MedTech+Art

The advancements of medical technologies brought upon a huge impact on art. As Professor Vesna brought up, X-rays, MRI, and CT scans – common instruments in medicine – can be seen as a form of art. These tools have allowed us to noninvasively and painlessly visualize and understand what is inside the human body and how everything works. The fascination with X-rays can be found in several artistic expressions, such as the photography of Nick Veasey. In his X-ray photographs, he highlights the inner beauty of humans and of objects that are often overlooked. 

The image above is of passengers sitting on a bus. It shows that everyone functions the same way inside and it’s not the person’s outer image that makes them who they are. 

Many artists have also transformed MRI scans into works of arts. These detailed black and white images that assist physicians in detecting tumors and infections an now be colorized to enhance the information the images provide. For example, one can have a normal cell in blue and a cancer cell in red, and then one can track the cells to see how they behave. 

This image shows the front view of a two-day old zebrafish heart. The green cells represent heart muscle cells, while the red and blue represents the components that make up the muscle.

What interested me the most in this week’s lecture was Professor Warwick and how he surgically implanted a microchip in his own arm. It was amazing to learn that his little silicon chip allowed his movements to tracked throughout his building and thus automatically opened doorways, turned on lights, and other actions that required electrical signals. This is a huge advancement in the field of medicine as it can treat patients with nervous system damages, as well as a possibility to enhance human capabilities.

Works Cited

Kamarudin, Yohani. “Man and Machine Captured in Incredible X-Ray Art.” Tech Graffiti. N.p.,n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2013 <http://www.techgraffiti.com/man-and-machine-as-seen-in-incredible-x-ray-art>

Reilly, Rachel. “From MRI scans to microphotography: The beautiful medical images that transform the beating heart into an award-winning work of art.” Mail Online. The Daily Mail, 26 July 2013. Web. 25 Oct 2013 <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2378893/From-MRI-scans-microphotography-Winning-images-British-Heart-Foundation-competition.html>

Steenhuysen, Julie. “Scientists discover way to color MRI scans” Reuters. Reuters, 18 Jun 2008. Web. 25 Oct 2013 <http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/06/18/us-mri-color-idUSN1844912020080618>

Vesna, Victoria. “Medicine pt1-3.” YouTube. YouTube, 21 Apr. 2012. Web. 25 Oct. 2013

Warwick, Kevin. “TEDxWarwick – Kevin Warwick – Implants & Technology – The Future of Healthcare?” Youtube. YouTube, 22 Mar 2012. Web. 25 Oct 2013 <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8HeFNJjuj0>

Witt, Sam. “Is human chip implant wave of the future?” CNN. CNN, 14 Jan 1999. Web. 25 Oct 2013 <http://www.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9901/14/chipman.idg/>

Robotics + Art

          It is no doubt that the rise of industrialization had a huge impact on art. It began the trend away from small scale manufacturing towards mass production, which revolutionized the way people saw and described the world they live in. It ushered a quick production of items that were not commonly available or accessible and the rapid exchange of knowledge. The era of mass communication began which altered society as the circulation of information and ideas transcended borders and captured masses.  

Ford's assembly line that reduced magneto assembly time from 15 minutes to 5 minute and a required workforce from 24 to 19.

          However, this fast moving mechanization of production and automation was not so accepting by some. The assembly line workers of Ford were compared to as parts of a machine and can easily be replaced by robots. As explained by Machiko Kusahara, the Industrial Revolution demonstrated how robots could take over power from human beings and how society is equally intrigued yet fearful of these robots. I even believe that in the next hundred or so years, robots could take over most of human jobs. But, I don't necessarily think it is a bad thing because they would serve to aid us rather than harm us since after all, robots do no possess human emotions.

In the Tesla factory in Fremont, CA, a robot is capable of doing up to four functions.

          Additionally, in the words of Walter Benjamin “even the most perfect reproduction of a work of art is lacking in one element: its presence in time and space, its unique existence at the place where it happen to be.” He argues that though the original artwork is independent of its copy, the mere replication of the original takes away from it. Though I agree that mechanical reproduction dismantles the uniqueness or originality in a work of art, technology has made possible the spread of these arts, which in turn can influence new ideas, throughout the world. Without this reproduction of art, we would have never understood or saw the world as we do today. 

Works Cited

Benjamin, Walter. The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. London: Penguin, 2008. Print.

Ford, Henry. “Magneto Assembly Line” The Henry Ford. Online. 20 October 2013 <http://media.caranddriver.com/images/media/51/fords-assembly-line-turns-100-02-magneto-assembly-photo-513772-s-original.jpg>

Kusahara, Machiko “Robotics MachikoKusahara 1” Youtube. 14 April 2012. Web. 20 October 2013 <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQZ_sy-mdEU>

Sakuma, Paul. “Skilled Work, Without the Worker” 2012. Associated Press. Online. 20 October 2013 <http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2012/08/19/business/JP-ROBOT-1/JP-ROBOT-1-articleLarge.jpg>

Vesna, Victoria. “Robotics pt1” Youtube. 15 April 2012. Web. 20 October 2013. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRw9_v6w0ew>

Math + Art

In this week’s lesson, I came to a better understanding on how mathematics is the bridge between art and science. As mentioned in Dr. Vesna’s lecture, mathematics, in general, is the study of numbers and structures that serve as an essential tool in both fields. In science, mathematics is the basis in which all theories are found upon. In arts, all the different dimensions, shapes, and perspectives are due to these mathematical formulas. Thus putting this together, math is both an art (a way of doing) and a science (a way of learning). The universe truly could not have been understood without the language of mathematics. Even till this day, mathematics continues to prove its importance.

One great example of the use of mathematics to combine art and science is in music. One genre that comes in mind specifically is electronic dance music.. Electronic dance music, also known as EDM, is produced through electronic instruments by mixing up notes, beats, and riffs to form a song. To be able to bring these elements together, the artist, also known as disc jockey, must be able to understand the melody and rhythm behind the music. Then, mathematics and science provides the technology to make this possible.

Levels by Avicii is a classic EDM song.

The paintings of artist Jackson Pollock are other examples that contain unique mathematical patterns. Those mathematical patterns were of fractals – complex geometric patterns where shapes and configurations infinitely repeat themselves. His fractal dimensions correspond extremely close to those found in nature, which contributed to the aesthetically appeal of his drop paintings to the public. Additionally, the use of fractals in his painting was able to help distinguish authentic paintings from fake paint splattered works.

Number 14 (1948) by Jackson Pollock

A last example of math’s prevalence in art is through architecture. Specifically, the design of the Parthenon in Athens follows a math proportion known as the golden ratio. This is the ratio for length to width of rectangles to a certain dimension that is considered the most pleasing to the eye. It takes into account the aesthetic elements in mathematics.

The Golden Ratio in Parthenon

Work Cited 

Avicii. “Levels” Youtube. 4 May 2011. Web. 13 October 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_SNQh6zuQo>

Bernhard, Peter. The Golden Ratio in ancient buildings.  2005. Web. 13 October 2013 <https://www.vismath.eu/files/images/gifs/parthenon12.gif>

Ouellette, Jennifer. "Pollock's Fractals." Discover. 1 November 2001. Web. 14 Oct. 2013. <http://discovermagazine.com/2001/nov/featpollock #.Ult4olDryTB>

Pollock, Jackson. Number 14. 1948. Photograph. Web. 13 October 2013. <http://www.thecityreview.com/pollock3.gif> 

Vesna, Victoria. “Mathematics-pt1-ZeroPerspectiveGoldenMean” Cole UC Online. Youtube. 9 April 2012. Web. 13 Oct. 2013. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMmq5B1LKDg>

Two Cultures

Snow’s assertion that the two cultures “in intellectual, moral and psychological climate had so little in common” may have been pertinent in his period of time, but I believe it is too conventional in description now. Two Cultures was written almost 50 years ago, where the educational system gave them the molds and the stereotypes they grow to fit in. It is still somewhat prevalent today, but for the most part the current system has definitely progressed so that we have the freedom to explore other options.

Left and Right

For example, I am a biochemistry major, and like every other student in my major and science field, we must fulfill the general education requirements that encompass the scope of art and humanities, which may be well outside of some student’s comfort zone. However, this allows us the opportunity to experience new subjects we may have never once considered that we could be good, or even excel, in. We may also discover at the end it was not meant to be, but we come out with a better understanding of a different culture and how it may in fact, not be that different at all.

The Art of Science

That being said, I believe that the integration of the two cultures has and is already occurring. The two may be different in perspectives and disciplines but that doesn’t imply one is superior to the other in intellect. Instead, science and literary arts are essentially both striving towards the same goal that as Bohm proposes “the reality in which [one] lives a certain onenesss and totality, or wholeness” (138). In a sense, we all just all trying to understand ourselves and our world in our own way. 

We Do Not Know - Uncertainty, Art and Science: Hannah Redler at TEDxAlbertopolis

References

ASICS. Left and Right. Web. 6 Oct 1993. <http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/print/2009/3/ASICS-art-science.jpg>

Bohm, David. On Creativity. London: Routledge, 1998. Print.

Moyer, Leigh. The Art of Science. Web. 6 Oct 1993. <http://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/masscreative/pages/79/attachments/original/1348593116/Science_Wonder_Art.jpeg?1348593116>

Snow, C. P.. The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1959. Print

TedxTalks. “We do not know - uncertainty, art and science: Hannah Redler at TEDxAlbertopolis” Youtube. Youtube, 3 October 2013. Web. 6 October 2013.