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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...

Growing up in a traditional Indian household, it was constantly reinforced that studying the sciences was cardinal to success in the future; anything else was dismissed as nugatory. As a result, I would often skip art, music or theater class and in consequence of nurture, I became fascinated with one subject in particular: Mathematics. Like most, my parents’ dream for me was to get the best education possible. Alas! One prerequisite was to get into a good university, and in this new age, good grades were no longer sufficient. Fortunately, my mother realized this early and enrolled me in a local college to learn one type of art of my choosing. As an avid fan of the popular show “Dragon Ball Z”, I hastily picked graphic design and began learning Adobe, only to later master the craft. Figure 1. Some of my graphic design works. Interestingly, artists and scientists are said to have a “curious distorted image of each another” characterized by “hostility and dislike” (Snow 4, 6). Indeed, gro...