Space + Art

The vastness of our universe has been a captivating field of study for artists and scientists from the beginning of time. All of the topics from this class come together in space and create extraordinary discoveries. Nanotechnology, biotechnology, and robots bring the two cultures together and have allowed scientists to develop atomic bombs, hydrogen bombs, and rockets. In turn, their knowledge has allowed artists to create works that exploit the unknown and feed publics fascination with outer space. Some of the most significant events that occurred during the space age changed history for art and science.

This image captures the vastness of space

Although scientists have discovered approximately 100 billion other galaxies, 96% of the universe still remains unknown. In Carl Sagan’s video called “the pale blue dot,” he described the Earth as a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. He viewed our planet as “a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark.” This allows artists and film producers to use their imagination and create extraterrestrial universes geared toward the public’s curiosity with space. The filmmaking industry has flourished with so many works dedicated to space exploration. For example, I find movies such as Gravity, Star Wars, and E.T very intriguing because although they are all very different, there is no right or wrong interpretation of the unknown universe. There is still so much that is unknown. Robotics are currently being used in space to explore nearby planets in pursuit for life elsewhere. Curiosity is the latest rover on Mars, Magellen is orbiting Venus, and Galileo and Cassini are probing Saturn and Jupiter.

The tiny pale blue dot represents Earth to scale in the universe

The advancement of technology in just the past few decades has allowed us to further explore the depths of our universe. Astronomy has come a long way since Sputnik I was launched by the USSR on October 4^th 1957. This event struck fear and paranoia in America that the terrorists were more technologically advanced and had the upper hand in the arms race. President Eisenhower reacted by speeding up the U.S space program. The United States launched the satellite Explorer I on January 31^st, 1958, marking the beginning of the “space race.”

Sputnik I was about the size of a beach ball and polished so that it could reflect light and be seen from the ground

"8 Space Pt1." YouTube. Uconlineprogram, 29 July 2013. Web. 31 May 2015.

"8 Space Pt3."YouTube. Uconlineprogram, 29 July 2013. Web. 31 May 2015.

Launius, Roger D. "Sputnik and the Origins of the Space Age.” Histroy.nasa.gov, n.d. Web. 31 May 2015.

Sagan, Carl. "A Pale Blue Dot." A Pale Blue Dot. The Planetary Society, n.d. Web. 31 May 2015.

Brown, David W. "15 Ongoing Space Missions You Should Know About." Mental Floss. N.p., 15 Dec. 2014. Web. 31 May 2015.

"Soviet Union Launches Sputnik I." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 31 May 2015.

Writer, Clara Moskowitz SPACE.com Senior. "Missing: 96 Percent of the Universe | Dark Matter & Dark Energy | The 4% Universe, Richard Panek | Space.com." What's 96 Percent of the Universe Made Of? Astronomers Don't Know. Space.com, 12 May 2011. Web. 31 May 2015.

NanoTech + Art

Nanotechnology is an art-from that has presented a whole new area of our lives and goes beyond previously known methods of science. In this field, old scientific methodologies must be reinvented which in turn shifts the paradigm. The emersion of art and science is significant in this form of technology because not only does it impact every aspect of science and technology, but also has the potential to innovate scientific ideologies as a whole.

Physicist Richard Feynman envisioned this theoretical capability in the late 1950’s, believing that nanotechnology meant building things up from the bottom, with atomic precision. However, Norio Taniguchi is credited for coining the term “nanotechnology,” noting that “Nano-technology' mainly consists of the processing of separation, consolidation, and deformation of materials by one atom or one molecule.” Taniguchi laid out the foundation of nanotechnology for future physicists to further innovate and change scientific methodologies.

Nanotechnology explores the structure of atoms and their complex organization together

What I find interesting about nanotechnology is the specificity and precision of the field. In science, the term “Nano” refers to a billionth of a meter, which is a very small dimension. Nanotechnology works on a logarithmic scale using powers of ten; mathematics is extremely important in calculating nanometers. If even a just one minor miscalculation occurs, the entire outcome will be wrong. I feel like this is different from art because art does not necessitate a right or wrong answer. Art is open for interpretation and mistakes can be turned into something beautiful or completely different.

This shows specific mathematics used in nanotechnology

Artwork does not have a definitive equation to follow

In the early to mid 1980’s, two events occurred that helped nanotechnology become a more prominent scientific study. During this time, nanotechnology became less theoretical and more realistic. The first experimental development was a new form of carbon unknown to man. Before Smalley discovered buckminsterfullerene (C₆₀), carbon was either diamond or graphite. The second experiment was the ability to see individual atoms in real space. The scanning tunneling microscope and the buckeyball allowed for atoms to be manipulated and visualized for the first time. Traditional microscopes use lenses that magnify objects but are limited by the wavelength of light. However, the scanning microscope has a “finger” that is actually a needle and feels the atoms on the surface. Today, there are thousands of nanotechnology products on the market, most of which are nano particles.

This is the scanning tunneling microscope used to visualize individual atoms

Works Cited

What Is Nanotechnology?" Nano.gov. Nano.gov National Nanotechnology Initiative, n.d. Web. 24 May 2015. <http://www.nano.gov/nanotech-101/what/definition>.

Popov, Mikhail E. "Norio Taniguchi." Glossary of Nanotechnology and Related Terms. Rusnano, n.d. Web. 24 May 2015. <http%3A%2F%2Feng.thesaurus.rusnano.com%2Fwiki%2Farticle24441>.

Gimzewski, Jim, Dr. "Nanotech Jim Pt1." YouTube. YouTube, 21 May 2012. Web. 24 May 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7jM6-iqzzE#t=276>.

Gimzewski, Jim, Dr. "Nanotech Jim Pt2." YouTube. YouTube, 21 May 2012. Web. 24 May 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEp6t0v-v9c#t=196>.

Gimzewski, Jim, Dr. "Nanotech Jim Pt3." YouTube. YouTube, 21 May 2012. Web. 24 May 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0HCNiU_108#t=139>.

Feynman, Richard P. "Feynman's Talk." There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom. Feynman's Talk, n.d. Web. 24 May 2015. <http://www.zyvex.com/nanotech/feynman.html>.

"Harun Yahya." Nanotechnology. Harun Yahya, n.d. Web. 24 May 2015. <http://m.harunyahya.com/tr/Daily-Comments/46541/Nanotechnology>.

Neuroscience+Art

After learning about art’s connection with medicine and the human body, it is no surprise to me that neuroscience has a strong connection with art as well. Artists play a vital role in using modern technology to analyze the separation between the mind and body. Professor Vesna raised an interesting point regarding consciousness and one’s personal identity. It is really interesting to think about the complexity of our minds. We have the ability to make sounds, create words, and be able to communicate with other people in a matter of nanoseconds. We can also hear someone speak, make sense of the information, and respond instantly. Aside from my initial skepticism, it is clear that the “third culture” between the arts and sciences is becoming more evident with new discoveries and technology. (Vesna, pt.1)

This image shows brain waves though different levels of consciousness

In the past century, Artists and scientists have come a long way in figuring out how the brain looks and works. Ramon y Cajal and Franz Joseph Gall are two significant personalities in the history of the brain because they were critical of showing how the brain looks and works. It is amazing to think about the extent in which technology has helped further our scientific knowledge. Without advanced technology, we would not know the correct function of my bodies and mind. Back in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s, Gall believed that the size of your brain was a direct correlation with intelligence. He also theorized that the brain was separated into 27 different organs and that human behavior is dependent on each specific region of the brain. (Vesna, pt. 1)

Franz Joseph Gall's depiction of the brain showing the different sections

The innovation of technology has allowed scientists to explore the vastness of our brain and all of its capabilities—especially when it comes to controlling the body and creating unconscious and conscious thoughts. Scientists have acquired extensive knowledge regarding the affects that drugs have on the brain, especially cocaine and LSD. The study of neurochemicals and chemistry is a culture that is closely linked with the effect that hormones have on the mind and body, such as serotonin with depression and dopamine with sexual pleasure. There was a time during the 1800’s when cocaine was widely used in many products and was a cure for morphine addiction, depression, and fatigue. Sigmund Freud experimented with cocaine and used it on his friend to cure a morphine addiction in addition to almost killing a patient. LSD was synthesized by Albert Hoffman, and was given to alcoholics in AA and apparently stopped people from drinking.  In 1960, Timothy Leary contributed to the counterculture while conducting research with LSD. He distributed the drug to students and gave it to prisoners to stop them from repeating offences. Nixon claimed him to be the most dangerous man in America. It is amazing what scientists have been able to discover over the years with innovation in the medicinal and technological fields. (Vesna, pt.3)

1885 Advertisement for Cocaine toothache Drops

Works Cited

Vesna, Victoria. "Neuroscience-pt1.mov." Neuroscience-pt.1. YouTube, 17 May 2012. Web. 16 May 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzXjNbKDkYI>.

Vesna, Victoria. "Neuroscience Pt3." Neuroscience Pt3. YouTube, 16 May 2012. Web. 16 May 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5EX75xoBJ0#t=134>.

Bergland, Christopher. "The Neurochemicals of Happiness." Psychology Today. Psychology Today, 29 Nov. 2012. Web. 16 May 2015. <https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201211/the-neurochemicals-happiness>.

"Freud and Cocaine -- The Deal." Freud and Cocaine-- The Deal. History Hosue, n.d. Web. 16 May 2015. <http://www.historyhouse.com/in_history/cocaine/>.

Kotsos, Tania. "Brain Waves and the Deeper States of Consciousness." Brain Waves and the Deeper States of Consciousness. Mind Your Reality, n.d. Web. 16 May 2015. <http://www.mind-your-reality.com/brain_waves.html>.