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Event 3: Hammer Museum

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Hammer Museum I recently went to the Hammer museum in Westwood and there were two exhibits that I felt incorporated science and art in unique ways. First, on the main floor there were about ten chairs that spin like a top. These chairs were designed by Tanya Aguiniga who is involved in architecture and design. These chairs were modeled after the design of a spinning top and allow a person to spin around in the chair while being seated. It may seem like a fairly simple concept but there is a large amount of physics that was required to design these chairs. They needed to be able to centralize the mass of the person in the center of the chair otherwise the chair may tip over or the person could lose balance and fall out. I was a bit doubtful about this at first and definitely felt like I would tip the chair over when I leaned back. However, once I gave it a try and did a couple complete spins, I saw how well the chair was designed to balance a person’s weight. ...
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Space + Art

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Space + Art Images of the galaxy and stars are designs that are often used as art in countless items, making art and space two topics that are easily combined. The images of galaxies or even just the view of the stars during a clear night sky has fascinated people and made them wonder about everything that exists far beyond the Earth we know. The Powers of Ten video was interesting in the way it compared the size of the galaxy to the size of a person and then took us down to the atomic scale. As it showed the viewer the difference in each power of ten, it was surprising that there would be regions of emptiness followed by crowded regions. This was true for both the large scale with galaxies and planets as well as the atomic scale. I couldn't believe how there could be such similarities between the microscopic and macroscopic world.  The space race really helped advance space technology with the start of the launching of Sputnik. It was the first device to be...
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Nanotech + Art

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Nanotech + Art I took a great interest in this week’s topic in nanotechnology. As a materials science and engineering major, some of the topics covered were things I focus on within my major. For example the different allotropes of carbon (diamond, graphene, graphite, nanotubes, buckyballs) are a large area of study since my major focuses on the structure of materials and how the atoms are arranged. These differences in structure can lead to different material properties including color, conductivity, and strength. Being able to control the size, structure, and shape of materials allows us to improve upon or create new materials that can be catered to specific applications. Feynman was correct in predicting that the future would focus on scaling things down in size and that there was “room at the bottom”. There is so much that we still do not know in the field of nanotechnology and there have still been huge discoveries such as graphene which are fairly rec...
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Neurosci + Art

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Neurosci + Art ( http://wiredcosmos.com/2012/07/24/the-relationship-between-freud-and-jung/ )       I felt the collaboration and disagreement between Freud and Jung was interesting. It shows how there are many psychological theories/beliefs but it’s an area of science where there is much still unknown. Jung differed from Freud in that he believed dreams were a way of expressing our repressed emotions and desires. Jung also believed that dreams were what helped people channel creativity and imagination whereas Freud was not so optimistic about the self-conscious.   ( http://cbs.fas.harvard.edu/science/connectome-project/brainbow# )      Brainbow is a perfect example of the convergence of art and neuroscience. It maps the patterns and connections of axons and dendrites in different regions of the brain. It does this by color-coding different neurons with fluorescent proteins. By allowing the combination of different amounts o...
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Event 2: Eli Joteva

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Event 2: Eli Joteva This past Tuesday I went to the Eli Jotova’s opening exhibition at the Broad at UCLA. I had read briefly that the display dealt with cryo materials which definitely peaked my interest but I still had no idea what to expect. When I entered, there was a small map showing the layout and it mentioned how certain parts of the exhibit dealt with past, future, or memories. I first walked over to this ice sphere that had an assortment of colors. I was hanging by a rope from the ceiling and below it was a metal pan to catch all of the water that fell off the melting sphere. What was interesting about this was that on an adjacent wall, there was a live projection of the droplets hitting the puddle in the metal pan. This was one of my favorite parts of the exhibit because I felt the ripples the droplets made were beautiful and it was cool that I could see it up close thanks to the projection on the wall.   Next, I went over to an ice sphere that ...
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BioTech + Art

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BioTech + Art               The bioart that I found most interesting was Eduardo Kac’s GFP Bunny, a fluorescent bunny named Alba. He was able to do this by integrating jellyfish DNA into the rabbit’s DNA. I found it amazing that there is enough scientific knowledge about DNA to be able to select one trait and give it to an animal of a different species. I could understand how this bunny incited discussion on gene ethics. The fluorescent gene that was added to the rabbit was a harmless feature to add but I began to think of other characteristics that could possibly be altered. Further research in DNA integration could make animals larger, poisonous, and generally more dangerous. However, other gene alterations such as fur length, color, and pattern can be a way to further ability for artistic expression.                Gene alterations in animals is fairly recent...
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Midterm

Midterm Link:    https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bwu-KZ840Va1MmhIdlNJZDlJQms/view?usp=sharing
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