On July 21, I
visited the California Science Center. The (CSC) center contains three
floors and features an IMAX movie theater. The CSC currently has a
focus on flight and many aircraft and space craft can be seen inside
of the CSC and on the grounds near the CSC:
The CSC also
features exhibits on earthquakes, creativity, and ecosystems. The
California Science Center is well-suited for people who like to
physically interact with exhibits, as many of the CSC's exhibits
are displays of kinetic art. For instance, the ecosystem section
features an exhibit that allows people to control the cameras and
motors of an underwater remote-controlled vehicle:
Additionally, the CSC features a high-wire bicycle (an
interactive exhibit displaying the science of center of gravity,
where people ride a special bicycle across a rope hung across the
second story) and virtual flight simulations. While I was attending
the museum, there were multiple summer camps also in attendance,
comprised of elementary school aged kids. The children seemed to be
enjoying themselves greatly; I believe the CSC's heavy emphasis on
kinetic art was integral to the children's happiness and curiosity.
I
believe this type of interaction (kinetic art) is best suited to
inspire children about art, technology, and science and should be
used heavily in the classroom.
Links
The RSA. “RSA
ANIMATE: Changing Education Paradigms”. Online video clip. YouTube.
YouTube, 14 Oct 2010.
Sporf Art. “Aparna Rao: High-tech art (with a sense of humor): TED
Talk: Art” YouTube. YouTube,
12 Sept 2012. Web. 24 July 2016.
TED.
“Do
Schools Kill Creativity? | Sir Ken Robinson | TED Talks” YouTube.
YouTube,
6 Jan 2007. Web. 24 July 2016.
TED.
“Takaharu Tezuka: The best kindergarten you’ve ever seen”
YouTube.
YouTube,
14 April 2015. Web. 24 July 2016.
Snow, C.P. The
Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution. New
York: The Syndics of the Cambridge University Press, 1959. Print.
On Thursday, July
21, I visited the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles. The museum
is comprised of two levels and partitioned into themed halls,
including North American Mammal
Hall, African Mammal Hall, Dinosaur Hall, and Bird Hall.
The exhibits
featured in each hall contain combinations of dinosaur
fossils, mammal fossils, and stationary artificial scenes containing
both dinosaurs and mammals. For instance, African Mammal Hall
contains stationary scenes of mammals:
And Dinosaur Hall
contains dinosaur fossils:
Walking through the
dinosaur exhibits, I was reminded of the movie Jurassic Park and
the concept of deextinction – creating and reintroducing animals
that have been declared extinct. As creation is at the core of
artistic expression, it is reasonable to consider deextinction the
ultimate act of creation. In 1993, when the movie was released,
deextinction may have seemed like science fiction, but advances in
biotechnology have enabled scientists to begin the process of
deextinction for animals like the woolly mammoth and carrier pigeon (TED. “Stewart Brand...”).
The basic process for deextinction is as follows:
1. Extract the DNA
of the extinct species from preserved tissue
2. Splice the DNA of
the extinct species with the extinct species closest living relative
3. Insert the DNA
into undifferentiated stem cells
4. Transform the
stem cell into sperm cells
5. Artificially
inseminate the closest living relative with the sperm cells
This procedure was
used to successfully create a Javan Banteng, an extinct cow-like
mammal (TED. “Stewart Brand...”).
This museum is
well-suited for fans of archeology, specifically dinosaurs.
Museum-goers requiring exhibits which allow for physical interaction
should avoid the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles.
Citations
TED. “Hendrik Poinar: Bring back the woolly mammoth!” YouTube.
YouTube, 30 May 2013. Web. 21
July 2016.
TED. “Stewart Brand: The dawn of
de-extinction. Are you ready?”
YouTube. YouTube, 13
Mar 2013. Web. 21 July 2016.
TED. “George Monbiot: For more
wonder, rewild the world.”
YouTube. YouTube, 9Sept
2013. Web. 21 July 2016.
Jurassic Park.
Dir. Steven Spielberg. By Michael Crichton and David Koepp. Perf. Sam
Neill, Laura Dern, and Richard Attenborough. Universal Pictures,
1993.
Revive
& Restore. The Long Now Foundation, n.d. Web. 24 July 2016.
The
material that most influenced my understanding of this week's
material on space and art was Chris Hadfield's YouTube videos. During
his time commanding the International Space Station (December 21,
2012 until May 12, 2013), Colonel Hadfield was active on Twitter and
YouTube, interacting with followers and answering questions about
life in space. The YouTube videos have an endearing quality and made
me feel connected to Hadfield and the International Space Station.
With over 1.6 million followers on Twitter and a combined 50,000,000+
views of the videos on his YouTube channel, Colonel Hadfield's work
has been far-reaching and presumably has inspired many future
astronauts, technologists, and artists.
Source:
Canadian Space Agency. “Wringing out Water..."
Apart
from his YouTube videos, while commanding the International Space
Station, Colonel Hadfield took over 45,000 photographs. The photos
were often taken and transmitted directly to NASA for storage,
without Hadfield getting a chance to look at his own work. Once back
on Earth, Hadfield saw his photos for the first time and compiled 192
of the best photos into a book titled, “You Are Here: Around the
World in 92 Minutes” (Mirani). The photos are awe-inspiring and
show the world from a very unique perspective – space.
Source: Mirani
Source: Mirani
Source: Mirani
Finally,
Colonel Hadfield released a revised version David Bowies's Space
Oddity and received 32,000,000+ views (Hadfield).
Source: Hadfield
Videos/Images
Hadfield, Chris. “Space
Oddity” YouTube. YouTube, 12 May 2013. Web. 22 July 2016.
Canadian Space Agency. “Wringing out Water on the ISS - for
Science!” YouTube. YouTube, 16 Apr 2013. Web. 22 July 2016.
Mirani, Leo. “Astronaut Chris Hadfield took 45,000 photos from
space—here are some of the best” Quartz. Quartz, 28 Oct
2014. Web. 22 July 2016.
Citations
Canadian
Space Agency. “Astronaut
Chris Hadfield Plays Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage's Space Game on
the ISS” YouTube. YouTube, 12 Apr 2013.
Web. 22 July 2016.
Canadian
Space Agency. “Chris
Hadfield's Space Kitchen” YouTube. YouTube, 18 Feb
2013. Web. 22 July 2016.
Canadian
Space Agency. “Chris
Hadfield's ISS: International Space Salon! (A haircut in space)”
YouTube. YouTube, 8 Mar 2013. Web. 22 July 2016.
Canadian
Space Agency. “Sleeping in
Space” YouTube. YouTube, 12 Apr 2013. Web. 22 July
2016.
Eames Office.
“Powers of Ten (1977)” YouTube. YouTube,
26 Aug 2010. Web. 22 July 2016.
The material that most influenced my understanding of this week's
material was Dr. Gimzewski's Lecture III, Dr. Gimzewski's Lecture IV,
Ray Kurzweil's TED talk, and Nicolaos
Christodoulides'
abstract on programmable bio-nano-chips. Prior to Dr.Gimzewski's
lecture I was under the impression that nanotechnology was currently
under development and not actively used in consumer products;
however, Dr.Gimzewski showed that nanoparticles are already utilized
in over 1000 products, including sunscreen, cosmetic products, and
food (uconlineprogram.
“Nanotech Jim pt3” and uconlineprogram. “Nanotech Jim pt 5”).
Although I was acutely aware of the exponential changes in computing
technology, Ray Kurweil's TED talk elucidated that many other areas
within technology are also undergoing
exponential changes. Namely, the time and price of DNA sequencing is
exponentially decreasing and production of photovoltaic energy is
exponentially increasing (TED.
“Ray Kurzweil...”).
Finally, the abstract of Christodoulide's paper furthers Kurweil's
sentiment of nanotechnology bringing a paradigm shift in computing by
showing the practicality of programmable
microcomputer's based on biotechnology and nanotechnology
(Christodoulides).
Source: TED. “Ray Kurzweil..."
Nanotechnology (specifically
small implantable sensors) will have a significant impact on the
quantified-self movement. The quantified-self movement advocates for
individuals to determine life choices (like when to go to sleep, what
and when to eat, when and how to workout) using personal data
collected by sensors placed or implanted into the body. In
his TED talk, Amal Graafstra showed how he implanted a glass IR
sensor into his hand, enabling him to open doors without keys.
Although Graafstra was successful in his implantation endeavors, he
shows that others have incurred great injury in trying to replicate
his implantation (TEDx
Talks). Advances in
nanotechnology will allow implantable programmable computers into the
human body to safely
allow integrated
self-tracking and identification mechanisms (like IR sensors).
Source: TEDx Talks
Source: TED. “Gary Wolf..."
Videos
TEDx Talks. “Biohacking -
the forefront of a new kind of human evolution: Amal Graafstra at
TEDxSFU” YouTube. YouTube, 17 Oct 2013. Web. 22 July 2016.
TED. “Ray Kurzweil: A
university for the coming singularity”
YouTube. YouTube, 2
June 2009. Web. 22 July 2016.
TED. “Gary Wolf: The
quantified self” YouTube. YouTube, 27 Sep 2010. Web. 22 July 2016.
Citations
“art in the age of
nanotechnology: A Perth International Arts Festival exhibition”
John Curtin Gallery. art.base, 30 April 2010. Web. 22 July 2016.
Christodoulides,
Nicolaos, et al. “Programmable Bio-Nano-Chip Technology for the
Diagnosis of Cardiovascular Disease at the Point-of-Care.”
Methodist DeBakey Cardiovascular Journal. National Center for
BioTechnology Information, 2012. Web. 22 July 2016.
Dillow, Clay. “The World's First Programmable Nanoprocessor Takes
Complex Circuitry to the Nanoscale.” Popular Science. Popular
Science, 9 Feb 2011. Web. 22 July 2016.
uconlineprogram. “Nanotech Jim pt1” YouTube. YouTube, 21
May 2012. Web. 22 July 2016.
uconlineprogram. “Nanotech Jim pt2” YouTube. YouTube, 21
May 2012. Web. 22 July 2016.
uconlineprogram. “Nanotech Jim pt3” YouTube. YouTube, 21
May 2012. Web. 22 July 2016.
uconlineprogram. “Nanotech Jim pt4” YouTube. YouTube, 21
May 2012. Web. 22 July 2016.
uconlineprogram. “Nanotech Jim pt5” YouTube. YouTube, 21
May 2012. Web. 22 July 2016.
uconlineprogram. “Nanotech
Jim pt6” YouTube.
YouTube, 21 May
2012. Web. 22 July 2016.
Since it's first
consumption in 1943, LSD has played an interesting role in human
creativity and perception. Albert Hofmann, the creator of LSD, gives
the following description of his first (accidental) encounter with
the hallucinogenic drug:
“At home I lay
down and sank into a not unpleasant intoxicated-like condition,
characterized by an extremely stimulated imagination. In a dreamlike
state, with eyes closed (I found the daylight to be unpleasantly
glaring), I perceived an uninterrupted stream of fantastic pictures,
extraordinary shapes with intense, kaleidoscopic play of colors.
After some two hours this condition faded away (Hoffman).”
Source: Horgan
As LSD was legal in
the United States until October 6, 1966, the drug was used
medicinally and in both academic and governmental research
(uconlineprogram). In academia, the drug was used to show student
psychologists the effects of schizophrenia first-hand. The government
used LSD, and other drugs, to try to force people into certain
states, like states of illogical thinking, euphoria, or complete
physical paralysis. The results of one of the experiments can be
found here:
http://www.openculture.com/2013/10/artist-draws-nine-portraits-on-lsd-during-1950s-research-experiment.html
Although drugs are
often seen as having wholly negative consequences, an argument can be
made that certain drugs enhance creativity. For instance, graphic
designer Brian Pollet ingested 20 different drugs over the course of
20 days with the goal of creating a new piece of art everyday. The
result was remarkable artwork:
Apart from drugs offering creative performance in the arts, drugs
have also been used to induce creative performance in other domains,
like science. For instance, Francis Crick, Steve Jobs, and Richard
Feynman all consumed LSD recreationally (Love).
Although now illegal, LSD has played a role in many scientific and
artistic endeavors and should not be denounced as wholly negative.
Citations
Love, Dylan. “Meet The Science And
Tech Geniuses Who Got High And Solved Amazing Problems.” Business
Insider. Business Insider, 22
Aug 2013. Web. 14 July 2016.
Hofmann, Albert. “LSD — My Problem
Child.” The Psychedelic Library. The
Psychedelic Library, n.d. Web. 14 July 2016.
uconlineprogram.
“Neuroscience pt3.” YouTube.
YouTube, 16 May 2012. Web. 14 July 2016.
Links
“Artist Draws Nine Portraits on LSD During 1950s Research
Experiment.” Open Culture.
Open Culture, 15 Oct 2013. Web. 14 July 2016.
Horgan, John. "Tripping in LSD's Birthplace: A Story for 'Bicycle day'." Scientific American. Scientific American, 19 April 2014. Web. 16 July 2016.
Tikunova, Paulina. “Artist Takes 20 Different Drugs And Creates
20 Illustrations To Show Drug Effects.” Bored Panda. Bored
Panda, Feb 2016. Web. 14 July 2016.
Dainius. “Artist Used LSD And Drew Herself For 9 Hours To Show
How It Affects Brain.” Bored Panda. Bored
Panda, Oct 2016. Web. 14 July 2016.
“Famous People Who Struggled with Drug Addiction”. Bio.
A & E Television Network, n.d. Web. 14 July 2016.
TED. “VS Ramachandran: 3 clues to
understanding your brain.” YouTube. YouTube,
23 Oct 2007. Web. 14 July 2016.
There should not be limits to human
creativity; however, intentionally destructive behavior (harming
autonomous beings) should be limited. This begs the question as to
whether artistic expression via biological mediums is destructive.
Further, if a behavior is destructive in the short term, should
potential long-term benefits make it permissible? This is a question
of ethics.
Using the principle of utilitarianism,
an ethical framework proposed by Jeremy Bentham, I argue that if the
positive benefits of the short-term destructive behavior outweigh the
negative affects, the short-term destructive behavior may still be
ethical. To an extent, this is already an established standard in
scientific research: animal tests for the sake of developing medical
technologies for human use. I believe the same standard should be
applied to artists using biological mediums.
As artwork is more abstract than
scientific research, it may be harder to determine the potential
long-term benefits of an artistic work. For instance, Eduardo Kac's
GFP Bunny is not obviously useful in a scientific or medical context,
but perhaps the social outcome of the creation of the bunny still
satisfies the requisite net positive benefit. As stated by Kac
himself, the GFP Bunny project was a complex social project motivated
by nine social goals (Kac).
Source: Kac
Although estimating the net outcome of
a particular task is necessarily difficult, I believe it is the best
way to determine whether or not an action should be taken, or
restricted. And once the standard has been set, I think it should be
applied universally to scientists and artists alike.
For an alternative view on the ethics
of bio-engineering, please view Paul Wolpe's talk:
Images & Videos
“As
a species, we have a moral obligation to enhance ourselves.” TED.
TED, 19 Feb 2014. Web. 13 July 2016.
TED-Ed.
“It's
time to question bio-engineering - Paul Root Wolpe.” YouTube.
YouTube, 15 Aug 2013. Web. 13 July 2016.
Sources
& Links
TED.
“Anthony
Atala: Growing new organs.” YouTube.
YouTube, 21 Jan 2010. Web. 13 July 2016.
TED.
“Barry
Schuler: An introduction to genomics.”
YouTube.
YouTube, 23
Jan 2009.
Web. 13 July 2016.
Woollaston,
Victoria. “Google
says humans could live for 500 YEARS - and is investing in firms
hoping to extend our lives five-fold.” DailyMail.
DailyMail, 9 Mar 2015. Web. 13 July 2016.
Pena,
Miguel. “Stem
Cells: The Solution to Living Over 100 Years?”Dartmouth
Undergraduate Journal of Science.
Dartmouth University, 29 Jan 2013. Web. 13 July 2016.
“Craig
Venter unveils 'synthetic
life.'”
TED.
TED, 21 May 2010. Web. 13 July 2016.
Industrialization,
the large-scale integration
of manufacturing practices into a society whereby productivity is
increased by replacing manual labor with mechanized processes
(DiLallo 2015),
did not end in the 18th
Century; it is a continuous process and has implications on modern
society. Despite the purpose of increased productivity, a
characteristic seeming to provide wholly positive benefits, society
has viewed industrialization both
positively and negatively
throughout history. The printing press allowed for the mass
distribution of knowledge and was accepted as universally good.
Ford's assembly line increased factory throughput and worker's
compensation, but was criticized for necessarily deskilling and
mechanizing workers. The
1936 Charlie Chaplin film, Modern
Times, satirizes the
mechanization of workers; the film was deemed culturally significant
by the Library of Congress in 1989 (“Complete
National Film Registry”).
The self-driving car
presents another iteration of industrialization, with unique practical
and ethical challenges.
Source:
Chudnow
Museum
Source:
Charlie
Chaplin
Although
the integration of self-driving cars would provide many benefits, it
would also displace workers, leaving many without a job. The
transition to self-driving cars would give
mobility to the disabled, decrease the number of traffic accidents
worldwide (where over 1.2 million people currently die annually), and
allow people to use their commute time productively (“Google
Self-Driving Car”).
However, the transition
would also displace over 4 million workers in
the United States:
1.8 million truck drivers (“Heavy
and Tractor-trailer”),
0.234 million taxi drivers (“Taxi
Drivers”), 0.665 million
bus drivers (“Bus
Driver”), and 1.33 million
delivery drivers (“Delivery
Truck”).
Source:
Google
Self-Driving Car Project
Industrialization
has allowed humanity to increase the average life expectancy along
with increase the global standard of living; however, at what point
(if at all) does industrialization begin to negatively affect
society? When all previously human jobs are accomplished by humanoid
robots, where does that leave humanity? As
rational beings with an affinity for self-preservation, when the
outcome of an industrialization event is positive, the benefiting
entity will praise the event, while all negatively affected entities
will condemn the event. This begs
the question: Should we as humanity condemn an event when a majority
of the population is negatively affected?
Perhaps,
but not necessarily.
Sources
“Bus Driver.”
Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2016-17 Edition. Bureau
of Labor Statistics, United States Department of Labor, 17 December
2015. Web. 4 July 2016.
“Complete National Film Registry
Listing.” National Film Preservation Board. Library
of Congress, n.d. Web. 4 July 2016.
“Delivery Truck Drivers and Driver/Sales Workers.” Occupational
Outlook Handbook, 2016-17 Edition. Bureau
of Labor Statistics, United States Department of Labor, 17 December
2015. Web. 4 July 2016.
“Google Self-Driving Car Project”.
Google. Google, n.d.
Web. 4 July 2016.
“Heavy and Tractor-trailer Truck
Drivers.” Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2016-17
Edition. Bureau of Labor
Statistics, United States Department of Labor, 17 December 2015. Web.
4 July 2016.
Matthew DiLallo. “What
Is Industrialization?” The Motely Fool. The Motley Fool, 26 May
2015. Web. 4 Jul7 2016.
“Taxi Drivers and
Chauffeurs.” Occupational Outlook Handbook,
2016-17 Edition. Bureau of
Labor Statistics, United States Department of Labor, 17 December
2015. Web. 4 July 2016.
Videos
Chudnow Museum. “Henry
Ford Assembly Line Invention.” Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube,
9 Oct 2014. Web. 4 July 2016.
Charlie Chaplin. “Charlie Chaplin
– Factory Work.” Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 18 June
2010. Web. 4 July 2016.
Google Self-Driving Car Project. “A
Ride in the Google Self Driving Car.” Online video clip. YouTube.
YouTube, 27 May 2014. Web. 4 July 2016.
