Week 4: MedTech + Art

This week's course material was extremely eye opening for me. I did not realize how important anatomy is for artists. It turns out that "anatomy and dissection is truly the intersection of art and science" (Vesna). In 1543 Andreas Vesalius wrote a set of books on human anatomy called 'De Humani Corporis Fabrica'.  This was revolutionary. The books were a "...turning point in history of modern medicine because for the first time the treatment of the disease was understood to be rooted in the accurate representation of the human body inside and out" (Vesna).

“Books, Health and History.” Books Health and History, nyamcenterforhistory.org/tag/andreas-vesalius/.

A wonderful example of art and anatomy is captured in The Body World exhibit. It features real body parts that have been conserved. "The bodies have been preserved through a method known as plastination, which drains them of fluids before replacing them with silicone. This allows the skinned bodies to be exhibited in life-like poses" (Mao). This exhibit is crucial for artists, as they can view real life anatomies, which will assist then in having a better understanding of the human figure. 

“BODY WORLDS Vital – Now in Auckland, New Zealand.” Körperwelten, bodyworlds.com/exhibition/vital-2/.

It is evident that art and medical technology have enabled us to better understand the human body and have facilitated in diagnosing health problems.We are going to see medical "...technology moving us into more and more non invasive ways of looking into the anatomy of the human body" (Vesna). This will assist us with not just diagnosing health conditions, but with actually treating them. Dr. Diana Gramola was able to do just this. She combined meditation and biofeedback with virtual reality in order to treat chronic pain. VR usage is instrumental in aiding patients to control their level of pain. Unfortunately, many physicians are still adverse to exploring non-invasive methods for treating pain. They continue to overly prescribe pain medications.

Kedmey, Dan. “MRI Scans Detect Parkinson's Disease in It's Earliest Stages, Study Finds.” Time, Time, 11 June 2014, time.com/2860630/mri-scans-can-detect-early-onset-of-parkinsons-study-finds/.

Works Cited:

Talks, TEDx. “TEDxAmericanRiviera - Diane Gromala - Curative Powers of Wet, Raw Beauty.” YouTube, YouTube, 7 Dec. 2011, www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRdarMz--Pw.

Ulaby, Neda. “Origins of Exhibited Cadavers Questioned.” NPR, NPR, 11 Aug. 2006, www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5637687.

Vesna, Victoria. “Medicine and Art: Part 1.” YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2012. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ep0M2bOM9Tk>.

Vesna, Victoria. “Medicine and Art: Part 2.” YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded>.

Vesna, Victoria. “Medicine and Art: Part 3.” YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2012. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIX-9mXd3Y4>.

“History - Historic Figures: Andreas Vesalius (1514-1564).” BBC, BBC, www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/vesalius_andreas.shtml.

Mao, Frances. “'Real Bodies' Exhibition Causes Controversy in Australia.” BBC News, BBC, 26 Apr. 2018, www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-43902524.

Event 1

For event 1 I went to the Leonard Kleinrock Internet Heritage Site located at 3420 Boelter Hall where the first internet message was sent. It is incredible how many hidden gems there are on campus. The room I went to was filled with original furniture, historical pictures, research papers and notes. It was designed to take you back in time to 1969 and that is exactly what it did. 

This event is related to week 3's topic, which is industrialization / knowledge production / mechanization / robotics and art. Professor Vesna spoke about what a profound influence computer technology has had on our lives. Throughout this course, there has been a common theme of war and military driving technological advances. It turns out that the Internet first developed from the ARPANET, a rudimentary computer network was commissioned by the U.S. Department of Defense. Leonard Kleinrock when speaking about the ARPANET node said "How many revolutions can you think about where you can see—within a few feet!—where it began? This machine is where the internet breathed to life, spoke its first words," (Kleinrock). I think that this is significant because it is like a time capsule. Technology is rapidly advancing and we can see the importance it in our daily lives. Brad Filder, a doctoral candidate in history assembled this room. I think it is marvelous how a work of art is able to recreate a historic moment in time. 

I think this exhibit will be of tremendous benefit when I am designing my own project for the midterm. I learned that it can take a while before we realize the impact of an invention. This was the case of Leonard Kleinrock's network, which did not gain momentum until after the usage of email by the public. I am going to focus on creating a new product in medical technology. I want to develop a device which will not only be life changing, but shall also open new doors for medical innovations. 

I really enjoyed this exhibit because it was incredible to see how the first form of internet messaging came about and to discover that it happened at UCLA. It is amazing how they were able to place the exhibit in the exact location where it occurred. I would highly recommend going to see this in person because it feels like you are taken back in time to the 1960's. It inspires not only students, but the public to be more innovative.

Works Cited:

Savio, Jessica. “Browsing History: A Heritage Site Is Being Set up in Boelter Hall 3420, the Room the First Internet Message Originated In.” Daily Bruin, Apr. 2011, dailybruin.com/2011/04/01/browsing_history/.

Kudler, Adrian Glick. “Here's the Room at UCLA Where the Internet Was Born (It Tweets).” Curbed LA, Curbed LA, 11 Apr. 2011, la.curbed.com/2011/4/11/10473182/heres-the-room-at-ucla-where-the-internet-was-born-it-tweets-1.

Online, UC. “Robotics pt2.” YouTube, YouTube, 15 Apr. 2012, <www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=92&v=oAZ8bo9T_Pk>.

“Oral-History:Leonard Kleinrock.” Oral-History:Leonard Kleinrock - Engineering and Technology History Wiki, ethw.org/Oral-History:Leonard_Kleinrock.

Walker, Alissa. “This Is The Room Where The Internet Was Born.” Gizmodo, Gizmodo, 5 Mar. 2014, gizmodo.com/this-is-the-room-where-the-internet-was-born-1527205592.

Week 3: Robotics + Art

“The Robots.” Leonardo Da Vinci, www.leonardorobotsociety.org/the-robots.html.

In 1495 the artist, architect, inventor and in many ways the scientist, Leonardo da Vinci invented the "automata that could sit, eat, open its mouth... Pretty much one step away from what we would call today a robot"(Vesna). This was the first verifiable automation.

One country that has embraced Leonardo da Vinci's creation is Japan. At the end of World War II, Japan had to modernize very rapidly.  What transpired is supported by the German philosopher Benjamin Walter's theory that "...Only war makes it possible to mobilize all of today's technical resources while maintaining the property system" (Benjamin). Now Japan is one of the most technologically advanced countries due in part to the consequence of war.

Japan has been highly successful in bridging the gap between robotics and art. Human robots are used to help elderly people and assist in rescuing victims from disasters, such as earthquakes. Robots are designed to look more human-like with friendly faces, which prevents scaring or shocking the public. "Historically, the push for rescue robotics started in 1995 as outcomes of the tragic loss of life in the Hanshin– Awajii earthquake in Kobe, Japan"(Murphy, 1152). The comfort robots are designed to look like pets in order to comfort survivors, which demonstrates how robots aren't just utilized for industrial purposes.

Saleh, Naveed. “Does the Paro Seal Have Actual Therapeutic Value?” Verywell Health, www.verywellhealth.com/paro-the-therapeutic-robot-seal-1123855.

Robots in Japan are found in manga and in popular culture. One example of this is Astroboy who is a robot who can fly and is empowered by nuclear energy. He exhibits human emotion. Astroboy was called the child of science. He was supposed to bring hope and courage to future Japanese generations following the defeat of World War II, which it did.

“Astro Boy | / Anime / in 2019 | Astro Boy, Boy Tattoos, Boy Art.” Pinterest, 5 Feb. 2019, www.pinterest.com/pin/9710955418279682/?lp=true.

In Japan the distinction between artist and engineer isn't as clearly delineated as in the west. There are engineers who develop robots with an artistic commentary. Professor Ishiguro from Osaka, Japan is known for his Geminoid (a very realistic looking robot). He himself has plastic surgery every few years in order to remain as youthful as his robot. Ishiguro's "robots appear realistic; however, their movements are very mechanical" (Kusahara). By creating them, he is able to find a connection between robots and human beings. Ishiguro builds the robots to to look like people, since "Our brains are wired to relate to other humans—we’re optimized for human-human, not human-Asimo [robot], interaction" (Ishiguro). 

Precincts, QUT. “QUT - Robotronica - Hiroshi Ishiguro.” QUT Robotronica Graphic, www.robotronica.qut.edu.au/talks/hiroshi-ishiguro.php.

I hope that in the future Western countries will start focusing on the beneficial aspects of robots like Japan has, in lieu of depicting robots in an evil manner . For example, in the movie iRobot, robots are deemed to take over the world. Instead, the West should embrace the developments of advanced technology, as Japan did following World War II.

Works Cited: 

Benjamin, Walter. "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction." Stardom and Celebrity: A Reader (n.d.): 25-33. Web.

Brooks, Rodney. "Robots will invade our lives." Rodney Brooks: Robots will invade our lives | TED Talk | TED.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2017.

Online, UC. “Robotics pt2.” YouTube, YouTube, 15 Apr. 2012, <www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=92&v=oAZ8bo9T_Pk>.

Online, UC. “Robotics MachikoKusahara 1.” YouTube. YouTube, 14 Apr. 2012. Web. 19 Oct. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded>.

Murphy, Robin R, et al. Search and Rescue Robotics.
pdfs.semanticscholar.org/bfaa/3c62051674ef59f65b62fb408b99e88ed27d.pdf.

Guizzo, Erico. “Hiroshi Ishiguro: The Man Who Made a Copy of Himself.” IEEE Spectrum:

Technology, Engineering, and Science News, IEEE Spectrum, 23 Apr. 2010,

spectrum.ieee.org/robotics/humanoids/hiroshi-ishiguro-the-man-who-made-a-copy-of-himself.

Week 2: Math + Art

As someone who has never been fond of math, after watching and reading how math has influenced art and science, I have now developed a new found respect for it. The golden ratio is the ultimate connection between math and art.  Leonardo DiVinci was one of the earliest artists who utilized the golden ration as demonstrated in the Vitruvian Man, which used the "human figure as the source of proportion for classical proportions in architecture" (Vesna). DiVinci "developed mathematical formulas to compute the relationship between distance and the eye to the object and its science of intersecting plane" (Vesna).   The pyramids of Egypt and the Parthenon are monuments that illustrate the application of the golden ratio in architecture. 

Piet Mondrian is one of my favorite artists. I find the simplicity of his pieces very appealing. It turns out that "he very much believed in mathematics and simple geometrical shapes, and primary colors that could be used to express reality and nature and logic from a different point of view" (Vesna). The golden triangle repeatedly appears in his art, which demonstrates how math has influenced art. 

Just like with Piet Mondrian's s geometrical style of art, one may not realize that such simple visualization employs a tremendous amount of technicality. Some art critics thought a "trained chimpanzee could do just as well"  (Ouellette) when it came to making his art. It turns out that "In Jackson Pollock's drip paintings, as in nature, certain patterns are repeated again and again at various levels of magnification. Such fractals have varying degrees of complexity" (Ouellette). What made Pollock's work special was the way in which he dripped the paint, which resulted in the fractal. 

Fractal Scale Complexity 

Math, art and science are all intertwined. Through viewing the works of DiVinci, Mondrian and Pollack one can see how math and science are the foundation of art. Without the integration of mathematical and scientific principles, art would have not have progressed in the same manner and been as innovative.

Sources:

Vesna, Victoria. “Mathematics-pt1-ZeroPerspectiveGoldenMean.mov.” Cole UC online. Youtube, 9 April 2012. Web. 11 Oct. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMmq5B1LKDg&feature=player_embedded>

Ouellette, Jennifer. “April 2019.” Discover Magazine, 2001, discovermagazine.com/2001/nov/featpollock.

Taylor, R. P., & Spehar, B. (1970, January 01). Fractal Fluency: An Intimate Relationship Between the Brain and Processing of Fractal Stimuli. Retrieved April 9, 2019 from https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4939-3995-4_30

The Fibonacci Sequence, Spirals and the Golden Mean. (n.d.). Retrieved April 9, 2019, from https://math.temple.edu/~reich/Fib/fibo.html

“Mathematical Masterpieces: Making Art From Equations.” Discover Magazine, 28 Feb. 2014, discovermagazine.com/galleries/2014/april/math-art.

Image Sources:

Meisner, Gary, et al. “Divine Proportion/Golden Ratio in the Art of Da Vinci.” The Golden Ratio: Phi, 1.618, 24 Sept. 2016, www.goldennumber.net/leonardo-da-vinci-golden-ratio-art/.

Bazan, Caroline. “Mondrian Art - A Hundred Year Legacy - Musart Boutique.” Musart Boutique Gift Shop - Museum Shop and Unique Gift Ideas, 19 Apr. 2017, musartboutique.com/mondrian-art-hundred-year-legacy/.

“Mathematical Masterpieces: Making Art From Equations.” Discover Magazine, 28 Feb. 2014, discovermagazine.com/galleries/2014/april/math-art.

Week 1: Two Cultures

Ever since I was young, I have felt the apparent divide between two cultures. I remember when I was applying for admission to high schools in New York City, I had to choose between the creative humanities based high school or the math and science high school. Both were praised by the public school system for two completely different reasons. It felt like no matter which school I chose that I would still be missing out on some key elements in my education. One part of me felt that the math and science school would better present me in regards to society's standards due to "The term “science” also entails people aiming high" (Kelly). Ultimately, I chose the humanities based school as Noam Chomsky stated in his speech that our educational system is "an indoctrination of the young" and "the educational is supposed to train people to be obedient conformists" (Chomsky). As I yearned for a more individualistic and creative environment which would enhance my critical thinking and enable me to be more open minded, I felt that this option was better suited for me.

Now as a freshman in college, I still face the same struggle of choosing between two cultures. UCLA makes it easy to feel the divide between science and humanities due to North Campus and South Campus being on opposite ends of campus. The North and South campus also physically appear as if they are two separate institutions. I entered my Freshman year at UCLA with an undecided major. My goal was to bridge that gap and take classes on North and South Campus, so that I would benefit from both cultures. Coming from a humanities based high school, I did not want to completely disregard the sciences as “remarked earlier that highly educated  members of the non-scientific culture couldn’t cope with the simplest concepts of pure science” (Snow 31). Society puts us in situations where we are forced to choose which path we will follow. I also "believe the intellectual life of the whole of western society is being increasingly split into two polar groups” (Vesna 4). It is apparent that "Science/Technology literacy will need to become much more widespread" (Wilson).

“Interstitial Advertisement.” DesignTAXI, designtaxi.com/interstitial.html?v=1&advertiser=External&return_url=https%3A%2F%2Fdesigntaxi.com%2Fnews%2F366607%2Finfographic-the-art-and-science-of-content-marketing%2Fnews.rss%2Fnews.rss%2F.

Maya, Shameless. “Major Difference Living in New York Vs Los Angeles.” YouTube, YouTube, 27 July 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ybauuWxBEA.

I am from NYC, which embraces a completely different culture from that of LA. I have felt the divide in cultures in more than just the educational system, since moving to the polar opposite city.

Works Cited:


Talks, TEDx. “‘Art and Science’ OR ‘Art or Science’? | Warren Karp | TEDxAugusta.” YouTube, YouTube, 7 Mar. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfpK8TZFldA.

Chomsky, Noam. "Education Is a System of Indoctrination of the Young." YouTube. YouTube, 1 June 2012. Web.

Vesna, Victoria. "Toward a Third Culture: Being in between." Leonardo 34.2 (2001): 121-25. JSTOR. 02 Apr. 2015. Web.

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

Kelly, K. "ESSAYS ON SCIENCE AND SOCIETY:The Third Culture." Science 279.5353 (1998): 992-93. Web.

Wilson, Stephen D. “Myths and Confusions in Thinking about Art/Science/Technology.” College Art Association Meetings. New York, New York, 2000. Print