You are walking around, on the daily, with your own USB of DNA that came from combining your parents own USB’s.

http://www.litandart.com/2008/01/30/the-art-science-phenomenon/

Art and science are connected by seeing the beauty, in even the smallest thing, like the smallest unit of DNA. However, Barry connects art, science, and technology by expanding on the idea that the genome project is a container full of genetic material.

Lecture 1, Vesa Vanessa

Lecture 2, Vesa Vanessa 

"GFP BUNNY." GFP BUNNY. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 May 2015.

"Genomics 101." Barry Schuler:. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 May 2015.

Lecture video part 1

Lecture video part 2