GillianchengDESMA9

  I have done the 24-hour unplug challenge during my freshman year of high school, around eight years ago. The 24-hour unplug challenge is a challenge where individuals do not use their screens and technology and intentionally do offline activities, whether it be in-person or a real life gathering (“Global Day of Unplugging”). This is especially useful in our modern day, because of the advancement in technology, as technology is advancing faster than ever (Roser). Fig. 1: A long-term timeline of technology In Jung’s “The Spiritual Problem of the Modern Man”, he claims that the modern man needs to look within his spiritual self to find the answers for their problems (Jung). This is especially true in our modern day. During this 24-hour unplug, I realized how much we rely on technology, and how I sometimes may unintentionally use Tiktok to numb my feelings, whether it be sadness, boredom, or tiredness to help me stay awake. Instead, I should be looking within myself and having though...

This week, we learned about space and art, where technological advancements made regarding space inspired different artworks. One thing that stood out to me was a piece written by Lawrence Joseph, “Who Will Mine the Moon?”, which raises the question of whether mining the moon of a substance called Helium-3 will become the Persian Gulf of the 21st century, advancing the global economy (Vesna).  Fig. 1: Moon mining machines In his article, Joseph comments on how precious Helium-3 is, as it is safe to handle and can help our environment have cleaner air with its efficiency (Joseph). As these substances could have many uses to our society, it could be tested in different ways with different things creatively to improve our state of living (Spudis). In a way, extracting this substance could not only affect the global economy in the way of fuel, but when used creatively, it could be an art form to create many other substances that could improve our daily lives.  Fig. 2: Helium fusio...

This week, we learned about nanotech and art, where the use of nanoparticles are used to create art. One thing that stood out to me was the use of nano particles to create cosmetics (Gimzewski). This is a very interesting phenomenon to me as these nano particles could potentially create a healthier version of cosmetics today, revolutionizing our present day cosmetics.  Fig. 1: Loreal cosmetics There has been an ongoing topic about carcinogens in our daily life products including cosmetics. Although cosmetics are tested and go through an approval by the FDA, it only tests for short-term effects rather than long-term effects including cancer (“Cosmetics and Cancer Risk”). A carcinogen is defined as “a substance or agent causing cancer” from the Merriam-Webster dictionary (“Carcinogen”). Some carcinogens found in cosmetics include formaldehyde, Phenacetin, Coal Tar, and Benzene (Safe Cosmetics).  Fig. 2: List of Carcinogenic ingredients to avoid This makes the discovery of nanote...

This week, I visited the exhibit titled “Blood: Medieval/ Modern” at the Getty museum. This exhibit showed art and artifacts, medieval and modern, about blood and lineage. One of the artworks I found that was interesting was the artwork titled “Glenn, Dario, and Tyrone”, depicting three individuals’ (Glenn, Dario, and Tyrone) DNA sequences into a photograph. These DNA sequences as photographs are a contemporary view of familial networks and bloodlines (“The Getty Museum”).  Fig. 1: “Glenn, Dario, and Tyrone”  In present day, we are able to view DNA sequences to match bloodlines through services such as 23 and Me (23 and Me). However, in older times, bloodlines were depicted through diagrams, tables, and book records. As seen in the exhibit, there are tables and diagrams depicting lineages of prominent historical figures including Jesus and the royal family.  Fig. 2: Table of Consanguinity, Table of Affinity, and The Tree of Jesse Fig. 3: Diagrams of Royal Lineage The cont...

The topic of biotechnology and art is exquisite as they essentially incorporate science experiments to create art. For example, in our lecture, we learned about Joe Davis and the insertion of an illumination gene from jellyfish into bunnies, creating illuminating bunnies (Vesna). These types of science experiments have led to the ongoing debate about the ethics regarding using animals in experiments. These ethical issues have become increasingly prominent in regards to human research as well (Arnason 2020). Fig. 1: Glow in the dark bunnies bred for science research. I believe that there should be more restrictions for artists using biotechnology for art than for scientists in the industry. For one, the creativity of artists may result in an explosion of ideas that could lead to new life that could become excessive and make sci-fi movies come true (Jagodzinski 2020). Restrictions could also increase creativity for artists (Perry), which would benefit the artists and can explore other wa...

This week, I attended the Pigeon Art Studio event where pigeons were used to create digital art. Through studying the processes of pigeons’ pecks as well as their cognitive functions, it combines both art and science together, a combination of two cultures. Seeing this collaboration between art and science in-person was a perfect example for me to understand real-world applications. As we have learned in the first module, the two cultures of science and art should work together in collaboration in order to help our society advance. Seeing this example in real life where scholars are able to collaborate together inspires me. Fig. 1: Pigeon creating digital art As I walked into the studio, I was immediately intrigued by the artwork that pigeons have made as well as how this related to psychology, the field of my study. Looking through the human brain in relation to art, it is a form of expression and interpretation. It is interesting to investigate pigeons’ brains rather than human brain...