Week 9: Space and Art

Art, specifically science fiction, has greatly influenced science. Many scientists have grown up with science fiction and go on to try to recreate the technologies they read or saw when they were younger.

One technology that scientists have attempted to recreate is the blaster technology used in Star Wars. These guns work by firing a laser at the target instead of using metal bullets. A team of researchers at the University of Warsaw created a high powered laser that could fire a laser pulse like these blasters. However, these lasers move at the speed of light and are not so easily visible like the lasers in the movies (Star).

Another technology from science fiction that scientists are attempting to replicate is the ability to teleport people and objects like in Star Trek. At team in the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands have recently announced that they were able to transmit information quantum information between electrons instantaneously and reliably (Statt). Shortly afterward the U.S. army reported it had achieved the same thing (LaFrance). Although teleporting objects and people is still not possible, the advances in quantum teleportation in a small way mirrors the technology in Star Trek.

Although there has been an abundance of science fiction set in space, the theme of space in other artwork has not reached the same level of cultural impact. One such work of art that attempts to address this deficit is the cosmic dancer. The cosmic dancer is a sculpture that was taken into space so it can be observed from different directions. This allows the viewer to appreciate the sculpture without the limitation that gravity would normally place on the perspective of the viewer (Woods).

In a similar manner, many other artists have used parabolic zero gravity flights or chambers filled with liquid in order to work in a low gravity environment (Forde). Space art and science has come full circle, with artists who are inspired by scientists who were initially inspired science fiction.

Works Cited

Forde, Kathleen. "ART & ZERO GRAVITY." Dancing on the Ceiling. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 May 2015. <zerogravity.empac.rpi.edu>.

LaFrance, Adrienne. "The U.S. Army Says It Can Teleport Quantum Data Now, Too." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 10 June 2014. Web. 31 May 2015.  <http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/06/the-us-army-says-it-can-teleport-quantum-data-now-too/372545/>.

Star, Michelle. "This Is What a 'Star Wars' Blaster Bolt Would Look like in Real Life." CNET. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 May 2015. <http://www.cnet.com/news/this-is-what-a-star-wars-blaster-bolt-would-look-like-in-real-life/>.

Statt, Nick. "Scientists Achieve Reliable Quantum Teleportation for First Time." CNET. N.p., 29 May 2014. Web. 31 May 2015. <http://www.cnet.com/news/scientists-achieve-reliable-quantum-teleportation-for-the-first-time/>.

Woods, Arthur. "Cosmic Dancer." The Cosmic Dancer Project : Home : Arthur Woods. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 May 2015. <http://www.cosmicdancer.com/index.php>.

Week 8: Nanotech and Art

Before this week, I knew some applications of nanotechnology, especially for its use to visualize very small objects through microscopy and its possible uses for medicine. However, I did not know that nanotechnology already been incorporated into the products we use every day. Everyday products like sunscreen and cosmetics rely on nanoparticles to work properly. (Gimzewski). The future of this technology excites many scientists in the field. According to Paul Alivisatos, associate director of physical sciences at Lawrence Berkeley national Laboratory's nanofabrication center, “Nano’s going to be like the invention of plastic, […] It’ll be everywhere” (Kahn).

Through nanotechnology, scientists are trying to replicate what nature has already engineered. Our cells work on the nanoscale to engineer almost everything we use in our bodies. Some scientists are trying to engineer nanoscale factories while other scientists are trying to engineer DNA to create organisms that create certain products (Rothemund). I believe both methods will have an important role in the future of nanotechnology as problems that can’t be solved with other method will likely be solved through the other approach.

Artists have also done a lot of work with nanotechnology. One such work of art is Nano-Scape by Christa Sommer and Laurent Mignonneau. This work of art uses magnetic feedback to allow users to “feel” invisible nanoparticles that work together to form a changing sculpture. This dynamic sculpture changes as the user interacts with it (Curtin). 

Artwork like this that helps the public interact with and understand nanotechnology is incredibly important. As of right now, much of the public is still scared of nanotechnology and popular science articles often serves to increase this fear. Science fiction has often depicted nanotechnology unfavorably and this has colored the public’s perception of this emerging technology. However, artists can help the public understand and appreciate nanotechnology and possibly turn this fear into cautious optimism.

Works Cited

Curtin, John. "Art in the Age of Nanotechnology." Art.base. N.p., 30 Apr. 2015. Web. 24 May 2015. <https://art.base.co/event/2104-art-in-the-age-of-nanotechnology>.

Gimzewski, James K. "Nanotech." University of California. Web. 24 May 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKlViSKkPd0>.

Kahn, Jennifer. "Nanotechnology's Big Future." Nanotechnology Article. National Geographic, June 2006. Web. 24 May 2015. <http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/space/universe/nanotechnology.html>.

Rothemund, Paul. "Paul Rothemund: DNA Folding, in Detail." 24 May 2015. TED Talk. Web. 24 May 2015. <http://www.ted.com/talks/paul_rothemund_details_dna_folding/transcript?language=en>.

Smith, Jessica. "Nanotechnology with Caution, Not Fear." The Berkeley Science Review. N.p., 18 May 2012. Web. 24 May 2015. <http://berkeleysciencereview.com/nanotechnology-with-caution-not-fear/>.

Week 7: Neuroscience and Art

The topics of consciousness and perception have fascinated artists and scientists. The brain is responsible for creating and perceiving scientific and artistic projects. This makes the brain an important connection between science and art.

The Brainbow is a good example of a neuroscience technique that could also be considered art. This technique makes neurons create random amount of colored proteins which allows researchers to visualize neurons ("The 100 Colours of the Brainbow").The result of this technique is very beautiful and can help people think about the complexity of the brain in different ways much like a work of art.

I always knew about the effect that mind altering drugs like shrooms or LSD had on popular culture, but I didn’t know about how much the fascinated the scientific community. The first person who self-experimented extensively with LSD was in 1943 by a Swiss scientist named Albert Hoffman. He had a remarkable experience and believed that it could possibly be used in psychotherapy ("April 19th, 1943: "Bicycle Day"” ). In the 1960s, Harvard psychology professor Timothy Leary played a huge role in popularizing LSD in the United States. He did many experiments with LSD on prisoners to see if the drug could influence re-offense rates. The prisoners in his study had a lower re-offense rate and also scored better on personality assessments. ("Timothy Leary - Alcohol Rehab")  Leary also advocated the use of LSD by his students. He believed that LSD helps people think in alternative ways and encouraged young people to question authority. He ended up playing a huge role in the development of the counter-culture of the 60s (Precourt). 

The history of LSD showed me how neuroscience and culture can influence one another.

Works Cited

"April 19th, 1943: "Bicycle Day"” Magic Bus San Francisco. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2015. <http://magicbussf.com/today-is-the-day/>.

Precourt, Annie. "Timothy Leary and Psychedelic Drugs in the 60s” Cold War Museum. Ed. Jeremy Simmons. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2015. <http://www.coldwar.org/articles/60s/timothyleary60s.asp>.

Sante, Review L. "The Nutty Professor." The New York Times. The New York Times, 24 June 2006. Web. 18 May 2015. <http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/25/books/review/25sante.html?pagewanted=all>.

"Timothy Leary - Alcohol Rehab." Alcohol Rehab. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2015. <http://alcoholrehab.com/drug-addiction/timothy-leary/>.

"The 100 Colours of the Brainbow." Neurophilosophy. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2015. <http://scienceblogs.com/neurophilosophy/2007/10/31/the-100-colours-of-the-brainbow/>.

Week 6: Biotech and Art

Animal have been used for scientific experiments for centuries. Early Greek scientists like Aristotle and Erasistratus used living animals in some of their experiments, and history since them is littered with scientists who have also used animal experimentation. Despite its long history, animal experimentation is a controversial topic in society today (Hajar). It is because of concerns raised by animal rights activists, in addition to simple human morality, that there are stringent standards on animal experimentation.

I bring this up because I believe art can be derived from living organisms, but only if the artists follow similar restrictions to what scientists must follow. There are many rules placed on scientists who want to conduct animal research, but at the core of them is the belief that one should not cause unnecessary suffering to the animals (Festing and Wilkinson). Scientists have to justify the benefit of using animals far outweighs the pain that the animals may experience. As for artists, I believe they should be subjected to even stronger restrictions than scientists have to go through. This is because it nearly impossible to do a fair cost-benefit analysis on the use of animals in art because it is difficult to predict the benefit of a work of art before it is completed. Therefore, artists should avoid causing pain to animals, even at the expense of their artistic freedom.

However, artists still have many options available to use biotech in artwork. One such example is GFP rabbit, Alba, credited to Eduardo Kac. This rabbit expressed green fluorescent protein (GFP), a gene found in a species of jellyfish, in order to make a mouse that will glow green when exposed to the correct type of light ("Transgenic Bunny by Eduardo Kac"). Research into GFP exposure in laboratory animals show that GFP does not cause significant adverse effects to the animals that express it (Richards et al.).Therefore work with GFP or similar nontoxic genes can reasonably be used as part of biotech art. However, the GFP rabbit also highlights other difficulties artists can have in using biotech for art. Kac ended up butting heads with the scientists he initially worked with over the fate of Alba. After the death of Alba, Kac and the scientists both publicly vented their frustrations towards each other (Philipkoski). The story of Alba shows that there are still many difficulties in the use of even relatively harmless biotech in art.

Works Cited

Festing, Simon, and Robin Wilkinson. "The Ethics of Animal Research. Talking Point on the Use of Animals in Scientific Research." EMBO Reports. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 8 Jan. 2007. Web. 10 May 2015. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2002542/>.

Hajar, Rachel. "Animal Testing and Medicine." Heart Views : The Official Journal of the Gulf Heart Association. Medknow Publications Pvt Ltd, 12 Jan. 2011. Web. 11 May 2015. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3123518/>.

Philipkoski, Kristen. "RIP: Alba, the Glowing Bunny." WIRED. N.p., 08 Dec. 2002. Web. 11 May 2015. <http://archive.wired.com/medtech/health/news/2002/08/54399?currentPage=all>.

Richards, Harold A., Chung-Ting Han, Robert G. Hopkins, Mark L. Failla, William W. Ward, and C. N. Stewart, Jr. "Safety Assessment of Recombinant Green Fluorescent Protein Orally Administered to Weaned Rats." The Journal of Nutrition 113.6 (2003): 1909-912. Web.

"Transgenic Bunny by Eduardo Kac." Transgenic Bunny by Eduardo Kac. Genome News Network, 29 Mar. 2002. Web. 10 May 2015. <http://www.genomenewsnetwork.org/articles/03_02/bunny_art.shtml>.