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Event 3 - Contagion, May 19th, 10am

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An electron microscope image of the H1N1 influenza virus On May 19th, a group of students and I attended a watch party where we viewed the 2011 “ultra-realistic” film Contagion . This movie tells the story of an extremely quickly spreading airborne virus that proliferates to the point of creating a global epidemic -- quite notably, it bears many eerie similarities to the concurrent COVID-19 pandemic. Ultimately, this film presents a significant example of how media, a form of the visual arts, can utilize medical and general scientific data to offer themes of mass panic, duty and responsibility, and overall ethical issues associated with pandemics and infectious diseases (Barbour). By doing so, it warns its viewers of the need for order and morality during these times of struggle and calls for human unity and togetherness to fight and overcome these affairs. Primarily, Contagion was inspired and influenced by previous outbreaks, such as that of the spread of the H1N1 influenza virus an
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Week 9 - Space and Art

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Chelsey Bonestell's extraterrestrial landscape illustration, Saturn. Humanity has always had a fascination with the cosmos. From Copernicus’ development of the heliocentric model to the launching of Sputnik, the world’s first satellite to enter space, people have strived to seek further into and understand the greater unknown universe. Yet, this human drive to explore the space environment sparks not only from scientific or political reasons but instead it also derives from a desire to understand the human experience via the cosmos itself (The Leonardo Space Art Project Working Group).  It is here that a bridge between art and science can be discerned. Further, art is continuously utilized as a medium that ultimately impacts and shifts social opinion, value, and motivation -- not only can it be used as a representation of one’s self, it is utilized as a means to influence culture and society. Thus, artists can additionally utilize their work as a mechanism of developing humanity it
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Week 8 - Nanotechnology and Art

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Ancient shard of golden luster ceramics from the 9th century Nanoscience and nanotechnology are some of the fastest-growing markets that are being utilized and developed by scientists, artists, manufacturers, and individuals across all fields. Essentially, they entail the study and application of the atomic and molecular levels and they involve the ability to see and control individual atoms and molecules. Although these fields are relatively new, nanoparticles are materials that have been utilized for many centuries. For example, ancient craftsmen in 9th century Mesopotamia were able to create metallic luster decorations upon their glazed ceramics by utilizing controlled nanotechnology. Indeed, we have been manipulating nanoparticles for a long time -- however, I believe that our newfound recognition of this enables us to open up many more doorways in a grand multitude of fields of society. Yet, perhaps some of its best influence can be found in the intersection of nanotech and art. A
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Week 7 - Neuroscience and Art

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Ramón y Cajal's drawing of neurons within the nervous system  As art has transversed into the realm of human physiology, some individuals have taken a step further and have begun to explore artistry within neuroscience. In fact, it is a fitting field because, as mentioned by Frazzetto and Anker, neuroscience holds the potential of revealing the sources of human individuality through emotion, consciousness, and overall cognitive processes by exploring the underpinnings of the mind -- indeed, this disclosure of human character and expression is a true pillar of art itself. Hence, when neuroscience is merged with artistry and commercial creation, these neurocultural projects hold the potential of not only demonstrating the beauty and aesthetic of the brain and its mechanisms but also relaying scientific discoveries and their social implications to the public domain (1).  An example of an artist depicting the aesthetic of neuroscience and the human brain can be found in the work of San
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Event 2 - Gattaca, May 7th, 12pm

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Vincent, standing next to a photograph of "Jerome," his new identity On May 7th, I attended a watch party where I and a group of fellow students viewed the 1997 film Gattaca . It takes place in a society where people are typically conceived through advanced reproductive technology; in fact, this biotechnology enables parents to create genetically advanced “invalids” who are born with desirable traits and enhanced genetics. However, our protagonist, Vincent Freeman, was born naturally without the aid of genetic engineering. As such, society classifies him as an “invalid,” and throughout the film, Vincent is faced with numerous disadvantages -- both social and genetic. Hence, Gattaca explores a multitude of questions surrounding ethics, genetic modification, and eugenics. Primarily, because of Vincent’s natural conception, he is replete with many natural disabilities. Born with a high chance of a heart condition, neurological issues, and a shortened lifespan, in this society, i
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Week 6 - Biotech and Art

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Artists have always treated the human and animal forms as progenitors of artistic exploration, utilizing them both as canvases and as means of inspiration. In the rising 21st century, however, they have now taken a step further -- artists are beginning to explore surgical procedures of both the outer body and the inner genomic sequences as artistic instruments. Indeed, bio-art is a newfound form of artistry that incorporates medicine, genetics, and even bodily extensions -- however, it has also sparked a new set of questions regarding the ethics and morality of disrupting the natural systems of humans themselves as well as utilizing animals within one’s artistic endeavors. Howard Boland's piece, Cellular Propeller Perhaps one of the most well-known controversial art pieces utilizing genetic modification is Eduardo Kaz’s GFP Bunny, Alba. This was a transgenic rabbit created through the insertion of a jellyfish gene that's responsible for the bunny’s fluorescent glow under UV li
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