melissamDESMA9

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. ...

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...

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...

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...

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 ...

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...

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

Medicine and art      Diane Gromala explains how she suffers from chronic pain and how that drives her interest in the senses. Her artwork which depicts roadkill as an art was interesting however I didn’t necessarily enjoy or feel comfortable with this type of art. I suppose it wasn’t necessarily designed to be a pleasant response as much as it was meant to induce a strong reaction. She also shares her experience with virtual reality and the senses which help a person focus on certain parts of their body.            This also relates in some ways to how the artist Orlan shares her experience with plastic surgery and incites a reaction from the viewer even though it may not be pleasant. Her work makes the viewer more aware of their body as they watch her alter hers. I found myself often wanting to look away because I have never been comfortable with the idea of surgeries of any kind. Despite this, her work does make me see how t...

Welcome to My Woods This past Wednesday I went to Linda Weintraub’s open workshop called Welcome to My Woods in CNSI. I hadn’t done any previous research on her art so I had no idea what to expect which actually added to my excitement of attending. When I arrived Linda had each of us wait outside the exhibit and introduce ourselves to the whole group. When I said I was a Materials Science and Engineering major she was intrigued and said that the exhibit would definitely relate to my interests. Linda then asked us how much of our life we spend walking on a manmade surface and how much time we spend holding objects made of manmade materials. These questions really made me realize how disconnected I am from nature and how dependent I am on technology. Linda then explained this was part of the inspiration behind her exhibit and she then welcomed everyone to explore her exhibit. Inside there were five circles each with boxes in the center. The boxes were each categorized by the ...

Robotics + Art (https://techcrunch.com/2016/05/13/robots-wont-just-take-jobs-theyll-create-them/)      William Benjamin mentions that often times conventional art is enjoyed while new art is subjected to harsh criticism. I agree with this statement because I find that the public has been very harsh towards the advancements in robotics. There are many comments of how robots will take over all of the jobs, leaving people with no means to make money. Other critics claim that if robot technology continues to advance, robots may someday be able to have their own individual thought.      People fear robots could out-smart and over-power humans, and gain control over our lives. Many movies play on this public’s common fear such as in “I, Robot.” In this movie, robots whose purpose is to serve humans ultimately revolt and take over the government, police and people. These largely held public fears are obstacles that can potentially hinder...

Math and Art                                                                                            (Robert J. Lang Origami) Origami design is a skill that transforms a 2D paper into a 3D sculpture. One can see from the image above, origami artists require a great understanding of geometry in order to design and fold incredibly detailed pieces. By using geometry, an artist is able to figure out what angles to fold a paper which will result in the shape they are envisioning. I find this interesting since I occasionally will make origami, however I don’t have a good enough understanding to create my own designs. Da Vinci used the “Golden Ratio” in many of his famous artworks such as The Last Supper and Mona Lisa. It was found by many artis...

TWO  CULTURES I am a 4 th year Materials Science and Engineering major and will be graduating this coming June. The two cultures have affected my life by making me choose between the two at a fairly early age. My experience throughout my education was that science and art were topics that were never combined. There was also an insinuation that if you excelled at one, you could not excel at the other. I chose to pursue the sciences and was mainly influenced by my family which have chosen careers in science. They told me that there was more job security if I had a career in the sciences which now that I’ve had experience looking for jobs; I don’t know if that’s necessarily true.  (Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Materials_science) However, when I reflect on my choice of major, I do see ways in which art has influenced it. I always enjoyed making pottery and ceramics and now my research in Materials engineering specializes in ceramics. Althou...