Rebekah P Desma 9

Nanotechnology is a form of technology that uses and manipulates individual atoms and molecules. It is essentially the science of constructing things out of some of the smallest particles in the world. In this modern day and age, scientists and artists alike are merging the two fields of nanotechnology and art. At the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, an exhibition called “nano,” tries to bridge art with atoms. Throughout the exhibition, visitors can move through the molecules and manipulate each atom. This art project was designed by a team from UCLA who combined nanoscience with media arts and humanities. The exhibit provides an opportunity for patients to experience and sense nanotechnology without necessarily seeing it. Microscopes project a live view of the cells of a table whose atoms can be moved and re-oriented as a means of similarly imitating the Scanning Tunneling Microscope. The exhibit room itself mirrors the likeness of a large inner cell and ...

This week’s topic concerning neuroscience and art is something that particularly sparked my interested especially in terms of better understanding human consciousness and brain damage related to consciousness. In fact, earlier today I took a midterm in my nursing class on brain damage and various levels of consciousness.  Often times, it is easy to see neuroscience as purely science. For example, one of the most famous cases for brain damage is the case of Phineas Gage who was in a railway accident that caused an iron rod to strike through Gage’s skull. The iron rod struck his left cheekbone and exited through the top of his skull. Although physically Gage was at good recovery and health, his mental condition greatly changed and deteriorated. His once cheerful and kind behavior instantly shifted to one of anger and spite. The iron rod damaged his front cortex which resulted in social inhibition loss and was irreversible. This story further proves the effect that b...