Lauren_HatchDESMA9

  Attending the lecture by Victoria Vesna and Haley Marks on their collaborative project, [SUN]Flower Plasma , was an enlightening experience that bridged the realms of art and science. Held during the Elements! in Art and Tech exhibition on Governors Island, the talk introduced the audience to the striking parallels between the heliotropic behavior of sunflowers and Alfvén waves. These magnetohydrodynamic plasma waves transmit energy along magnetic field lines (Harvestworks). Picture of me attending the lecture! Vesna, a media artist and my professor for DESMA 9 at UCLA, collaborated with plasma physicist Walter Gekelman and biomedical engineer Haley Marks to craft this immersive installation. They explained how Alfvén waves, recorded from the Large Plasma Device at UCLA, echo the rhythmic turning of sunflowers toward the sun. According to Marks, microscopic imagery of sunflower seeds revealed visual similarities to solar phenomena, creating a natural link between plant biology a...

Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter on a scale of 1 to 100 nanometers and has revolutionized science, but its influence now stretches into the world of art. What began as a theoretical idea in Richard Feynman’s 1959 lecture “There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom” has evolved into a multidisciplinary field bridging scientific discovery and creative expression (Feynman). (Abbasi) In 1974, Norio Taniguchi coined the term “nanotechnology,” referring to precision manufacturing at the molecular level (US National Nanotechnology Initiative). Since then, nanotech has found its way into contemporary art practices, challenging perceptions of material, color, and form. A striking example is Vantablack, a nanomaterial made of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes that absorbs nearly all light. It has been used in sculptures to erase visual depth, making objects appear void-like and otherworldly (Vantablack). (Vantablack) Artists like Cris Orfescu use electron microscopes to capture nanoscale...

  On Tuesday, May 13, I attempted the 24-hour unplug challenge. Since I had class that day, I brought a notebook and pen to take notes instead of using my iPad like I usually do. After class, I got my car washed and was back at my apartment around 11:30 a.m. That’s when the boredom started to creep in. “There are entire programming teams that come up with ways to have us constantly coming back for more (Helu).” I hadn’t realized how often I reach for my phone to scroll, play games, or just fill time. Without it, I felt restless and disconnected. I warmed up some leftover pasta for lunch and tried to enjoy it mindfully, but my brain kept searching for distractions. I seriously considered giving up right then. I felt like I had nothing to do. Eventually, I pulled out a set of LEGO flowers my boyfriend gave me and spent time building them, which was very relaxing. “Experts think LEGO might have some of the same benefits as practices like meditation, which help people focus on the pres...

  Aristotle first believed that the seat of human thought and emotion was the heart and that the main purpose of the brain was to cool the blood and thereby prevent the lungs and heart from becoming overheated. We know today that isn't true. The brain is a very complex organ. “... [The Brain] can contemplate the meaning of infinity, and it can contemplate itself contemplating the meaning of infinity (TED Talks). ”  The brain is responsible for your dreams. It’s known that people don't remember 95% of their dreams. This is because to recall a dream, you would have to wake up from REM sleep. “If, instead, you pass into the next stage of sleep without rousing, that dream will never enter long-term memory (Pappas and Bryner).” This stage of sleep occurs about every 90 minutes, but can last anywhere from a few minutes to twenty minutes. (Summer and Singh) (Bertolero and Bassett) The discovery of different technologies, like electricity,  has allowed scientists and researchers...

Biotechnology has been utilized in art as a way to explore the ethical implications and push the boundaries that biotechnology presents.“Modern biotechnology provides breakthrough products and technologies to combat debilitating and rare diseases, reduce our environmental footprint, feed the hungry, use less and cleaner energy, and have safer, cleaner and more efficient industrial manufacturing processes (BIO).”  (Smith and Resko) One way this boundary is pushed is with the Embracing Animals exhibit by Kathy High. She bought three rats in an effort to try to make them live as long as possible.“They have been microinjected with human DNA that sets them up for a precondition to be autoimmunity challenged (Embracing Animal).” The lab that they’re in is special so that humans can observe them. This exhibit was made to introduce the work they had done to the public and to show its effects. This is one of the projects that really explores the ethical side of biotechnology because scienti...