Event 3: Mark Cohen & Nueroscience

 The event I attended this week was led by Dr. Mark Cohen, an inventor, scientist, and entrepreneur with extensive experience and training in both neuroscience and engineering. Dr. Cohen’s work aims to understand the complex systems of the brain that ultimately accumulate to arrive at the senses we perceive, and how by further understanding how our brain works to perceive sense, we can create art to manipulate the user experience to the artist's advantage.

Brain Information Processing, courtesy of MMA Global

During the event Dr. Cohen went into some detail as to how our brain attempts to work through the immense amount of sensory information constantly around us at all time, filtering many of these senses to only arrive at a very muted and more digestible level for our brain to comprehend. For example, our eyes are only able and trained to perceive light that is of a very specific wavelength, and therefore failing to detect a large amount of sensory information around us that doesn’t fall within our visible spectrum. By knowing that the brain has selective focus and is constantly responsible for disengagement with much of our surroundings, it begs the question of what more is out there that we are unaware of simply because we fail to tune in or correctly process it, and how can we overcome this to take in more?

Various Brain Networks, courtesy of Mark Cohen Event

This is the arena in which Dr. Cohen finds his inspiration for new works both artistic and with medical applications. This understanding also allows us to realize why we can make sense of seemingly so little information, and the brain is able to make sense from so little. Over the years we train our brain to attune to the slightest patterns to aid in recognition and filling in small pieces that may not actually be so that things make sense to ourselves and we find understanding.

An arrangement of 29 lines creates an indistinguishable portrait, courtesy of Mark Cohen Event

Overall this was a very interesting and applicable event to our class and related well to our topics in neuroscience and art. I would recommend this to my peers who are wanting to know more about perception and brain function, as well as people with an interest in art surrounding the brain. 

Sources:

Albu, Cristina. Planetary Re-Enchantment: Human-Animal Entanglements in Victoria Vesna’s Octopus Brainstorming. https://www.sfu.ca/cmajournal/issues/issue-ten--enchantment--disenchantment--reenchantment/cristina-albu.html?fbclid=IwAR1twyrqbeKqNrJSUXSihLVGvX_D9ARndxDv3USnw2pTENE_iXHJtIo8v54. Accessed 29  May 2022.

Mark Cohen, Ph.D. – UCLA Brain Research Institute (BRI). https://bri.ucla.edu/people/mark-cohen/. Accessed 29 May 2022.

“Mobile Cognition Research.” MMA Global, https://www.mmaglobal.com/cognition. Accessed 29 May 2022.

Proof of Attendance:

Week 9: Space & Art

 This week’s materials covered information relating to space and art, with particular focus on the artist's ability to foresee and create reality out of imagination. I found the lecture videos and assigned readings to be very helpful in understanding the role of artists in our worldwide exploration of space and planetary rotation.

Artists' Imagination Inspiring Scientific Work and Technology, courtesy of Professor Vesna's Lecture

Professor Vesna explained how artist's creativity and imagination were major forces in the early stages of understanding space and how we could interact with it. Another important factor at the time making space exploration more prominent was the cold war and arms race between the U.S and Russia to construct deadly weapons of a new magnitude and prove dominance. By the mid to late 1950s technology had increased significantly and allowed for more opportunity to explore how close we could get to space, eventually calling to animals such as dogs and chimps to be the first space travelers in history. I previously had not known about animal space travelers and thought this was extremely controversial, although I do understand how this would generally be better accepted than beginning with human subjects.

Image of Laika, the first Being to be Launched into Space, courtesy of australiangeographic.com

We then swiftly transitioned to human space travel and our first moon landing, which was inevitably dreamt by artists long before scientists could have visualized such a tremendous accomplishment. Since the moon landing. Space travel has increased in volume and frequency, leading to a string of failed missions and numerous deaths. This called for a government pause on human space exploration and gave rise to multiple private space companies with the goal of commercializing space travel. Today, we juggle maintaining a balance between pushing the scientific and artistic bounds of such a fascinating realm of exploration, and protecting and conserving space from human destruction as we continue to infiltrate an otherwise undisturbed environment. Arthur Woods, a member of the Leonardo Space Art Project working Group states that humanity depends on the exploitation and utilization of space and its unique concentration of rare compounds as we move forward, while others caution this usage could create an irreversible imbalance. Personally, I find the history of space exploration to be so fascinating and out of the box thinking, however it is also really frightening how combining artists and scientists can so severely change our world and relationship with space in such a short amount of time.

The Potential of Space Exploitation and Mining, courtesy of mfame.guru

Sources:

About | ARCTIC PERSPECTIVE INITIATIVE. http://arcticperspective.org/about/about. Accessed 25 May 2022.

“CODED UTOPIA.” Continental Drift, 27 Mar. 2007, https://brianholmes.wordpress.com/2007/03/27/coded-utopia/.

Home | Basic Plasma Science Facility. https://plasma.physics.ucla.edu/. Accessed 25 May 2022.

“Dogs in Space.” Australian Geographic, 29 Nov. 2016, https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/education-resources/2016/11/dogs-in-space/.

Leonardo Space Art Project Visioneers. https://spaceart.org/leonardo/vision.html. Accessed 25 May 2022.

Team, Mfame. “U.S. Plans To Legalize Mining on The Moon.” Mfame.Guru, 15 May 2020, https://mfame.guru/u-s-plans-to-legalize-mining-on-the-moon/.

Wilson, Jim. “NASA History Overview.” NASA, 3 Mar. 2015, http://www.nasa.gov/content/nasa-history-overview.

Vesna, Victoria. "Lecture part 1-5." DESMA 9, 25 May 2022, UCLA, Bruinlearn, Unit 9.

Week 8: Nanotechnology & Art

 I found this week’s materials to be quite interesting as it covered the intersection of nanotechnology and art, something I haven’t previously explored at any real depth. The materials most useful to me during my exploration were the lectures presented by Dr. Jim Gimzewski, the reading by Gimzewski & Vesna, and the gallery of “Art in the Age of Nanotechnology”.

The possibilities of nanotech imagined, courtesy of Big Data Analytics

The reading by Gimzewski and Vesna starts off by explaining that the nano scale itself is just too small for a brain to fully comprehend, as it is represented on the metric scale as 1x10^-9. Even though the work being done is at a level that the naked eye cannot detect, the products and technology being created is revolutionary and stretches across many different disciplines, including NASA, the military, biotech, and more everyday practical uses. The implications of nanotechnology are endless and only beginning, but it requires immense collaboration from the humanities and the sciences in order to make these products a reality and widely available.

Nanotech Circuit board, Courtesy of Nano Magazine

One of the largest examples of commercial nanotechnology today are nanoparticles, which take the normal scale of a material and convert it into a nanoscale size, resulting in new properties that the material would otherwise not have. This can be applied to a myriad of materials and then combined with other materials to give items a new performance, such as silver nanoparticles added to socks and underwear to provide the garment with antimicrobial and anti odor effects. The issue however, is that often these nanoparticles are released from the product and end up in the environment where the effects of such nanoparticles have not been well understood. Scientists understand that the nanoparticles provide nuanced properties once converted to their size, however they haven’t researched the lasting effects they will have in the environment and the efforts it will require to remove nanoparticles from the environment. 

The Risk of Nanotech on the Environment, Courtesy of azonano.com

The possibilities to implement nanotechnology are abundant and will call for collaboration between many fields in order to ensure we reach the maximum potential that nanotechnology offers, while also mitigating the potential downfalls of this microtechnology.

Sources:

Abbasi, Ibtisam. “Nanomaterials for Environmental Remediation.” AZoNano.Com, 14 Feb. 2022, https://www.azonano.com/news.aspx?newsID=38684.

Allen, Liz. “How Does Nanotechnology Impact the Environment?” Treehugger, 30 June 2021, https://www.treehugger.com/how-does-nanotechnology-impact-the-environment-5186947.

“Art in the Age of Nanotechnology on Art.Base.” Art.Base, https://art.base.co/event/2104-art-in-the-age-of-nanotechnology. Accessed 20 May 2022.

Gimzewski, Jim, and Victoria Vesna. The Nanomeme Syndrome: Blurring of Fact & Fiction in the Construction of a New Science. UCLA, http://vv.arts.ucla.edu/publications/publications/02-03/JV_nano/JV_nano_artF5VG.htm. 

Global DNA Nanotechnology Market Report 2022-2027 Featuring Major Players - NuProbe USA, Tilibit Nanosystems, GATTAquant, Genisphere, Inovio Pharmaceuticals, & Novartis. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/global-dna-nanotechnology-market-report-150000229.html. Accessed 20 May 2022.

“Is Nanotechnology the Future of Medicine?” Big Data Analytics News, 10 June 2021, https://bigdataanalyticsnews.com/nanotechnology-future-of-medicine/.

Silva, Gabriel A. “Introduction to Nanotechnology and Its Applications to Medicine.” Surgical Neurology, vol. 61, no. 3, Mar. 2004, pp. 216–20. ScienceDirect, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.surneu.2003.09.036.

“The Quantum World of Nanotechnology.” Nano Magazine - Latest Nanotechnology News, https://nano-magazine.com/news/2018/5/23/the-quantum-world-of-nanotechnology. Accessed 20 May 2022.

Vesna, Victoria. "Nanotech for Artists Part 1-4- Dr. Gimzewski." DESMA 9, 16 May 2022, UCLA, Bruinlearn, Unit 8

Week 7: Neuroscience & Art

This weeks’ lecture materials explored the topics of neuroscience and art, as well as the history and understanding of the brain in relation to our perception of art. Overall I was impressed with the multitude of ways to categorize neuroscience as an art medium and this lecture really broadened my awareness of the deep interconnection between the brain and art.

Early Hand Drawings of the Brain by Santiago Ramón y Cajal, Courtesy of nytimes.com

Professor Vesna discussed the concept of consciousness in this weeks’ lectures and posed the question as to what consciousness is and what it means to be present, and for everything to take place in the present moment in order for us to perceive the ultimate reality. I think this idea of consciousness and the ability to use one's consciousness as a tool for art perception really builds on last week's materials of biotechnology and art as the final manipulation of sensory intake preceding perception. Altering sensory perception through drug usage such as LSD or cocaine were discussed as a means of alteration, as the chemicals manipulate the functions within our brain that then provide us with information about our surroundings.

Artistic Rendition of Albert Hofmann on a LSD trip, Courtesy of allthatisinteresting.com

Another aspect of neuroscience that I found interesting was the ways in which scientists have worked to make the brain functions more visible, and artistic, so that an audience of people can grasp what the brain is capable of doing and the quantity of signals it manages. Examples of this type of scientific artwork is seen in Brainbow and Octopus Brainstorming, where the functions of the brain were illuminated to project a visible representation of what chemical processes are taking place in real time. 

Brainbow, Courtesy of Bhekisisa

Sources:

Albu, Cristina. Planetary Re-Enchantment: Human-Animal Entanglements in Victoria Vesna’s Octopus Brainstorming. https://www.sfu.ca/cmajournal/issues/issue-ten--enchantment--disenchantment--reenchantment/cristina-albu.html?fbclid=IwAR1twyrqbeKqNrJSUXSihLVGvX_D9ARndxDv3USnw2pTENE_iXHJtIo8v54. Accessed 13 May 2022.

deCharms, Christopher. A Look inside the Brain in Real Time. 1206377160. www.ted.com, https://www.ted.com/talks/christopher_decharms_a_look_inside_the_brain_in_real_time.

Goldfarb, Kara. “The Story Of The First Ever Intentional LSD Trip.” All That’s Interesting, 15 Feb. 2018, https://allthatsinteresting.com/bicycle-day-albert-hofmann.

Jay, Daniel. “NEUROSCIENCE + ART with Daniel Jay.” DESMA 9, 10 May 2022, UCLA, Bruinlearn, Unit 7.

Philp, Rowan. “There’s Gold at the End of the Brainbow.” Bhekisisa, 28 June 2013, https://bhekisisa.org/article/2013-06-28-00-theres-gold-at-the-end-of-the-brainbow/.

Smith, Roberta. “A Deep Dive Into the Brain, Hand-Drawn by the Father of Neuroscience.” The New York Times, 18 Jan. 2018. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/18/arts/design/brain-neuroscience-santiago-ramon-y-cajal-grey-gallery.html.

“The Spiritual Problem of Modern Man by C.G. Jung.” Carl Jung Depth Psychology, 13 May 2020, https://carljungdepthpsychologysite.blog/2020/05/13/the-spiritual-problem-of-modern-man-by-c-g-jung/.

Vesna, Victoria. "Lecture 1." DESMA 9, 10 May 2022, UCLA, Bruinlearn, Unit 7.

Event 2: Neuroscience & Art

This week I attended a virtual event held by Dr. Daniel Jay, a professor of Molecular, Developmental, and Chemical Biology with a unique background studying visual arts and perception. This event covered topics relating to how the brain works to perceive art and how artists have used this knowledge to develop techniques that take advantage of these neural mechanisms to enhance the art experience. This event was incredibly fascinating and tied in very well to our lecture this week on biotechnology and art. I would highly recommend this event to any fellow classmates, as it really deepens our understanding of how art works to invoke emotion as well as exploring the functions behind our neural connections.

Dr. Daniel Jay, Courtesy of Dan Jay Art

Dr. Jay shared a major scientific discovery relating to how our brain takes our visual sense and converts that information into a digestible format that we can understand. This function requires our brain to convert a 3- dimensional world into a 2- dimensional map with neural circuits, allowing for the higher cortical center to perceive this space as 3- dimensional. The ability to understand the mechanism and the machinery involved in creating the final visual image in our head enables us, as scientists, to now manipulate the visual experiences through targeting the perception mechanism directly. 

Color Blending Technique, Courtesy of thoughtco.com

Over time with practice of directly targeting these mental manipulations, artists can have the viewer experience become something completely false or imaginary due to the simple and strategic artistic approaches outlined by Dr. Jay. This event has taught me the artists’ importance to create and observe their work from the viewer's perspective, as well as shown me how to push the visual bounds through utilizing well studied and understood neural mechanisms to create an image larger than life.

Optical Illusion, Courtesy of amnh.com

Sources:

Dan Jay Art. http://danjayart.com/. Accessed 10 May 2022.

Jay, Daniel. Neuroscience & Art. Accessed 5 May 2022.

Neo-Impressionism and the Artists Behind the Movement. https://www.thoughtco.com/neo-impressionism-and-the-artists-183309. Accessed 10 May 2022.

Optical Illusions and How They Work | AMNH. https://www.amnh.org/explore/ology/brain/optical-illusions-and-how-they-work. Accessed 10 May 2022.

Proof of Attendance:

Week 6: BioTech + Art

 This week's materials delve into the collision between biotechnology and art and the multitude of ways to change our perception of reality through deep imagination and technological advances.

BioScientist working in Lab, Courtesy of Marta De Menezes

I was drawn to the writing by Ellen K. Levy regarding the classification of life, and how much it mirrors the current conundrum we are facing regarding classifying biotechnology within current life forms. Levy argues that by assigning and classifying life forms into arbitrary categories we are creating a specific and narrow point of view that doesn't fully encompass the uniqueness of each individual entity. I found this to be fascinating because with my scientific background I am well versed in the desire to categorize and group together seemingly similar ideas to better process the information, however I never thought how in doing so I was restricting the individualistic properties from shining through. This idea really highlights the importance of an artist's perspective to reimagine these arbitrary labels and work to redefine and appreciate the differences within our creations.

Bionic Assistive Technology, Courtesy of VENKAT

The various designs explored throughout our lecture videos by Professor Vesna really opened my eyes to the direct interconnection between biotechnology and art, specifically how these seemingly strictly medical procedures were imagined by artists, and the combination of both disciplines were required for any of these experiments to come to fruition. Artists can truly think outside the box and what it means to manipulate life and view life as an expressive medium. Experiments including Eduardo Kac’s GFP Bunny & Marta De Menezes Butterfly wing manipulation would not have been possible without the creativity and determination of the artists and the information and technology provided from scientists. These experiments also highlight the importance of pushing the boundaries on living organisms to experience what else is possible to achieve with a combination of modern technology and creative gusto.

Eduardo Kac's GFP Bunny, Courtesy of New Scientist

Sources:

Biotechnology. https://www.usda.gov/topics/biotechnology. Accessed 5 May 2022.

Kac, Eduardo. “GFP Bunny.” GFP Bunny, http://www.ekac.org/gfpbunny.html.  

Levy, Ellen K.. “Defining Life. Artists Challenge Conventional Classifications.” 5 May 2022, UCLA, Bruinlearn. 

Marta de Menezes. https://martademenezes.com/. Accessed 5 May 2022.

Planet of the Apes (1968) - IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063442/. Accessed 5 May 2022.

Proteic Portrait – Marta de Menezes. https://martademenezes.com/art/portraits/proteic-portrait/. Accessed 5 May 2022.

VENKAT. “The Bionic Body: Breakthrough Transplantation Devices.” Assistive Technology Blog, 23 Oct. 2017, https://assistivetechnologyblog.com/2017/10/bionic-body.html.

Vesna, Victoria. "5 BioArt pt2" DESMA 9, 2 May 2022, UCLA, Bruinlearn, Unit 6

Young, Emma. Mutant Bunny | New Scientist. 22 Sept. 2000, https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn16-mutant-bunny/.