EC Event: The California Science Center

The Northrop T-38 and F-20 Tigershark

On May 30th, after visiting the Natural History Museum, I took a visit to the California Science Center, which was nearby. Upon my entrance, I was fascinated by the sheer number of different aircrafts that were exhibited. The first ones that caught my attention were the fighter jets. The Northrop T-38 was the fist-ever twin-engine and carried high-altitude supersonic features. In its history, it was mainly used for advanced pilot training since the 1960s. Being made out of aluminum alloy, the first T-38 flew in 1959, and today, about half of the planes are still in service. Another fighter jet that was interesting was the F-20 Tigershark. In its description, its efficiency was its best characteristic; it was easy to fly and was fairly inexpensive to maintain. One of its remarkable features was its ability to be ready for combat just one minute after takeoff. However, mass production of the plane and its distribution never happened, so seeing it in the science center was really special.

The Wright Glider

Going up the escalator, there were several other planes, but the one that caught my attention was the Wright Glider, which I have already heard about. It was created in 1902 by Orville and Wilbur Wright, and it was the first-ever plane to achieve controlled flight. Judging by its look, it seemed really fragile; it is appalling to imagine how a single person was able to make out of its flight alive. Despite its simplistic model, it is intriguing to know how its fundamental mechanics were able to be passed on generation after generation of its successive planes, even to today.

The Space Shuttle Endeavour

Probably the most interesting component of the California Science Center is the Space Shuttle Endeavour. By my first appearance, its size was utterly massive; the complexity of its structure was truly amazing. Going through its history, the Endeavour successfully completed 25 missions into space, including the first service mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. Overall, my experience at the California Science Center was truly inspirational, and after watching the lecture video on space and art, it was interesting how everything connected and came together when I actually saw its history in person.

https://californiasciencecenter.org

Event 3: Natural History Museum in LA

Aragonite

On May 30th, I went with my family to the Natural History Museum. During my time there, I came across various rooms that were filled with all sorts of fascinating attractions. There was almost too much to see, but I started with the gem and mineral hall. It was amazing to see so many different types of minerals, crystals, gems and rocks all in one area. Each one had its own unique size, shape, color, and texture to it: Mesolite on Apophyllite had an illusion that it was straightened white fur forming out of a rock, but if you looked closely, it had a crystalline pattern. Barite had a unique red glow to it, having combinations of both smooth and rough texture. The Mojave Nugget is made out of pure gold and weight 156 troy ounces; it is labeled as the largest known gold nugget from California. Probably the most interesting to me was Aragonite from Xichang, Sichuan Province, China. It had different variations of blue spilled all around it with different shapes protruding from all edges. Judging from appearance, it carried both gems and minerals in it.

Mojave Nugget

An assortment of all sorts of gems and minerals

Next, I visited the dinosaur section. The exhibit was large; it held more dinosaurs than I could imagine, some of them which I have never even seen before. It was interesting to read in one of the descriptions how dinosaurs attracted mates. I learned that many dinosaurs expressed different features such as horns, crests, and frills on their headgear. While comparing the different triceratops’ skulls, I was able to differentiate between the two seemingly alike creatures. My favorite dinosaur is the brachiosaurus. It’s long and protruding neck was so fascinating to me. Looking at its size, it is hard to imagine that these dinosaurs were living on Earth just as how we humans are now.

Left to Right: Brachiosaurus and Triceratops

Lastly, I visited the North American Diorama Hall. All of the animals looked so natural and real; I saw moose, cats, bears, deer, horses, elephants, buffalo, and much more. While witnessing all of these different animals, it reminded me of how biotech relates to art. It is intriguing to think how scientists are capable to preserve the entirety on the animal while still making it appear real. Only through advanced technology in biology was this made possible. Overall, my experience at the museum was really special. I truly gained further insights into how science can connect with art, and how through this connection, such a beautiful attraction like the Natural History Museum could be formed.

Buffalo in the North American Diorama Hall

Unit 9: Space + Art

Galaxy

Not long after the discovery of nanotechnology and its appliance to art came findings in space technology. Nicolaus Copernicus was one of the first to propose his ideas to the world about astronomy; he published an early description of his heliocentric model of the solar system in 1512. His description depicts the Sun in the middle of the solar system, but not exactly symmetric. There have been earlier findings of this model, but it was through him where he fused mathematics with it. His discoveries have not been published due to fear that he might get into trouble, but today, there are numerous astronomical devices that are named after him such as the telescope and satellite. Speaking of the telescope, this invention has enabled nanotechnology to come into play. By expanding into the macro by powers of ten, we can see how after earth comes the solar system, then the billions of stars, then the galaxy, and so on. By shrinking by powers of ten, we can go beyond matter and into the atom, where there lies protons and neutrons. For instance, through the use of the telescope, the discovery of bucky balls was able to take place.

Telescope

The launching of Sputnik 1 in 1957 created a space race involving the United States and the Soviet Union. There was increased conception during this time between the two rivals, which led to Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin becoming the first men to land on the moon during the Apollo 11 space mission. This created new scientific revolutions in space exploration, and later, different artists around the world have shown their interest in space through movies such as Star Wars and Star Trek.

Neil Armstrong

Sources:

Office, Eames. “Powers of Ten™ (1977).” YouTube, YouTube, 26 Aug. 2010, www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=8&v=0fKBhvDjuy0.

Vesna, Victoria. “8 Space pt1”. Youtube, 29 July 2013, Web. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZIqTR332l8.
Vesna, Victoria. “8 Space pt2”. Youtube, 29 July 2013, Web. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLZMDpoP-u0.
Vesna, Victoria. “8 Space pt3”. Youtube, 29 July 2013, Web. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=481&v=4WOqt_C55Mk. 
Vesna, Victoria. “8 Space pt4”. Youtube, 29 July 2013, Web. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5ClKO6AJPo. 
Vesna, Victoria. “8 Space pt5”. Youtube, 29 July 2013, Web. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnSUHMXBmdg.
Vesna, Victoria. “8 Space pt6”. Youtube, 29 July 2013, Web. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYmOtFjIj0M. 

Unit 8: NanoTech + Art

The Nanoscale

Nanotechnology originally comes from the Greek word “dwarf” but in the field of science, it is interpreted in more complex terms. It is referred to a billionth of a meter (1 x10^-9) and typically, on the nanoscale it is referred to on a scale from one to one hundred nanometers. Nanotechnology first became proposed in the 20th century by a Japanese engineer named Norio Taniguchi. In a 1974 conference, he described semiconductor processes such as thin film deposition. Using the new discovery of nanotechnology, entirely new dimensions and scale beyond what the human brain can decipher were able to be utilized in controlling engineering and art. However, this new form of technology was at first difficult to be understood by society as well as in the scientific realm. Several attempts to explain its abstractness were put into place, such as Nobel Laureate Sir Harry Kroto in his explanation relating the human head to Earth. He saw the human head as a nanometer in relation to the size of the Earth. The solution to understanding this topic involved gathering media, artists and nano-scientists together discuss all the opinions.

Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM)

Buckyball

In talking about paradigm shifts through the growing use of nanotechnology, the Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM) provided just that. It represents a shift in the human brain from seeing to feeling. This is performed by having a sharp tip go across the surface of the object using a quantum electron tunneling current; this would be displayed on the screen, and with these images, there developed an unconscious connection between the atomic world and the human world. The discovery of the STM led to other discoveries such as in breaking up molecular bonds between atoms, and by this, it led to further discoveries regarding the manipulation of chemical structures of different elements. Buckyballs were a discovery in nanotechnology as well. The buckyball contained 60 carbon atoms arranged in both hexagons and pentagons where no two pentagons faced each other.

Sources:

AZoNano. “BuckyBalls - A Nanotechnology Building Block, How To Make Them, History, Properties and Applications.” AZoNano.com, 17 July 2014, www.azonano.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=1781.

Gimzewski, Jim, and Victoria Vesna. “The Nanomeme Syndrome: Blurring of Fact & Fiction in the Construction of a New Science.” The Nanomeme Syndrome: Blurring of Fact & Fiction in the Construction of a New Science, vv.arts.ucla.edu/publications/publications/02-03/JV_nano/

JV_nano_artF5VG.htm.

Gimzewski, Jim. “Nanotech Jim pt1.” YouTube, YouTube, 21 May 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7jM6-iqzzE.

Gimzewski, Jim. “Nanotech Jim pt2.” YouTube, YouTube, 21 May 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=278&v=HEp6t0v-v9c.

“John Curtin Gallery.” Art.Base, art.base.co/event/2104-art-in-the-age-of-nanotechnology.

Unit 7: Neurosci + Art

Phrenology

The idea of consciousness, its origins, and how it functions in correspondence to the brain have for many centuries been a mystery to society. However, with improvements in technology, it brought scientists to what society’s current understanding of the brain is, and ultimately brought deep conceptions of both art and science into the mix. Long before the correct notion of neurology was produced, Aristotle believed that the seat of genuine human thought and emotion came from the heart, where the brain was merely a cooling factor for the blood so the body won’t overheat. Through the introduction of advanced equipment ranging from microscopes to electricity, this idea proved to be false. It was through Franz Joseph Gall and Santiago Ramon y Cajal by which the correct explanation of how the brain worked came about. Gall produced what is to be known as phrenology, which is, in essence, brain mapping. He was convinced that mental functions were appointed to specific regions of the brain and that the basics human behavior are built upon these functions. Cajal also illustrated different ways to perceive the nervous system. He came up with the Neuron Theory, which dove into the investigation of the transmission of nervous signals. He referred to the neurons as mysterious butterflies of the soul; from there, he expanded further and related the connections between the neurons as tree-like structures, that branched out infinitely across the body.

Brainbow

In addition, there are several other techniques of neurology that utilized art. For example, Suzanne Anker came up with the FMRI butterfly to explore the optical illusions that occur in the brain. She set up 15 identical brain scans on a grid, with a butterfly in the center of each with a different reproduction of a Rorschach-test-type inkblots. Another technique, Brainbow, involved the process by which individual neurons in the brain are distinguished from neighboring neurons using fluorescent proteins. With each neuron possessing a distinct unique color, this special method made it possible for scientists to examine multiple neural pathways, rather than just a few.

Sea sponges

Through the growing advancements in technology, sciences in biology and chemistry started to intertwine with neuroscience. With findings of how sea sponges and sea urchins make up 70% of human genes, this helped neuroscientists discover how the human synapses work. Furthermore, with discoveries in the drug LSD by Albert Hofmann, it opened the door to  boundless imagination, creating kaleidoscopic images opening and closing in different shapes, form, and vibrant color.

Sources:

Cohen, Mark S. “Neuroscience-Mark Cohen.mov.” YouTube, YouTube, 12 May 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDq8uTROeXU.

Frazzetto, Giovanni, and Suzanne Anker. “Science and Society: Neuroculture.” Perspectives, Nov. 2009, www.nature.com/articles/nrn2736.pdf?origin=ppub.

Jung, Carl Gustav. The Spiritual Problem of Modern Man. 1931.

Vesna, Victoria. “Neuroscience pt3.” YouTube, YouTube, 16 May 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5EX75xoBJ0.

Vesna, Victoria. “Neuroscience-pt1.Mov.” YouTube, YouTube, 17 May 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzXjNbKDkYI.

Event 2: UCLA Meteorite Collection

Meteorite from the Moon

On the 6th of May, I took a visit to the UCLA Meteorite Collection for my second event. I have always been interested in the study of science, but meteorites is a field that I’m not too much familiar with yet. Upon my arrival, I was fascinated by the vast amount of different meteorites that were being exhibited. They come in distinct shapes, weight, size, color, composition, and texture, each being unique amongst the others. In addition, they originate from diverse areas of the solar system, such being from the moon, or even from Mars.

Gibeon Iron Met

I was intrigued by all of the meteorites that were being presented, but there there some special types in particular that caught my attention. The first attraction that I noticed were two large meteorites there were situated in the middle of the exhibit on a table. Judging by their sizes, I would’ve guessed the weight to be close to 150 pounds; however, as I was reading the labels on one of them, the Gibeon Iron Meteorite, which originated from Africa, was 811 pounds! I didn’t give much appreciation to its weight until after I looked closely and felt its metallic texture and saw its luster surface. Next, I came across a collection that was known for their specific shapes - tektite shapes. Apparently, some meteorites that travel though Earth’s atmosphere go through a centrifugal force, which causes it to melt into thin disks and elliptical-shaped pieces. Probably the most special type of meteorite for me was the Esquel pallasite, which had a beautiful crystal texture and glowing appearance. Wanting to learn more about it, I asked one of the workers, and she told me how the meteorite is composed of something called olivine and that is has an extremely slow cooling process, which makes it such a rare meteorite. 

Textile Shapes

Esquel Pallasite

Viewing from an artistic standpoint, I found the different variations of the meteorites very interesting. From this notion, I believe that meteorites are closely related to the topic of “Two Cultures” introduced by C.P. Snow. According to his perspective, he believes that there is a special connection that brings together art and science, and through the increasing use of technology, the gap between them could gradually be bridged together. In the case of meteorites, I believe that by the continual advancement in technological renovation, new scientific discoveries embodying the significance of meteorites, how they came about, and what they are made out of can be produced, ultimately paving a path for artists to appreciate and critique. 

Unit 6: BioTech + Art

The fluorescent bunny

Through the growing interest in nature and bio-genetics, artists have moved into the laboratory where they begun to work side-by-side with all sorts of scientists such as biologists, neuroscientists, nanotechnologists, and more. This raised a lot of controversy, however, as new implications regarding ethics and foreign innovative ideas started to come about. Two key figures in the field of bio art are important in regards to its uprise: Joe Davis and Eduardo Katz. Joe Davis is considered to be the actually pioneer for bio art. He is the one who first produced the idea of modifying genes and molecular structures to insert them in other living species. He produced works such as the audio microscope and the circuit clock. However, it is Eduardo Katz who later develops what is considered the most iconic piece of bio art: the fluorescent bunny. This concerned the separation of the fluorescent protein, acquara Victoria, from the fluorescent jellyfish, and injecting it into a fertilized rabbit egg cell. Ultimately, this produced a glowing bunny, which he named Alba. This formed a lot of controversy over the fact that one is utilizing something that is ‘natural’ to produce something ‘artificial’. Another example of this matter involves Marta Dimiezas’ work, in which she modified the wing patterns of live butterflies, changing the molecular cell structures; but later, the wings ended up having holes in them, causing fright amongst the people. 

Rat anatomy can be used to solve human health complications

Despite all of the debate, other projects have been produced for the purpose of increasing human health for the general public. For instance, Kathy High believes that rats should be used and be genetically engineered so that scientists can gain further understanding on human health. These modified organisms are called transgenic rats, and they are also known as hybrids, and even cyborgs.

"Creativity breeds creativity"

As more and more individuals move into the field of biology (more specifically, bio art), the increased participation creates more creativity, and continues on as more information about the subject gets passed on - "creativity breeds creativity". The Human Genome Project, for example, did just that. Now,  there are thousands of books spread across in libraries regarding this topic, and the numbers are still increasing till this day.

Sources:

Kelty, Christopher M. “Outlaw, Hackers, Victorian Amateurs: Diagnosing Public Participation in the Life Sciences Today.” Journal of Science Communication, vol. 09, no. 01, 2010, doi:10.22323/2.09010303.

Lovejoy, Margot, et al. Context Providers: Conditions of Meaning in Media Arts. Intellect, 2011.

Vesna, Victoria. “5 Bioart pt1 1280x720.” YouTube, YouTube, 18 Sept. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaThVnA1kyg.

Vesna, Victoria. “5 BioArt pt3.” YouTube, YouTube, 17 May 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL9DBF43664EAC8BC7&v=3EpD3np1S2g.

Vesna, Victoria. “5 BioArt pt4.” YouTube, YouTube, 17 May 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL9DBF43664EAC8BC7&v=2qSc72u9KhI.