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As an extra-credit event, I decided to attend the “HOX ZODIAC: SNAKE!!!” talk, featuring Carolyn CC Hart, Lucie Strecker and Amir Baradaran. The HOX Zodiac is a collaborative project between the arts - advocated by Vesna - and the sciences - endorsed by Siddarth Ramakrishnan. The project involves discussion surrounding different animals from the Chinese zodiac as a representation of the plethora of shapes producible by HOX genes (Vesna and Ramakrishnan). This week’s animal was snakes. Figure 1. Proof of attendance. Before I begin, I will admit that I do not believe in zodiac signs. However, after watching this presentation, my perspective has somewhat changed. In retrospect, this incredulity stems from the common use of “zodiac” to depict the signs used to predict the future, and the fact that astronomy isn’t scientifically supported. Yet, I believe this presentation gave me much-needed clarification that zodiacs aren’t necessarily in reference to astronomy; zodiacs here are presente...

If you took a moment to look back at human history, you’d soon realize that space exploration has just started. Yet, artists have been pondering, imagining, and producing artwork concerning the heavens for thousands of years. Let’s take a stroll down memory lane, shall we? We can trace back the beginnings of “space art” as far back as the novel “Off on a comet” by Jules Verne in 1877. While the book itself was remarkable in its own right, it featured a painting by Paul Philippoteaux wherein Saturn was imagined as a physical landmark in space as opposed to the previous notions of a set of points of light in the night sky. Figure 1. Paul Philippoteaux, Saturn, 1877. Years later in 1937, French artist and astronomer Lucien Rudaux wrote and published a book that captured his idea of planet surfaces. The book wasn’t entirely accurate but nevertheless captured the attention of Chesley Bonestell, acclaimed father of astronomical art and special effects artist, in Hollywood. Using the book...

Today, I attended Ann Mccoy’s “Alchemy + Art” presentation. Contrary to the other events, I was afforded the opportunity to interact with the lecturer before the actual event began due to a scheduling error. I must admit, I was shocked to learn that she was a professor at Yale, which was my dream university (before UCLA of course). Figure 1. Proof of attendance. The presentation was unlike any other in that it encompassed religion and spirituality, which, according to Vesna, is almost a taboo in academia. I would agree seeing as how religion is often disregarded as peripheral to the overall goals of academia. One such example is the hit TV show Big Bang Theory featuring Sheldon Cooper. Played by Jim Parsons, Sheldon is depicted as a quirky, arrogant, annoying, but nonetheless highly intelligent Caltech physicist who has many a time shown a distaste for religion despite a deeply religious mother. Yet, when Ann explains the connection, it almost invalidates Sheldon’s argument. For in...

When Marvel’s “Ant-man” came out in 2015, the geek in my 14-year-old self decided to make an appearance. Although the wolverine was my favorite character at the time, ant-man was a close second as his ability to change size at will came across as a devastating yet epic ability. So, it came as a wonderful surprise when I found out that the nanotechnology aspect of the movie and comics could be explained - and by UCLA scientists, no less! Figure 1. Marvel University, Ant-Man & The Wasp and Nanotechnology, 2018. According to Laurent Bentolila, the scientific director at the UCLA California NanoSystems Institute, their technology “paints” cells such as neurons and immune cells with colored dyes, shines a laser on them, and with this, they can track every cell in space and time like a GPS. As a result, they could, in theory, use this to track someone like ant-man (Horan). In 2002-03, Vesna and Gimzewski presented interactive artwork featuring nanotechnology that allowed individuals ...

For my second event of the quarter, I decided to attend episode 1 of “Forces to Forms” that featured many presenters, as well as Dr. Vesna herself. Hosted by the Pratt Gallery in Manhattan, the event itself largely focused on the link between art and science in relation to the laws of nature. Figure 1. Proof of attendance. My favorite presentation was by Todd Siler. As a science aficionado, I get very excited when I hear of emerging technology that can potentially change the world. So when Siler said that he was trying to find a way to recreate the sun by modelling fractals, my curiosity was immediately piqued. Figure 2. Todd Siler, The Fractal Engine, 2022. The fractal reactor model was engineered based on fractal geometry (as opposed to Euclidean geometry) as an example of a device that could generate limitless energy via nuclear fusion. While the reactor itself has yet to be developed, the idea itself is revolutionary in that science and art have rendered an idea about the wor...

One of my best friends has long been interested in the field of neuroscience so this topic somewhat resonates with me. He once told me that the human brain holds the key to our nature as conscious beings. Still, I was shocked to hear that neuroaesthetics - a combined discipline involving neuroscience and art - is a flourishing field. Among the factors motivating this new collaborative venture is the epiphany that artists have made groundbreaking discoveries about the human brain that scientists are just beginning to unearth. According to Zeki, “most painters are also neurologists” (2). Given that artists have been a proponent of studying the way in which the world is perceived, it isn’t surprising that they have uncovered certain characteristics of the way we sense shapes, colors or depth. Interestingly, this is nothing new. Patrick Cavanagh, an eminent vision researcher and professor, claims that line drawings likely date back to our ancestors tracing lines in the sand and realizi...

Art is all about exploring the world around oneself, delving into deep questions, and making audiences critically reflect. These are the very same guiding principles of science. Hence, it should be no surprise that biotechnology often crosses paths with art. So, what happens when biotech transcends laboratories and becomes a subject of artistic practice? SymbioticA – an art and science lab in Australia – developed an exhibit known as “MEART – The Semi-Living Artist” that consists of two parts: a brain and body; the former is made of cultured brain cells from a rat while the latter is a robotic arm, each of which are in different locations. The two body parts communicate with each other over a network like the internet in order to sketch drawings in real-time. The exhibit merges biotechnology with art to make viewers question creation and whether human behavior is programmed or a product of free will. Figure 1. MEART, Robotic arm drawing. In recent years, similar exhibits and “art...

For my first event of the quarter, I decided to attend Heidi Boisvert’s “Embodied Intelligence & the Future of the Performing Body.” Figure 1. Proof of attendance. In her talk, Dr. Boisvert discussed the open source biometric/limbic lab and AI system that she built over the past two years. The presentation itself revolves around her research on social change and the biological effects of media. In particular, her Narrative engine – a mobile application that obtains information ranging from survey data to biometrics – is used to provide tools to social justice organizations and independent media makers. Figure 2. Heidi Boisvert, TED talk about her work, 2020. The Narrative engine comprises of multiple elements including empirical research and machine learning algorithms to automate media production processes, that effectively allow the aforementioned groups to better understand how their content affects individuals on a neurobiological level. As a result, they will be able to “inc...

Think about medicine for a second. What comes to mind? Hospital? Ambulance? Doctor, perhaps? Whatever you thought of first was undoubtedly not related to art. Thus, it was shocking to learn that thousands of years ago, art and medicine were nearly indistinguishable disciplines. Since ancient times, humans have been dissecting bodies as part of a larger artistic performance (Vesna). The ancient Egyptians, for example, were pioneers in art and medicine and integrated their anatomical knowledge and mythological stories into art. Among these works includes the infamous eye of Horus, otherwise known as “The Third Eye”. While it remains one of the most baffling secrets of ancient human history, one established interpretation of the symbol is anatomical. The eye itself comes in parts and when superimposed over a mid-sagittal image of the human brain, each component corresponds to human neuroanatomical features (ReFaey). Figure 1. The Eye of Horus Fitted in the Mid-Sagittal Section of the Hu...

Robots are all around us. We have smartphones that allow us to communicate with others, vehicles that make it possible to travel, and even toasters to heat up pop tarts. And yet, when we think of robots, we are almost immediately drawn to cyborgs, androids, and artificial intelligence. At fault for this is cinema, in particular movies such as Robocop, Terminator, and my personal favorite, Ex-Machina. Directed by Eric Garland, Ex-Machina elaborately portrays the complex interaction between AI and humanity. Most important is the climax; kept isolated is the main android, Ava, who is undoubtedly intelligent but ends up killing the main antagonist and betraying the protagonist. This remorseless behavior made for a frightening realization about AI, thereby giving one terrifying answer to Nick Bostrom’s question “What happens when our computers get smarter than we are?” Figure 1.  Ex-Machina Poster, 2015. But is this fear really unjustified? While no artificial intelligence of that leve...

When most people think of mathematics and art, they may assume that they are at opposite ends of the spectrum when in reality, these two disciplines actually overlap. It has always been a matter of “Math versus Art” rather than “Math and Art”, however, as one explores further, they realize that art is critical to the study of math, and vice versa. As a math major, I have certainly seen how art is implemented. One of my TAs, Joseph Breen, made highlights in our Math 32B class when he decided to produce music dedicated to calculus. Being a well-renowned TA, he was already a great resource but the songs he created somehow made learning more fun, engaging and it was easier to grasp the concepts. Figure 1. Joseph Breen,  The Vector Line Integral Song, 2020. In ancient times, the compass and straightedge, augmented by other tools were used to develop exquisite architecture. During the Renaissance, grids became popular to portray scenes on flat surfaces. Then, after Einstein’s theor...