Week Six: BioTechnology & Art

          To understand ideas on a deeper level, scientists and artists combine in many projects. Whether it be animal experimentation or something as simple as food recipes, this combination can be seen in all of the projects involving Biotechnology and Art. Looking at the week 6 reading, I learned about the importance of both biotechnology and art when looking at their joint works involving animals, food, our body, and more. It showed me how our society relies on technology and experiments more and more every day. This can be seen, as Professor Vesna noted, with all the GMOs in our food. This application of art and biotechnology, GMOs, diversifies our species and truly is changing the world, (Week 6 Biotech Intro Video). 

I found Gary Wenk’s article This is Your Brain on Food very interesting. He talked about all the chemicals in food and how they can alter how your neurons function and how you think/feel. I also found it interesting the scenario he explained about a spaceman getting bit by an unfriendly fanged creature. He talked about how the spaceman would not die as the creature and spaceman don’t share the same evolutionary past or a common ancestor. This distinction makes it very rare for both to have similar neurotransmitter molecules within their respective brains and bodies. All of this made me realize how experiments and exploring/speculating the arts and biotechnology helps us come up with this answer. 

          I also was very interested in Joe Davis’ experiments. It was fascinating to see how all the experiments tied into biotechnology and arts with both experts working together. The artists operate directly with scientists ranging from all branches of science to look into our body composition. Looking at our body and our molecular and chemical makeup, as well as our cellular tissue level, helps us all become more knowledgeable about our body and our abilities as a human being, (Biotechnology and Art Video). All of his experiments help explore the question whether life is an expressive medium or not. 

         Life can be seen as a valid Expressive medium as shown by Davis' experiments ranging from his “primordial clock” that shows life is spontaneously self-assembled to his “audio microscope” that translate light into sound allowing the sound of living cells to be heard through its own unique acoustic signature. The ability to learn all there is to learn from these experiments; distinguish specific cells, define body compositions and genes in the body, and more leads to the expansion of knowledge. This knowledge serves as a foundation for future experiments and endeavors.

         All in all, I found this week’s readings interesting as my sister wants to be a surgeon. Seeing all the improvements and knowledge provided by biotechnology and art makes me very excited for my sister as I feel she is very artistic and will hopefully contribute to this unique combination and make waves in the medical world!

Sources

Armstrong, Steve. "Watch Yer Back #alien #space #spaceman #creature #astronaut #scifi #drawing #doodle #sketch #inktober Pic.twitter.com/JFleAhGofe." Twitter. Twitter, 04 Oct. 2016. Web. 12 May 2017. 

"GMOs News, Articles and Information:." NaturalNews. Truth Publishing International, n.d. Web. 13 May 2017. 

Magazine, Gary Wenk for Seed. "This Is Your Brain on Food." This Is Your Brain on Food § SEEDMAGAZINE.COM. Seed Media Group, 13 Sept. 2010. Web. 14 May 2017.

Nadis, Steve. "June 2017." Discover Magazine. Kalmbach Publishing Company, 29 Mar. 2013. Web. 12 May 2017.

Vesna, Victoria. Lecture. Biotech Intro Video. University of California, Los Angeles, May 10, 

2017.

Vesna, Victoria. Lecture. Biotechnology and Art pt. 1 Video. University of California, Los 

Angeles, May 11, 2017.