Week 9: Mind over Matter: How Imagining Space Preceded and Inspired Innovation

This week’s unit ended our class at the famed “final frontier” of outer space – an area of exploration so near to our hearts and minds that its thematic presence continues to dominate all forms of American pop culture today. From captivating cinematic masterpieces like Gravity, Interstellar, and the recent Star Trek and upcoming Star Wars film installments to the catchy pop music hits of artists such as Katy Perry (E.T.) and Lady Gaga (Venus), art has continued to take inspiration from the celestial heavens and transform the otherworldly into creative genius. But while it is easy to see how much our conceptualization of space has influenced artistic outlets and culture, it is harder to grasp the immense impact humanity’s creative contributions to these outlets have had on (and, perhaps to take a more neutral stance, could/could have had on (d)) real innovation. Analyzing examples brought to my attention throughout this unit, I will explore the concept of artistic imagination preceding tangible and theoretical scientific innovation through two concepts: the “space elevator” and “warp speed” space travel.

This illustration of a theoretical model of a space elevator shows how high such a structure could stretch. Surely, much taller than the Eiffel Tower (below). (above: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_elevator#/media/File:Space_elevator_structural_diagram--corrected_for_scale%2BCM%2Betc--regenerated_as_SVG.svg; below: http://cnet4.cbsistatic.com/hub/i/2015/02/25/49752f72-14d6-4033-af9c-88d40611d3c7/5ddb05cc300e5515c348d0d60f4e9e42/eiffel1.jpg)

This structure, made of carbon nanotubes of buckminsterfullerene, is one proposed material to be used to build the space elevator. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_elevator#/media/File:Kohlenstoffnanoroehre_Animation.gif)

The “space elevator” as a concept has its early roots in Russian scientist’s Konstantin Tsiolkovsky’s vision stemming from the Eiffel Tower. Struck by the beauty of such an immense structure reaching for the heavens, Tsiolkovsky originated the idea in modern thought. The immense symbolism of a structure such as the Eiffel Tower, built as an artistic representation of modernity (with practical use, of course) for the World’s Fair, inspiring such an innovative scientific concept is powerful. The great irony of this inspiration is in the reality of current proposals to build a space elevator, which utilizes a variant of buckminsterfullerene – a substance described in my last blog post whose name takes inspiration from the work of architectural visionary Buckminster Fuller.

Another concept with inspiration from artistic venues is warp speed travel – a concept made popular by the “warp drive” of the Star Trek universe. Through warp travel, a spacecraft enters a parallel “warp tunnel” to travel faster than the speed of light, making travel through interstellar space both possible and efficient. This idea, long a staple in science fiction (including in the inferior, copycat structures of Star Wars), was granted some theoretical scientific validity in 1994 by physicist Miguel Alcubierre in his paper on a theoretical “Alcubierre drive”. Although this type of structure is not currently possible, the sheer imagination behind this concept in science fiction propelling such scientific innovation is absolutely bewildering.

The original cast of Star Trek, a.k.a. the best sci-fi series ever. Period. (This only reflects the opinion of the blogger and is not meant to reflect any sort of factual information). (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2d/ST_TOS_Cast.jpg)

In this illustration, the space in the bubble is "unwarped", while the space outside is "warped" in order to make travel more efficient. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warp_drive#/media/File:Star_Trek_Warp_Field.png)

References

"CODED UTOPIA." Continental Drift. N.p., 27 Mar. 2007. Web. 30 May 2015.

Dunbar, Brian. NASA. NASA, n.d. Web. 30 May 2015.

Rosen, Rebecca J. "What If NASA Could Figure Out the Math of a Workable Warp Drive?" The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 28 Nov. 2012. Web. 30 May 2015.

"60,000 Miles Up: Space Elevator Could Be Built by 2035, Says New Study | ExtremeTech." ExtremeTech. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 May 2015.

Tate, Karl. "The Evolution of U0027Star Treku0027(Infographic) | Star Trek TV Series & Films | NASA & Star Trek, Science Fiction TV & Films | Space.com." StarTrek4Life. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 May 2015.

Week 8: Nanotech + Art – Seeing the Unsee-able

In exploring the history of a technology that literally allowed man to see and further manipulate what was previously unsee-able, this week’s topic of nanotechnology and art branched off of our continuing interweaving themes of art and science being build on self-reinforcing foundations. This was nowhere more apparent that in the discussion of the “buckey-ball” (Buckminsterfullerene) – a new form of carbon composed of sixty atoms discovered by scientists using ideas from renowned architect Buckminster Fuller’s designs. Using concepts of design, scientists were able to generate a stable carbon structure that had only previously existed as an inference of extraterrestrial observation, firmly upholding the influence of art on scientists working to innovate within the rapidly expanding field of nanotechnology. Interestingly enough, Bucky-balls are actually related to the concept of Fibanacci's golden ration (see here:http://www.goldennumber.net/bucky-balls/), further integrating this fantastic discovery into our coursework. 

This Buckminsterfullerene crystal structure model details the ornate complexity of the Bucky ball, while the below is the inspiration (Buckminster's geodesic domes)

Further observing this concept of interaction between nanotechnology and art, one can observe the plethora of collaborations in which nanotechnology turns unsee-able structures into interactive visual, temporal, and tactile parts of exhibits providing valuable social commentary on our constructs of the material world and highlighting prominent themes in literature, physics, and psycho-social interaction. At the forefront of this work is our own professor, Dr. Victoria Vesna, who has worked on exhibits that integrate cultural understandings of purity through artistic representation with nanotechnology that highlights the beauty (and purity of the sacred) in the very composition of these substances (an excerpt on her exhibit can be found in our reading here: https://art.base.co/event/2104-art-in-the-age-of-nanotechnology)

Victoria Vesna's exhibit Nanomandala. Integrating concepts of purity and the sacred with nanotech applications, this exhibit has made it on to my art bucket-list. 

These magnets from the Nanoscape exhibit by Christa Sommerer and Laurent Mignonneau, integrating nano-textures with magnetic forces to create an exhibit that changes as you interact with it.

Through taking us from the conceptual to visualizing the previously unsee-able, and by integrating tenets of art and design into the scientific process of developing new molecular structures, this week’s unit set the stage for a revitalized look at the two cultures – one in which reciprocity ultimate dictates the relationship and fluidity between art and science. Supplemented by the abundance of creative projects using and taking inspiration from nanotechnology, I cannot wait to further explore this concept and await nanotech’s further breakthroughs in my lifetime. 

Works Cited

"Art in the Age of Nanotechnology." Art.base. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 May 2015.

"Bucky Balls and Phi." Phi 1618 The Golden Number. N.p., 13 May 2012. Web. 23 May 2015.

"The John Curtin Gallery." Curtin University of Technology. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 May 2015.

"Nanotechnology Now." Nanotechnology Art Gallery. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 May 2015.

"Nifty 50: BUCKY BALLS." Nifty 50: BUCKY BALLS. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 May 2015.

Week 7: Neuroscience + Art

Neuroscience and art, much like the nerve tissues comprising our very neurons, are inexplicably intertwined – and perhaps nowhere is this intersection of the physical with the metaphysical, the perceptive with the imaginative, more beautifully captured than in the stunning visuals of the "brainbow". This week’s lectures and readings presented a perspective that traced the development of the field of neuroscience and psychology, from Santiago Ramon y Cajal’s blended interest in art and neuroscience as one to Jung’s work on the “collective unconscious” of universal archetypes present in all human creativity. For this blog post, I will focus on concept of “brainbows” – the assignment of colored “labels” to different nerves  - as an extension of the development of neuroscience and its unending relationship with the influential aesthetics of artistic expression.

The brainbow of a zebrafish, showing neural tissue labeled throughout the body of the organism.
http://www.mbl.edu/photo-contest/archives/2010-winners/

The conceptual underpinnings of brainbows draw key scientific influence from the idea that the brain is divided into subsections that control different thoughts and functions. As explained by Professor Cohen (link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDq8uTROeXU), Franz Joseph Gall’s insight that the brain is compartmentalized, although incorrectly articulated, contributed to many further advances in neuroscience, and “brainbows” allow the trace of different individual neurons that serve different functions through the tagging of these specific neurons in spectacular colors. This particularly fascinated me, primarily because I had never seen something so spectacularly beautiful in a lab environment. The spectacular images presented evoke a powerful understanding of how the neurons work in concert to perform incredibly complex functions, and how these cells intertwine to operate in concert to govern our thoughts, feelings, and physical functions. Extending this concept beyond human functioning, one can observe the neural activity of other organisms in order to further understand their complex neuroanatomy.Hidden within such beauty is a key insight into our mental faculties, located at a crucial intersection of art and science.

A "brainbow" of the human brain, hinting at the complex beauty of compartmentalization.
http://www.feelguide.com/2011/03/02/harvard-researchers-unlocking-deep-mysteries-of-brain-with-technicolor-brainbow-technique/

Overall, this concept proved most interesting to me, and the images are truly captivating. They serve – beyond their numerous applications - as testaments to the power of our brains, and the beauty of our inner selves. I am truly mesmerized, and hope to explore this issue further as I continue my journey through art, science, and design in this course.

The beautiful array of colors is absolutely captivating
https://neurophilosophy.wordpress.com/2007/10/31/the_100_colours_of_the_brainbow/

Works Cited

"Brainbow: About." Brainbow. Harvard Neuroscience Edu, n.d. Web. 17 May 2015.

Costandi, Mo. "The 100 Colours of the Brainbow." Mo Costandi. N.p., 31 Oct. 2007. Web. 17 May 2015.

Frazzetto, Giovanni, and Suzanne Anker. "Perspectives, Science and Society: Neuroculture." Nature Reviews Neuroscience 10 (2009): n. pag. Web. 17 May 2015.

"Harvard Researchers Unlocking Deep Mysteries Of Brain With Technicolor “Brainbow” Technique." FEELguide. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2015.

"2010 MBL Scientific Photography Contest Winners." The MBL Scientific Photography Contest. MBL Science, n.d. Web. 17 May 2015.