Donovan Nelson (DESMA 9)

  In this unit, we discussed the relationship between space and art. As a kid, I used to really want to be an astronaut. I have always had a fascination with space, and I can understand why artists have as well. Space is an incredible place that contains things that are unimaginable to us. To me, this unit served as the intersection of all others. Our previous topics such as nanotechnology, biotechnology, math, and robots all come together in a way when we discuss space. Mars Rover https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/ During lectures, we discussed the way that as our interest and knowledge of space has grown, so has its use in movies and television. As our understanding of space expands, it entices people to want to know more about it. Shows such as Star Trek and Star Wars, especially given their popularity, could be seen as a representation of our fascination with space. Star Wars https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/star-wars-best-spaceships/ We also mentioned constellations throughout th...

  This week we discussed the relationship between nanotechnology and art. It surprised me that we dedicated a section of this class to this topic because in previous units I have felt that nanotechnology was something that could have been mentioned in more detail, especially during our discussion of robotics and medical technologies. It seems that previous units have been leading to this topic.  Nanotechnology is a subject that is very interesting to me. In previous classes we spent some time discussing nanotechnology’s effects on the world of medicine. From that time on, I have known that in the future we can expect nanotechnology to have a place in many areas of life, especially the medical field. In my midterm project, I discussed possible uses of nanotechnology by athletes. Nanobot Injection https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/science/tomorrows- world-nanobots-to-kill-cancer-cells-chatbots-to-talk-to-the-old/arti cle9979534.ece  For athletes, it is extremely imp...

Attending this event and being able to see the ideas that other students came up with has definitely furthered my understanding of what we have studied in this class. This event has exposed me to the different perspectives of my classmates. There were very creative inventions that all seemed to, in some way, be a reflection of the student who came up with it. For example, in my own midterm project, I had incorporated my interest in athletics by coming up with an invention that catered to athletes. I was able to appreciate that each student’s invention was a representation of their own creative interests.  Two of the projects that stood out to me the most were those presented by Katharina Stahl and Mary Gallo. Katharina’s idea of storing memories is one that I believe would be very beneficial to the world if brought into reality. Being able to store and rewatch the memories of yourself or others could be extremely useful and could have many different applications. When I consider ti...

In this week’s unit, we discussed neuroscience and art. The topic of neuroscience and consciousness and the separation of the mind and body is one that is very fascinating to artists.  One important point from this week’s discussion was the idea of consciousness. Consciousness itself is defined as the state of being awake and aware of one's surroundings. It is amazing to think that there was a time in which people did not understand enough about the body to know where their own thoughts, feelings, and emotions originated. The philosopher, Aristotle, believed these things to be the responsibility of the heart. This was corrected as technological advancements allowed us to learn more about the brain. Studies of the brain have shown evidence that its structure is partly responsible for certain characteristics of our personalities. Certain areas of our brain control different aspects of our body and behavior. Greek Philosopher Aristotle https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/27/world/europe/g...

This week our discussion was focused on biotechnology in relation to art. I find it very interesting to see how the fascination with nature held by artists can be translated into an art form in which nature literally becomes the artwork. It is truly amazing to see what can be made possible with the power of biotechnology. Being able to manipulate life to fit our vision of what it should be is a very powerful idea that brings along with it some great ethical concerns.  For example, the bioluminescent bunny, mentioned in lectures, that was created as an art piece raised many questions about the ethics of manipulating the genes of living animals as a form of art. Animal rights activists claim the practice to be unnecessary and unethical, and even scientists find projects like the glowing bunny to be silly. However, no matter your stance on ethics, the implications of biotechnology are undeniable. With the ability to manipulate the genes of living organisms, life can take whatever form...