JackChenDESMA9

 I enjoy how Professor Vesna focuses on understanding the history of science, especially with this week's content on the convergence of Space and Art. Her lectures started by discussing Copernicus' model, placing the Sun at the center of the solar system, a concept not necessarily new at his time, but one he detailed mathematically. It's incredible to think that in Ancient Roman times, they were just as fascinated by the sky, stars, and planets, where deities were named after the planets of Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Venus, and Saturn. Even after thousands of years, human thought and imagination are just as intrigued by Space and what that means for us as a species.  Copernicus- Solar System Copernicus was a brilliant Polish Astronomer and mathematician who formulated the model of the Universe. His ideas shaped the solar system as we understand it today.  Bridging the lessons of nanotechnology from last week to this week, the same nanotechnology plays a significant role in s...

  I was extremely excited for my third event when Professor Vesna invited the class to her [SUN]Flower and Plasma and the SOLAR MAXIMUM lecture! I am in the screenshot above, with Professor Vesna seemingly on the sun, her background illuminated with vibrant hues of red. Right off the bat, the professor spoke with passion when introducing the nuclear fusion breakthrough at the National Ignition Facility on December 13th, 2022. Laser technology is used at the Nuclear Ignition Facility, and its impact on fusion has been immense. She worked with Dr. Walter Geckelmen, a plasma physicist focused on alpha waves, at UCLA for over 15 years! It was helpful when the professor pulled up a video introducing the technology of a large plasma device used in experiments studying magnetic ropes and solar physics. Although it was hard to follow because the concepts, science, and technology are new to me, the discussion of solar energy on Earth's radiation belts and the need for artificial control was...

 This week, we discussed nanotechnology, which I don't know much about. The lectures were incredibly informative, as Dr. Jim Gimzewski, a nanoscientist and professor at UCLA, covered the historical context and general overview of the complex field of nanotechnology. To be perfectly transparent, much of it went over my head until I did further research. First, I learned that nanotechnology involves critical dimensions of 1 to 100 nanometers, which can be part of much larger systems. Nanotechnology impacts many fields, and it has the potential to change the world, and has been at a rapid pace. The technical aspects that Dr. Gimzewski explained were that powers of 10 scale are used in nanotechnology, where logarithmic scales illustrate the sizes of various objects.  From the historical perspective of nanotechnology, there are numerous key players. Richard Feynman and Eric Drexler both approached nanotechnology somewhat differently. Drexler had a more deterministic, mechanical pro...

 For my 2nd event, I attended an illuminating interview of UCLA professor David Gere. Professor Vesna was the host, and right from the start, I could tell that both professors had a great friendship and connection.  Professor David Gere!- Zoom Interview by Professor Vesna Professor Gere speaks with such kindness and vulnerability. He started the interview by talking about similarities between the AIDS epidemic in the early 1980s and the COVID-19 Pandemic. He became visibly moved and emotional as he shared personal stories of losing friends to AIDS, like Joe Lowe, who faced cruel treatment in a Texas hospital. What stood out was the terrible stigma and lack of compassion that many AIDS patients endured during that time.  Activism during the AIDS epidemic in the early 1980s When the AIDS epidemic broke out, fear, hysteria, and stigma developed quickly. It was first seen as a virus that only affected the homosexual community, which was just blatant misinformation. The stigma...

For DESMA 9 this week, we explore the conscious, unconscious, and subconscious mind as they converge, intersect, and bring neuroscience to the forefront of popular culture and education, using Art as the vehicle. Professor Vesna only touched the surface of key figures and revolutionary minds such as Franz Josef Gall, who originated phrenology, Ramon y Cajal, who discovered neuron connections, psychologists, Sigmund Freud, and Carl Jung, who both contributed to the study of dreams and the unconscious. Each figure and many others have added to our continued complex understanding of our brains, the neuronetworks, and how they function and affect behavior, psychology, and thought.  It was fascinating to examine artist Suzanne Anker, whom Professor Vesna highlighted in this week's lectures, specifically her "FMRI Butterfly" pieces. She used 15 identical brain scans arranged in a grid, each frame containing a different Rorschach inkblot. "FMRI Butterfly"- Suzanne Anke...

 This week, Professor Vesna lectured about the importance that artists have played in the evolution of biotechnology, such as genetic engineering, tissue engineering, and animal lab experimentation. Each poses significant ethical implications, and the collaboration of scientists and artists has raised critical thought and awareness to pressing issues that continue to get more complicated and nuanced. We focused on artists Eduardo Kac, who coined the term 'Bio Art' and is the pioneer in the field, and Joe Davis, who was quite the eccentric artist who synthesized DNA and inserted it into bacterial genomes. Both artists questioned the meaning of life through manipulating organisms. A controversial experiment that sparked enormous debate was the creation of the 'GFP bunny' using genetic engineering.  "GFP Bunny" - Eduardo Kac Sometimes reading and viewing such experimentation made me feel uncomfortable because it raises issues of animal exploitation, ethical conce...