Week 4: MedTech and Art

After going over this weeks material, it was very eye opening to see how art and medical technology can be grouped into the same category in certain ways.  The advancements made in medical technology over the years is astonishing, and has proved to be extremely useful in saving countless lives by detecting and preventing things that could prove to be fatal.  Machines such as an X-ray machine, MRI, CT scan, and modes of surgery that are non-invasive.  Medical technology has also allowed people to experience senses that they have previously been unable to experience.  Visually impaired people can now see, deaf people are now able to hear, and other scientific advancements have given people experiences they have not been able to enjoy before.  

The X-ray, which was discovered in 1895, has been one of the most important scientific discoveries of all time.  Another pivotal invention, the Magnetic Resonance Imaging, or MRI, has given doctors the ability to gain a deeper look as to potential medical problems people may have.  Also, prosthetics have been extremely beneficial to many people, giving them the ability to have use to a limb or other body part that was previously lost.  Professor Vesna talks about an art display called Body Worlds, which is a traveling exhibition created by Gunther von Hagens, and aims to give people an in-depth look at the human body.

"Amputee Simultaneously Controls Two Robotic Prosthetic Limbs With His Thoughts." IFLScience. N.p., 19 Dec. 2014. Web. 24 Apr. 2016. 

Bellis, Mary. "The Invention of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)." About.com Inventors. About.com, 03 Feb. 2016. Web. 24 Apr. 2016.

"Gif Best." Funny Gifs, n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2016.

"History of Radiography." NDT Resource Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2016.

"Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)." Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.

Norton, Kim N. "A Brief History of Prosthetics." Amputee Coalition. N.p., Nov.-Dec. 2007. Web. 24 Apr. 2016.

"The Visible Human Project." U.S. National Library of Medicine. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2016.

"The 10 Greatest Medical Inventions of the Last 50 Years." Healthcare Business and Technology. N.p., 20 May 2013. Web. 24 Apr. 2016.

Week 3: Robotics + Art

In this week’s lecture, the discussion on how robots and technology have greatly influenced society really opened my eyes as to how much of a role they actually play.  From Gutenberg’s printing press to Ford’s assembly line, there have been numerous inventions that have contributed to society in a positive way.  Now, technology is becoming so advanced that machines are able to do jobs instead of humans.  One example of this is a vacuum that can clean a floor without any human work necessary.  These robots are so efficient at their tasks that humans are in danger of losing their jobs due to the fact that the cost of a machine is much cheaper than the cost of labor for a human.  Movies such as iRobot and Wall-E give a preview as to what can happen if robots continue to advance and gain a larger role in the world.

In regards to art, robots have been created that are able to create pieces of art such as paintings.  Robots have been programmed to paint, but the creative aspect is missing.  Although they are able to paint pictures and such, the pieces are not usually original because no robot can emulate the creativity that humans have.  Most of the robots that can paint are programmed to paint a certain picture or piece of art.  

Brooks, Katherine. "If The Future Of Art Is Robotics, At Least It Will Be Adorable." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2016.

http://www.geekalerts.com/the-seven-day-scheduling-robotic-vacuum/

"I, Robot | Movie Review | Plugged In." I, Robot Movie Review. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2016.

"It’s Happening: Robots May Be The Creative Artists Of The Future."MakeUseOf. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2016.

Person, and Richard Moss. "Creative AI: The Robots That Would Be Painters." Creative AI: The Robots That Would Be Painters. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2016.

http://www.tripletsandus.com/disney/wall-e.htm

http://wallpaperswide.com/funny_robots-wallpapers.html

"You Can Give A Robot A Paintbrush, But Does It Create Art?" NPR. NPR, n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2016.

Week 2: Math + Art

In her lecture, Professor Vesna talked about how having a good or bad teacher can heavily influence our attitude towards a certain subject, and eventually contribute to the career decision we choose to pursue.  I found this to be very true, seeing that math is the subject I struggle the most with, and have avoided throughout my time in college.  However, math plays a large part in art whether we realize it or not.  After this weeks lecture, I now have a greater understanding of vanishing points, the golden ratio, and other aspects of math that are present in math.  

The Last Supper

Leonardo da Vinci utilized vanishing points in his art all throughout his lifetime.  A vanishing point is a place in a piece of art where parallel lines are directed towards in order to provide depth throughout the image.  One such example can be seen in one of his most famous pieces, titled The Last Supper.  The golden ratio, which is approximately 1.618 and represented by the greek letter phi, is a number that is believed to be the most aesthetically appealing as well as provide the most balance.  Math and art can also be used as a juxtaposition, creating a piece that can be deceiving.  As a child, I always thought optical illusions were very interesting.  It is fascinating to see how math and art are used in order to produce them.

Optical Illusion

Example of a vanishing point

"20 Amazing Optical Illusions - Listverse." Listverse. N.p., 16 Sept. 2007. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.

Brownlee, John. "The Golden Ratio: Design's Biggest Myth." Co.Design. N.p., 13 Apr. 2015. Web.                      10 Apr. 2016.

"Long Ride Into Vanishing Point by Lin Haring." Fine Art America. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.

"The Last Supper (Leonardo Da Vinci)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.

Uconlineprogram. "Mathematics-pt1-ZeroPerspectiveGoldenMean.mov." YouTube. YouTube, 09                        Apr. 2012. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.

Week 1: Two Cultures

As stated by C.P. Snow, in this week's lecture, we learned about the connection between art and science, and how there is a parallel between the two. Immediately, I thought of the bond between the two in relations to sportswear.  Nike, one of the most prestigious and popular sportswear brands on the market today, utilizes a balance between art and science in their clothes and equipment. "American multi-national sports apparel and accessories maker Nike has emerged on top of Forbes' 'The World's Most Valuable Sports Brands 2014'. The brand value of Nike in 2014 is estimated to be at $19 billion, up from $17.3 billion last year, according to Forbes" (Sengupta). “Revenues for NIKE, Inc. rose 10 percent to $30.6 billion, up 14 percent on a currency-neutral basis” (NIKE, INC).

Nike makes use of art in their clothing and equipment in order to ensure that they sell the most possible units they can.  Entire departments are are dedicated to studying social trends in order to make sure their clothes are up-to-date and fashionable.  Their goal is to create a product that everyone wants, and something that is timeless.  

Along with being stylish and trendy, Nike must also create a product that can be comfortable and help assist an athlete in performing to the best of his/her ability.  Countless hours of research as well as a large amount of money is put in to finding what will work best with the athlete.  Athletic shoes, for example, are created to be light, while still providing support for the foot.  Overall, the combination of art and science is what makes Nike appealing to a wide range of consumers.

Works Cited

• "Famous Logo Design History: Nike." Logo Design Gallery Inspiration. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Apr.                              2016.
• "Nike Apparel – Designed For Men and Women!" SportBrandInfo. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2016.
• "NIKE, INC. Reports Fiscal 2015 Fourth Quarter And Full Year Results." NIKE, Inc. N.p., 25 June                       2015. Web. 03 Apr. 2016.
• "Nike Men's Free 4.0 Running Shoes." Dick's Sporting Goods. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2016.
• Sengupta, Ramarko. "Nike Is World's Most Valuable Sports Brand in Forbes List - NDTV." Nike Is                       Worlds Most Valuable Sports Brand in Forbes List – NDTV Profit. N.p., 15 Oct. 2014.                       Web. 03 Apr. 2016.