Max Israel discusses the disparity between the arts and sciences and how his psychology major falls between the two cultures. He believes bridging the humanities and sciences can yield incredible results. As an example, he cites the movie Avatar, where science enhanced the film's art. Max's goal is the creation of one culture from the arts and sciences. In a separate document, Max explores artist Joe Davis' work Microvenus, where genetic code for a visual representation of female genitalia was inserted into E. coli bacteria. Davis intended this work communicating via DNA to raise awareness of DNA's message-encoding abilities. Max finds Davis' intertwining of art, biotechnology and other fields to be inspiring.

1. Biotechnology & Art
Blogs
Maximillian Israel
Psychology Major
Honors Collegiums 177
Professor Vesna
nd
June 2 , 2012

2. CREATING ONE CULTURE
My name is Max Israel and I’m a 3rd year psychology major. I personally find the disparity of the arts
and sciences discussed in “The Two Cultures” and “Toward a Third Culture: Being in between”
particularly intriguing. As a psychology major, I feel like I am caught in between the arts and the
sciences. One can see with the physical separation of the arts on north campus, and the sciences in
south campus, my department at Franz Hall seems to be located at the borderline between the two.
The requirements for my major fall into both science and humanity disciplines.
Like C.P. Snow and Professor Vesna, I personally believe that bridging the humanities and the
sciences together can yield incredible results and enrich our knowledge in all fields and help alleviate
stereotypes. I believe that the bridge between art and science can positively affect each other
bidirectionally. A great example of how science can enhance art is the movie Avatar. The science
of the film technology used to create the movie enriched the value and dynamics of the film as a
work of art.
In her paper “The Contribution of the Artist to Scientific Visualization,” Vibeke Sorensen
enumerates several ways in which artists can effectively collaborate with scientists and justifies why.
One of these ideas includes artists working with researchers to aid in conceptualizing abstract ideas,
help create visual models, and contribute in creating artificial devices such as prosthetics.
The image below is a model by Todd Siler who is trained in both science and visual arts and
shows a model of how to create an artificial sun on earth to provide safe and readily available
power.

3. I believe that our ultimate goal should be the creation of one culture as mentioned in “Culture Royal
Society's One Culture charts the collision between arts and science” by Philippa Warr. I believe
that the creation of one culture will create inventions and widen research findings in way never
thought possible. Below is an image of rainbow colored ants that illustrates the beauty of what
unifying science and art can do.

4. Citations:
Anda, Alyssa. "Rainbow-Colored Ants." My Modern Metropolis. N.p., 13 Aug. 2011. Web. 15
Apr. 2012. <http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/rainbow-colored-ants>.
Avatar: Motion Capture Mirrors Emotions . 2009. Video. Youtube.com. Web. 13 Apr 2012.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eUgV-lew3A>.
Siler, Todd. "All Representations of Thoughts for Art and Science Works by Todd Siler." Todd
Siler News. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2012. <http://www.toddsilerart.com/news.html>.
Snow, C.P. “The Two Cultures.” Leonardo. 1990, 23, 169
Sorensen, Vibeke. "The Contribution of the Artist to Scientific Visualization." visualmusic. San Diego
Supercomputer Center, n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2012. <http://www.visualmusic.org/text/scivi1.html>.
Vesna, Victoria. "Toward a Third Culture: Being in between." Leonardo 34.2 (2001): 121-125.
Print.
Warr, Philippa. "Royal Society's One Culture charts the collision between arts and science."
Wired.co.uk – Future Technology News and Reviews. N.p., 30 Sept. 2011. Web. 14 Apr. 2012.
<http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive /2011-09/30/one-culture>.
Week 1
Two Cultures
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5. CHICKENS: WHAT ARE WE REALLY EATING?
I had never done any research on genetically modified organisms so I decided to do some research on
chicken and their relationship to GMOs and biotechnology. According to my research, there are no
genetically engineered chicken that are sold for human consumption. However, the controversy lies
in the diet of the farmed chicken that are sold for our consumption. Chickens are being fed GMO
foods in addition to steroids to raise bigger chickens faster. People are then concerned with the
question that if chicken eat steroids and GM foods, does it affect our health when we eat these
chickens? Research is beginning to grow more and more in favor that it may have detrimental effects
on our health.
An article entitled “Genetically Modified Soy Linked to Sterility, Infant Mortality in Hamsters”
by Jeffrey Smith describes the findings of a study conducted by a Russian biologist on the
consumption of genetically modified soy by hamsters which led to sterility and death in the third
generation of hamsters eating GMOs. This can then be applied to chickens that are fed these GM
foods which are then bought and consumed by us.

6. Another issue I came across was that the FDA has admitted that chicken meat sold in the US
may contain traces of arsenic which is a known carcinogen! So we have steroids, GM chicken
food, and now arsenic added to the diet of our poultry (Adams)! So what are we really eating? Is
the chicken natural because it is not genetically engineered, or is it not natural because of its
diet?
Citations:
Adams, Mike. "FDA finally admits chicken meat contains cancer-causing arsenic." Natural
Health News. N.p., 9 June 2011. Web. 16 Apr. 2012.
<http://www.naturalnews.com/032659_arsenic_chicken.html>.
"Chicken Genetically Engineered - Boon or Bane?." Genetically Engineered Food News. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2012. <http://geneticallyengineeredfoodnews.com/chicken-genetically-
engineered-....
Featherless Chickens. 2012. Photograph. MilleniumWeb. 16 Apr 2012.
<http://www.millennium3.info/2012/02 /05/are-featherless-chickens-really-g....
"Genetically Modified Foods: More Reason to Avoid Them; Why They Threaten Organic
Agriculture." The Alliance for Natural Health USA. N.p., 11 May 2010. Web. 16 Apr. 2012.
<http://www.anh-usa.org/genetically-modifiedfood-more-reason-to-avoid-th....
Smith, Jeffrey. "Jeffrey Smith: Genetically Modified Soy Linked to Sterility, Infant Mortality in
Hamsters." Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post. N.p., 20 Apr. 2010. Web. 16
Apr. 2012. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeffrey-smith/genetically-modified-soy_b_5....
Week 2
Genetic Engineering+Animals
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7. IMPACT OF HUMAN INTERVENTION ON ANIMALS
I have an interesting relationship with animals. Unlike many people, I have a preference for reptiles,
amphibians and strange animals rather than dogs and cats. In my spare time I like searching the
internet for information on unique and weird animals that most people have never seen or even heard
of. Here are just a few examples (you can click on their names if you become curious for more
information on them):
Blob Fish:
Sea Pig:

8. Aye-aye:
There is a myriad of unique animals that inhabit our planet that are yet to be discovered. However,
human intervention such as habitat degradation, overexploitation, agricultural monocultures, and
human-borne invasive species change is damaging numerous habitats worldwide and as a result,
negatively impacting entire ecosystems. When an animal becomes extinct, it significantly impacts the
biodiversity and ecosystem it was a part of. Many animals provide ecosystems with beneficial and
necessary services such as pollination and population control (e.g. snakes help control the natural
population of rodents so they don’t overpopulate an ecosystem). Furthermore, many people don’t realize
that some plants which have not yet been discovered may hold the key to curing diseases and cancers
but they may rely on animals which are becoming endangered and extinct due to our greediness and lack
of care. In addition, threatened plants and animals which are yet to be discovered may have genes which
can enrich our knowledge and provide us with more to work with in regards to genetic engineering. I

9. believe that this is a very important issue which needs to be emphasized more as a global emergency and
concern before it's too late.
On another note, I found the film “Strange Culture” and the case of Steve Kurtz to be disturbing and
upsetting. I was shocked at how uneducated and unethical our country’s law enforcement and federal
agencies are. I found it insulting that the FBI would not believe that science and art can unified, as Steve
Kurtz was doing in an effort to raise awareness to the public about GMOs. I believe that our federal
agencies and legal officers should become
more educated about the arts, sciences and their unification. I think that Steve Kurtz is 100%
innocent and that this is even a legal case is absolutely absurd.
Citations:
"Aye-Aye: The Woodpecker Primate of Madagascar." Mudfooted: Discovering our weird and
fascinating natural world. N.p., 8 Apr. 2010. Web. 20 Apr. 2012. <mudfooted.com/aye-aye-unique-
primate-madagascar/ >.
"Causes of Endangerment." Endangered Species - EndangeredSpecie.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 21
Apr. 2012. <http://www.endangeredspecie.com/causes_of_endangerment.htm>.
Greenwell, Michael. "The Impact of Wildlife Extinction and the Importance of Biodiversity."
Exist Stage Right. N.p., 8 Oct. 2007. Web. 21 Apr. 2012.
<exitstageright.wordpress.com/2007/10/08/the-impact-of-wildlife-extinctionand-the-importance-
of-biodiversity/ >.
Sea Pig Slow Dance. 2009. Video. Youtube.com, Neptune Canada. Web. 21 Apr 2012.
<http://youtu.be /x3dvs6C8c7g>.
"Strange Animals: Sea Pigs." Strange Animals. N.p., 19 Oct. 2011. Web. 21 Apr. 2012.
<http://www.strangeanimals.info/2011/10/sea-pigs.html>.
Whitty, Julia. " Animal Extinction - the greatest threat to mankind - Environment - The
Independent." The Independent: UK and Worldwide News . N.p., 30 Apr. 2007. Web. 21 Apr. 2012.
<http://www.independent.co.uk /environment/animal-extinction--the-greatest....
Week 3
Genetic Engineering+Animals
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10. MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY + ART + NOA KAPLAN
I did some research to find examples of art intertwining with medical technology and
discovered thrilling programs, the medical avatar and the medical mirror. The medical avatar is a
3D representation of the human body which can process the medical record of a patient and
adjust its computer visualization to reflect that patient’s unique internal anatomy. The computer
avatar allows doctors to test how certain treatments might possibly affect their patient in addition
to providing them with a new, innovative, and noninvasive perspective of their patient’s medical
record and internal physiology.
Videos aren't posting so I'm pasting their links where they should be appearing until the
glitch is fixed:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sPDSRtp638&hd=1
In addition to helping doctors, this program is expected to be available for the general public
to use at home on their computers. If this program is released for the general public, people can
enter their personal medical records and monitor their health with virtual reality and also learn
more about their conditions. It also records past medical history which provides patients with a
timeline of their health from past to the present and can process some algorithms to hypothesize
some future health statistics.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9HPxrg4uTY&hd=1
I found another medical program which is also being developed that is somewhat related to
the medical avatar. A student at MIT is working on something called the “Medical Mirror.” This
program can check a person’s vital signs like pulse, respiration and blood pressure though a low
cost camera like a laptop webcam. This is a breakthrough which can allow doctors to monitor
patients like burn victims or newborns where manually checking vitals is not ideal. In addition,
this innovation will enhance telemedicine over the internet by allowing doctors to monitor a
patient who has access to a webcam or camera phone.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyWnvAWEbWE&hd=1
These innovative programs reminded me of Noa Kaplan’s work. Like Noa’s blow up models of
the dust bunny, pollen grain, sugar crystals, and coffee, these programs bring into focus things
we don’t normal think about or can easily see. We can’t see our internal physiology like we can’t
see the small intricate world of a dust bunny without a microscope.
Citations
"Avatars Innovate Medical Records." American Society of Radiologic Technologists. ASRT, 21
May 2009. Web. 28 Apr. 2012.
<https://www.asrt.org/Content/News/IndustryNewsBriefs/GenRes/avatarsinn09....

11. Chandler, David. "Your vital signs, on camera. MIT team develops system for continuous
medical monitoring using widely available video technology" MITNews. MIT News, 4 Oct.
2010. Web. 28 Apr. 2012. <http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2010/pulse-camera-1004.html>.
Hunter, Jenny. "IBM Research Unveils 3D Avatar to Help Doctors Visualize Patient Records
and Improve Care." IBM News Room. IBM, 27 Sept. 2007. Web. 28 Apr. 2012. <http://www-
03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/22375.wss>.
Medical Avatar. YouTube.com. MedicalAvatar, 25 Jan. 2011. Web. 28 Apr. 2012.
<http://youtu.be/7sPDSRtp638>.
MIT Media Lab Medical Mirror. Prod. Melanie Gonick. Perf. Ming-Zher Poh. YouTube.com.
MIT News Office, 01 Oct. 2010. Web. 28 Apr. 2012. <http://youtu.be/LyWnvAWEbWE>.
The Medical Mirror. Prod. Virgil Wong. YouTube.com. MedicalAvatar, 16 Mar. 2012. Web. 28
Apr. 2012. <http://youtu.be/p9HPxrg4uTY>.
Wong, Virgil. "MEDICAL AVATAR. " MEDICAL AVATAR See a better you. Medical Avatar
LLC, n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2012. <http://medicalavatar.com/>.
Week 4
Medical Technologies+Art
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12. MICROVENUS & BIOTECH
As I was watching the lectures, I was drawn to Joe Davis’ Microvenus and other works. I found
his work very intriguing so I decided to research his works in relation to biotechnology and art
more in depth and “WOW” was my reaction to this man and his work. I think that he is a great
role model for what our class is focusing on and it would have been epic to have him as a guest
lecturer. His ideas and artworks are multi-faceted including biotechnology, art, philosophy, and
outer space to name a few.
Here’s a short clip to give a guys a taste of Joe Davis:
In one of his works, called Microvenus, Davis worked with two molecular geneticists to code a
visual representation of the female genitalia into a short piece of synthetic DNA and then
inserted it into living E-coli bacteria.
This is what the synthetic DNA encoded:

13. This is the bitmap image of the binary code that was used to convert the image above into a
sequence of DNA base pairs:
He intended to send these encoded bacteria into deep space where they might be discovered by extra-
terrestrial life which might be able to decode his message. Put more simply, Davis was sending a
message in a bottle only using DNA as his medium and bacteria as his vessel. In addition, this work
pioneers the using biological information and DNA as a universal language to communicate with
extra-terrestrial life. However, his work was more aimed towards the public to raise awareness that
DNA can encode any message and is not restricted to solely encoding genetic sequences.
Here is a photo of the transgenic E-coli cultures carrying Davis’s message:
This is only one of many works by Joe Davis which I could just go on and on about. I encourage
you all to research his work as I found him very inspirational.
Click here if you're interested to research him further: Joe Davis

14. Citations:
Davis, Joe. Billions of E. coli with Microvenus encoded in their genomes. Digital image. Scientific
American. Web. 12 May 2012.
<http://www.thegatesofparadise.com/Scientific%20American%20Feature%20Arti....
Davis, Joe. "Microvenus." Contemporary Art and the Genetic Code 55.1 (1996): 70-74. JSTOR.
Web. 12 May 2012.
Gibbs, Wayt. "Art as a Form of Life." Scientific American. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 May 2012.
<http://www.viewingspace.com/genetics_culture/pages_genetics_culture/gc_w....
Hussain, Zareena. "Science as Art Unites Disciplines: Artists use microbiology as a medium for
art ." The Tech. N.p., 9 May 2000. Web. 12 May 2012.
<http://tech.mit.edu/V120/N26/bioartists.26f.html>.
"Joe Davis: Genetics and Culture." Viewingspace.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 May 2012.
<http://www.viewingspace.com/genetics_culture/pages_genetics_culture/gc_w....
"Microvenus: Joe Davis : Genetics and Culture." Viewingspace.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 May
2012. <http://www.viewingspace.com/genetics_culture/pages_genetics_culture/gc_w....
Microvenus Bitmap. Digital image. Viewingspace.com. Web. 12 May 2012.
<http://www.viewingspace.com /genetics_culture/pages_genetics_culture/gc_w....
Microvenus Icon. Digital image. Viewingspace.com. Web. 12 May 2012.
<http://www.viewingspace.com /genetics_culture/images_genetics_culture/gc_....
Week 6 Biotec +Art
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15. FINAL PROPOSAL: CYBER COMPANION
My final project is inspired and somewhat based on Alan Turing’s ELIZA program and the Turing
Test. I’m interested in designing a smart house software programmed with artificial intelligence
allowing it to engage in conversation with its owner. I found a clip from a sci-fi show called
“EUReKA” on YouTube which illustrates what I am striving to accomplish but rather than
remaining science fiction, I want to make this sci-fi idea a reality.
The software will be a complex interface which can recognize its owner’s preferences for music, television
shows, movie genres, activities, etc. This would work much like the way Netflix and Pandora software
works by processing ratings of the owner and then playing movies or music that complement the owner’s
interests. However, I want to take my software a step further by not restricting it to being programmed only
for the house, but rather programming it into the owner’s smartphone, computer, and vehicle also. I would
call my software a “Cyber Companion.” You can customize the gender of the software (reflecting its voice),
choose accents, and the language you communicate with. The interaction with the Cyber Companion
includes but is not limited to holding conversations, having it perform research for you (like looking up
definitions, weather, searching airfares, etc.), playing games via a monitor (like playing solitaire on a
computer), and processing commands (turning on/off lights, music, etc.). Furthermore, my software would
not function with voice recognition, but also be programmed to have visual recognition with specialized
cameras so that it can monitor its owner’s body temperature and vitals.

16. Here is a flow chart illustrating which computer languages I would use and how the program would
function:

17. My software would be like an extremely enhanced and more interactive version of the Apple
software SIRI:
Citations:
Bianchini, Laurence. "Artificial Intelligence and home automation: Putting the human (back) at
the centre of technological development ." MyScienceWork. N.p., 24 June 2011. Web. 19 May
2012. <http://blog.mysciencework.com/en/2011/06/24/artificial-intelligence-and-....
"ELIZA meets Alan Turing." perso.limsi.fr. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 May 2012.
<perso.limsi.fr/Individu/jbb/turing.html>.
"Eliza, Computer Therapist." manifest station: change your mind. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May 2012.
<http://www.manifestation.com/neurotoys/eliza.php3>.
Oppy, Graham and Dowe, David, "The Turing Test", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
(Spring 2011 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL =
<http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2011/entries/turing-test/>.

18. "The Turing Test." http://www.psych.utoronto.ca. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 May 2012.
<www.psych.utoronto.ca/users /reingold/courses/ai/turing.html>.
Zainzinger, Harald. "An artificial intelligence based tool for home automation using MATLAB."
icial Intelligence, 1998. Proceedings. Tenth IEEE International Conference 0 (1998): 256-261.
UCLA Library: IEEE Xplore. Web. 19 May 2012.
Week 7 Final
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19. EXTRA-CREDIT BLOG: KATHY BREW'S GOING GREY
EXHIBIT
I found Kathy Brew’s “Going Grey” exhibit to be quite intriguing. Her exhibit highlighted society’s
attitude towards aging and the lack of embrace for aging. I did some research to trace the cause of grey
hair and discovered that it is caused be a decrease in pigment produced by hair follicles called melanin
whose rate is determined by genetics. As you age the amount of melanin you produce decreases and
replaced with colorless air bubbles leading to grey hair.
It was interesting to learn that according to research there are no supplements or products which can stop or
decrease the rate of graying. Despite this, supplements and products are still being sold to prevent
“graying” although it has been scientifically proven to not work (except coloring hair to cover up the grey
of course).
After attending Kathy’s exhibit I became more sensitive to media’s portrayal of aging and ageism. I was
appalled when I came across this article which attempts to justify the use of hair color products to cover up
“you've got an epidemic of parched, brittle, and frayed old lady hair.” I found it quite disrespectful for the
author to use the term “old lady hair” and stereotype the natural gray hair of elderly women as “parched,

20. brittle, and frayed.” I found a great video that encourages women to embrace grey hair and demonstrating
how grey hair can look sexy:
Click Here For Video
Kathy’s exhibit included a display with a grey wig like that of Andy Warhol. Before seeing this
display I never knew Andy Warhol wore a grey wig and investigated to see why he chose to wear a
platinum wig. I was happily intrigued to learn that Warhol settled on grey because he believed that if
you always appear old no one knows how old you really are. I think that people should embrace their
grey hair as they age as it should be a part of one’s natural beauty and we should not feel compelled
to cover it up by the pressures of media and society.
.
Citations:
A.D.A.M.,Inc. Young Hair Follicle & Aged Hair Follicle. Digital image. MedLine Plus. Web.
<http://www.nlm.nih.gov /medlineplus/ency/imagepages/8669.htm>.
Gluck, Didi. "How to Stop your Hair from Aging." Hairstyles for Women, Fashion, Beauty Products,
and Relationship Advice . Marie Claire, 1 Dec. 2007. Web. 12 May 2012.
<http://www.marieclaire.com/hair-beauty /trends/hair-aging>.
"Grey Hair: Embrace Your Roots." The Huffington Post. N.p., 22 Jan. 2012. Web. 12 May 2012.
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/22/grey-hair_n_1220287.html>.

21. Grey Hair Prevention Supplements & Products. Digital image. Problem: Grey Hair. Web.
<http://www.herbalhaircure.net/pcat-gifs/products-large/gray-hair.jpg>.
Langan, M.D., Michael. "Aging changes in hair and nails: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia."
National Library of Medicine - National Institutes of Health. N.p., 13 Dec. 2010. Web. 12 May
2012. <http://www.nlm.nih.gov /medlineplus/ency/article/004005.htm>.
Tamsen, Ellen. "Andy Warhol's Wig - a defining art object ." Hair Is For Pulling. N.p., 10 Oct.
2011. Web. 12 May 2012. <hairisforpulling.blogspot.com/2011/10/andy-warhols-wig-defining-
art-object.html>.
Week 6 Biotech+Art
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22. EXTRA-CREDIT BLOG: BIOPUNK LECTURE
I attended Lejla Kucukalic’s lecture on Biotech to Biopunk: Science Fiction’s Visions of Genetics. Her
lecture highlighted the reasons for the stereotypical portrayal of scientists in literature and media
throughout history. In addition, her lecture discussed the push and pull relationship between science fiction
and science, the controversy of biopunk, and more.
The term “biopunk” was foreign to me before attending the lecture. However, after the lecture the term
was no longer strange to me. I did some further research on biopunks and learned that “biopunk” is a
movement advocating open access to genetic information where biohackers can then experiment with
DNA and genetics. I like the metaphors used to describe the people who identify themselves with the
biopunk movement. They are called “biohackers” who “hack” the “software of life” (aka DNA). I found
a great clip on a “Biopunk Manifesto” that I believe was took place in our very own CNSI building at
UCLA:

23. In her lecture, Leijla proposed four kinds of scientific fictions of genetics:
1) Monster Narratives
2) Human Being Narratives
3) GMO Narratives
4)Biopunk
She described how scientists are usually described as lunatics throughout literature and never being
“normal.” I agree with her that scientists have not really been portrayed fairly in literature and media
however I can understand possibly why this stereotype was constructed. When science was
practiced centuries ago, scientists did not have the knowledge or the technology we have today so
they ran bizarre and unique experiments sometimes based on alchemy and pseudoscience. As a
result society developed a biased opinion that scientist are “crazy” and perform dangerous
experiments. However, in reality there is a fine line between genius and crazy. Scientists venture
into the unknown to discover knowledge and in order to do so they are creative and do things that
many may not understand. This doesn’t mean that it is okay for media and literature to stereotype
scientists in such a derogatory way. Instead, they should be celebrating and positively portraying the
genius of scientists who have made countless breakthroughs and contributions to today’s
knowledge.

24. Citations:
A Biopunk Manifesto. Perf. Meredith Patterson. YouTube.com. 10 Jan. 2011. Web. 26 May
2012. <http://youtu.be /Thn7d7-jywU>.
Hoisel, Tiago. Mad Scientist. Digital image. Mar. 2010. Web. 26 May 2012.
<http://features.cgsociety.org /newgallerycrits/g34/304034/304034_12696138....
NPR Staff. "Biopunks Tinker With The Building Blocks Of Life : NPR." NPR : National Public
Radio. N.p., 22 May 2011. Web. 26 May 2012. <www.npr.org/2011/05/22/136464041/biopunks-
tinker-with-the-building-block...">http: //www.npr.org/2011/05/22/136464041/biopunks-tinker-
with-the-buildin....
Patterson, Meredith. "A Biopunk Manifesto." Live Journal. N.p., 30 Jan. 2010. Web. 26 May
2012. <http://maradydd.livejournal.com/496085.html>.

25. Pickett, Ronald. "Scientist Stereotype: Is It Working For or Against You? - Lab Manager
Magazine®." Lab Manager Magazine. N.p., 7 Apr. 2009. Web. 26 May 2012.
<www.labmanager.com/?articles.view/articleNo /3324/article/Scientist-
Stere...">http://www.labmanager.com/?articles.view/articleNo/3324/article/Scientis....
Weise, Elizabeth. "DIY 'biopunks' want science in hands of people." USA Today. N.p., 1 June 2011.
Web. 26 May 2012. <www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2011-06-01-science-biopunk-
hacker_n.htm>">http://www.usatoday.com /tech/science/2011-06-01-science-biopunk-hacker_n....
Wilson, Karina. "LURID: It's Alive! The Top 10 Mad Scientists of Literature! | LitReactor."
LitReactor. N.p., 18 May 2012. Web. 26 May 2012. <http://litreactor.com/columns/lurid-mad-
scientist-top-ten>.
Week 7 Biotech+Art
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26. Conclusion
Throughout this honors course I have expanded my knowledge on a wide variety of topics with
the help of my blogs. Starting from week 1 I learned about the two cultures of science and art
trying to be combined into one culture. I learned about the controversy underlying GMOs and
biotechnology intertwined with the food industries and human health. Furthermore, I learned
about Steve Kurtz and his appalling lawsuit due to the ignorance of our federal agencies and
legal officers. Moving on from Steve Kurtz, I researched current prototypes for medical
technologies and discovered genius, innovative devices. In week 6 I research Joe Davis and his
brilliant works of what I call “sci-art.” In addition to these blogs I attended every event for the
course including all the extra-credit events. I enjoyed Noa Kaplan’s presentation and pollen
installation in her exhibit. Kathy Brew’s “Going Grey” exhibit was fun with the Andy Warhol
platinum wig and eye-opening about society’s ageism and pressures to look young. I learned
about the biopunk movement which I had never heard of before from the lecture by Lejla
Kucukalic. Finally, I attended the Alan Turing Symposium where I absorbed knowledge about
the Turing Test, Artificial Intelligence, and more. My research for the blogs and projects helped
me understand the topics we covered in class in more depth. This course has exposed me to an
exciting world where science and art converge into one!