Event #2: Suspense

For my second event, I attended the Culture Analytics at IPAM. The program I chose to go to was the Suspense lecture, by Mark Algee-Hewitt. He is a professor at Stanford University. His research focuses on the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries in England and Germany and seeks to combine literary criticism with digital and quantitative analyses of literary texts. He is particularly interested in the history of aesthetic theory and the development and transmission of aesthetic and philosophic concepts during the Enlightenment and Romantic periods. 

The lecture was about how suspense is measured. He begins with a scenario of a bomb being under the table. He says suspense is when we question whether or not the bomb will go on and who it will kill. This lecture helped me understand how our brains are functioned, particularly during suspense and fear. Through Mark Algee-Hewitt's lecture, I have learned that even though we know that an event is going to happen, we still arrive at the suspense. This made me question why the human brain does this and how interesting it is to see how our brains react like this. This is a great example of how we are not able to understand the brain because it is constantly growing.

Another interesting topic that stood out to me was the Neural Net: Schematic Diagram. This was a machine that inputted all topic model fields, MDW field and age of acquisition scores-all scored in .5% slices in each text. This machine was extremely useful in determining the percentage of suspense in a book. 81% of the time, given a passage at a neural net, would find the passage suspenseful. 

Mark's main question was: Is suspenseful generated at both the episodic level and narrative level? The first one focused on suspense and non-suspense over time. To do this, he added up the suspense scores, and rated on a scale of 1-8 (1 being not suspenseful and 8 being very suspenseful). He concluded that there is a linear relationship to the age of the text and how suspenseful they thought it was. He had found out that 1900's novels were more suspenseful than 1800's novels. Then, the next hypothesis focused on episodic suspense. Through this hypothesis, he explains how there is a distinct difference between suspense and surprise. He brings up the bomb scenario he brought up in the beginning of the lecture and explains how nothing is happening and then all of a sudden, a bomb explodes. This is seen as an episodic suspense 

Through this lecture, I was able to correlate it with the lecture on neuroscience+art. Suspense is created in our own minds, and suspense is different to all of us. For instance, some might find a video of a clown scary, but others who are not scared of it would not find it scary. This helped me further my knowledge of our human brain and how it functions differently. 

Through this lecture, I was able to further my understanding how suspense is measured. I also had a better understanding of the idea of Two Cultures. For instance, Mark was an English professor at Stanford, but in order to come up with these data's, he conducted an experiment. He is both an English professor and a scientist. Technology also played an important role. Without the neural net, it would have made Mark's experiment harder to conduct. Thanks to the neural net, he was able to measure the suspense levels faster and more accurate. Overall, it was an interesting lecture and I was able to learn a lot about suspense. Mark Algee-Hewitt was a wonderful speaker and I know that this won't be the last time I will be attending one of his lectures! 

Space+Art

"Eventually, everything connects" -Charles Eames

The final lecture is about Space and art. Learning about space is a place where it all comes together. There is nanotechnology, biotechnology, mathematics and robotics correlated within space. Space is a concept that is almost incomprehensible. Watching the video, Powers of 10 helped me understand and comprehend the idea that our universe is infinite and expanding is unfathomable. 

From the beginning of time, we have been fascinated by the skies, stars, and the planets. We've looked at the cosmic ocean for thousands of years wondering what the meaning of life was. Ancient astronomers looked at these points of lights and called these objects with roman names. Jupiter was the king of Gods, Mars was the God of war, Mercury was the messenger of Gods, Venus was the Goddess of love and beauty, and Saturn was the father of Jupiter and God of agriculture.

In this week's lecture, the topic I found interesting was about how animals played a big role by being the first ones going to space. The Russians were the first to have a dog test what it is to have a living being going up into one of the capsules. Laika was the first living being to orbit the Earth in space. Laika, which means "barker" in Russian was a three year old stray dog. 

At that time, they knew little about the impact of spaceflight on living creatures at the time of Laika's mission, and the technology to de-orbit had not yet been developed, and therefore Laika's survival was not expected. Sadly, Laika died within 6 days, thanks to Laika, the experiment aimed to prove that a living passenger could survive being launched into orbit and endure micro-gravity, paving the way for human spaceflight and providing scientists with some of the first data on how living organisms react to spaceflight. 

I also enjoyed how the term "artists" is not referring to the actual depiction of an artist that uses paintbrushes and paper, but rather, a person who's creativity is expressed through different types of mediums of reality. This concept of science influencing art helped me relate back the first week's topics of art and science. In the beginning, I believed that art and science were seen as separate, but through the past nine weeks of understanding the relationships that art has with the different topics of science, I was able to fully open my eyes and realize that they are both necessary to make the progressive culture we see in today's society. 

Resources:

 EamesOffice. "Powers of Ten™ (1977)." YouTube. YouTube, 2010. Web. 27 May 2016.

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fKBhvDjuy0>

 "Laika." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 27 May 2016. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laika>.

 "Memorial to Laika." Memorial to Laika. Web. 27 May 2016.

<http://www.novareinna.com/bridge/laika.html>

 "Space.com." Space.com. Web. 27 May 2016.

"Space Is Endless, Unlimited, Infinite." Open Science Repository. Web. 27 May 2016. 

<http://www.open-science-repository.com/space-is-endless-unlimited-infinite.html>

Vesna, Victoria. "8 Space Intro 1280x720." YouTube. YouTube, 2013. Web. 27 May 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dPAmpBiVHY>. 

Nanotech+Art

In this week’s lecture, we learned about how important nanotechnology is. Professor Vesna considers this very important because she sees it as a new introduction to our lives. Nanotechnology will push us over the edge and to the 21st century.

First, of all, what is nanotechnology? Before this week’s lecture, I had no idea what nanotechnology was. It was a topic that I was new to. But after this week’s lecture, I was able to understand the importance of nanotechnology. Nanotechnology by definition is science, engineering, and technology conducted at the nanoscale, which is about 1-100 NANOmeters. It involves shrinking down objects so they can perform mechanical, electrical, or chemical processes at a much smaller scale. Nanotechnology has proven incredibly useful for scientists working to create materials at the nanoscale.

Through Dr. Gimzewski, a former IBM researcher and UCLA professor, I was able to learn that almost every aspect of science and technology is somehow influenced by nanotechnology. He discussed the impact of Richard Feynman’s daring hypothesis that there is plenty of opportunities to manipulate things on the atomic level, the discovery of carbon allotropes by Smalley et al., the invention of the scanning tunneling microscope by Gerd and Heini, self-assembling DNA structures by Ned Seeman, medical applications and current controversies (Gimzewski). Richard Feynman is a physicist who was known as Father of nanotechnology.

An interesting research that I found was the work of art from Cambridge University. In the department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, they had a particular piece called “Crystal Kaleidoscope.” This piece of art, is a “false colour convergent beam electron diffraction pattern recorded at 150kV parallel to the threefold axis of lanthanum aluminate” (Midgley, par 2). The odd numbered zones have only a single branch of intensity that corresponds to scattering solely from the oxygen atoms in the structure.

As a north campus major and someone who is terrible at science and math, this particular topic was hard to follow and in the beginning, I was very discouraged to learn about it. But as I kept learning about what nanotechnology was, without even knowing, I had myself comprehending and being interested in the topic. Personally, I found it extremely fascinating that we are able to manipulate atoms on an individual basis and we are able to see them by effectively filling them with a need made of other atoms. 

Overall, I believe that through nanotechnology, we will be able to revolutionize our world. There are many problems that can be resolved through miniaturization. There are many issues such as computer technology, biotechnology, and even health/beauty that can be fixed through nanotechnology. I know understand how is it one of the most important industries. Through nanotechnology, we will be able to a bright future and I cannot wait to see how the future will be changed through the help of nanotechnology.

Resources:

"Department of Materials Science & Metallurgy." DMSM: Picture Gallery. Web. 22 May 2016. <https://www.msm.cam.ac.uk/department/gallery.php>.

"How Nanotechnology Can Change the World | Working In Nanotechnology." Working In Nanotechnology. Web. 22 May 2016. <http://workingin-nanotechnology.com/how-nanotechnology-can-change-the-world/>.

"Seven Amazing Ways Nanotechnology Is Changing The World." Popular Science. Web. 22 May 2016. <http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2012-11/7-amazing-ways-nanotechnology-changing-world>.

"What is Nanotechnology?" Nano.gov. National Nanotechnology Initiative, n.d. Web. 22 May 2016. <http://www.nano.gov/nanotech-101/what/definition>.

Vesna, Victoria. YouTube. YouTube. Web. 22 May 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=495>.

Neuroscience+Art

This week’s topic is neuroscience+art. This was a very interesting topic for me because we learned about our minds. How are we able to understand what Professor Vesna says every week? What is consciousness? Consciousness is the state of condition of being conscious.

When talking about consciousness, you cannot forget about Descartes. During my fall quarter, I also took Philosophy of Mind 7. I learned that Descartes was the Father of Philosophy. He is famous for his quote, “I think therefore I am.” In his book, “Meditations,” it talks about Descartes’ realization of his existence.

Franz Joseph Gall was critical in showing us how the brain looked and how it functioned. He was the first one to come up with the cerebral functions of the brains. He believed that the human brain was physically developed according to its use and began the practice of phrenology. Phrenology is the determination of an individual’s potential by feeling bumps on the head.

Santiago Roman y Cajal also stood out to me because he was the father of modern neuroscience. He gave a valuable contribution to the understanding of the microscopic nature of the nature system. The neuron theory is one of his famous achievements. More than 100 years ago, is biggest discovery was that you can read the connections patterns between neurons by simply looking at their shapes. Roman Cajal’s work correlates to science and art, because in his book, “Cajal’s Butterflies of the Soul,” he refers neurons as the mysterious butterflies of the soul. He claims that only artists are attracted to science. He is a perfect example of an artist and a scientist coming together, as the left and right brain come together to contribute.

The human brain and face are similar in terms of being a piece of art. Every individual have different facial features. The brain also similar in this regard. Physically, the human brain is similar for every individual, but the way they are expressed are different. Some excel in different areas. It differs in the way it functions. The brain is extremely complicated and beyond us to completely understand. We would never fully be able to understand the brain because it is constantly growing. In my opinion, I believe that we are not even close to finding the full function of the brain. There is still more to the brain and we just haven’t figured it out.

Sources:

"Human Brain: Facts, Functions & Anatomy." LiveScience. TechMedia Network. Web. 12 May 2016. <http://www.livescience.com/29365-human-brain.html>.

The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "Franz Joseph Gall." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. 12 May 2016. <http://www.britannica.com/biography/Franz-Joseph-Gall>.

"René Descartes." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television. Web. 12 May 2016. <http://www.biography.com/people/ren-descartes-37613>.

"Santiago Ramon Y Cajal: "The Father of Neuroscience" - Brain Connection." Brain Connection. 2013. Web. 12 May 2016. <http://brainconnection.brainhq.com/2013/02/26/santiago-ramon-y-cajal-the-father-of-neuroscience/>.

 Vesna, Victoria. "Neuroscience-pt1.mov." YouTube. YouTube, 2012. Web. 12 May 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzXjNbKDkYI>. 

Biotech+Art

Biotech+Art is the most controversial areas we will cover in class. It includes GMO, animal experiments and hybrids between species. There are many pros and cons. What is bio art? Bio art is a practice where humans work with live tissues, bacteria, living organisms and life processes. By using scientific processes such as biotechnology, the artworks are produced in laboratories, galleries, or artists' studios. Joe Davis caught my attention from this week’s topic.

Joe Davis is a Bio Artist. I did not know there was such a thing as “Bio Artist.” The project that caught my attention was the experiment he conducted that involved measuring the growth of E.coli bacteria in regards to the music that was being played for the bacteria. Joe Davis played different genres for the bacteria and measured its growth based on that. Music has been apart of my life for so long. As someone who loves hearing music all the time, it was very interesting to make an artistic connection to a scientific experiment. Another experiment that caught my attention was the Audio Microscope. It was a microscope that translated light information into sound allowing you to “hear” living cells, each with its own acoustic signature. 

Joe Davis: The man that creates art and controversy out of bacteria, deep space transmissions, and lightning.

After further researching more about Joe Davis, I had learned that he is a research affiliate at MIT Biology and Artist-Scientist at the George Church Laboratory at Harvard. It is a place that fosters creativity and technological development around genetic engineering and synthetic biology. Davis says, “It’s Oz, pure and simple. The total amount of resources in this environment and the minds that are accessible, it’s like I come to the city of Oz every day.” Although the number of bio artists is still very small, I believe that he will influence many artist and scientists to come together in new ways. Not only will it help people think outside of the box, it will benefit the world of medicine.

Despite all the controversy of Biotech and art experiments, I believe that it is an eye-opening experience to see the endless possibilities of art and portraying inhumane things. In my opinion, Joe Davis’s experiment is a unique way of art because it involves music as an art form. It is very different from most art in today’s society. Not only is this amusing, his experiments can be very beneficial to the medical world. It can help us understand bacterial growth and  being able to better understand will only benefit us from contracting diseases.

In my opinion, I believe that there are absolutely no bounds to human creativity. There are billions of people in the world, each carrying their own capabilities. Every individual has their own creativities. There will be continuous improvements/advancement in fields of science and technology created by human creativity and innovations. Topics such as math and philosophy expanded the range of our imagination. The human mind is very skilled with the passion and urge to constantly innovate.

Sources:

"Bioart: An Introduction." Bioart: An Introduction. Web. 07 May 2016. <http://phys.org/news/2015-11-bioart-introduction.html>.

"Joe Davis (artist)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 07 May 2016. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Davis_(artist)>.

NOVAonline. "Scientist? Artist. Pirate! Who Is Joe Davis?" YouTube. YouTube, 2015. Web. 08 May 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GkZt00Qics>.

"The Mystery of Human Creativity Explained." Web. 08 May 2016. <https://www.thetrumpet.com/article/8960.24.141.0/the-mystery-of-human-creativity-explained>.

Vesna, Victoria. "5 Bioart Pt1 1280x720." YouTube. YouTube, 2013. Web. 07 May 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaThVnA1kyg>.

Event 1:

Getty Center: Architecture Tour

For my first event, I had attended the Getty Center's architecture tour that contained a 45-minute tour of the Getty Center site and architecture. Through this tour, I learned the significance of the architectures at the Getty Center.

The Getty Center incorporates the modern design of architect Richard Meier. Richard Meier helped us portray the beautiful garden, open spaces, and the breath-taking view of the city of Los Angeles. He is an American abstract artist and architect, whose geometric designs make prominent use of the color white.

Through this visit, It helped open my eyes about the topics we had learned during week 1. I had a better understanding of Two Cultures. For instance, Richard was both an artist and an architect. His main goal was to bring the beauty of nature and art together.  This proves the theory of how opposites can collide within one another. Not only did the tour helped me obtain a better insight about the correlation between art and technology, it also helped me obtain more knowledge about the correlation between math and art. The buildings are also a perfect example of what we had learned during week 2; math and art. The golden ratio is clearly seen in most buildings.

Through this tour, I had learned that the stones in the architect (shown left) was found in Italy. It was found over 2,000 years ago. The stone was cut off of a log. The stones in the architect and also the panels in the buildings are sedimentary rocks that are 80,000 years old.  The stones they used to build the buildings was Travertine stone. Approximately 1.2 million square feet of Travertine stone is seen at the Getty Center.

Fun fact: 

The tour guide informed us that if we look closely into the stone, we could possibly see fossils of leaves!

After attending this tour, I had a better understanding of architecture and I truly recommend people to come visit the Getty Center. (free admission!) Through this experience, I wish to apply some of the methods Robert used to build the buildings. I wish to go above and beyond to try creating unique ideas. I had obtained a better insight of what topic I want to focus on for my final project.

I was very hesitant to ask the workers for a picture because I didn't want to be a bothersome, but this lady who worked at the front desk was nice enough to take a selfie with me! She was the one who suggested that we take a picture with Mr. Getty. (in the back)  

I know this isn't going to be my last visit! Next stop: Garden Tour?!