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.
Hayk Barseghyan is a fourth year Physiological Science major at UCLA taking an Honors class from Professor Victoria Vesna in Spring 2012. Over the course of 8 blogs, he discusses topics ranging from art and biotechnology to genetically modified foods to memories stored in DNA. He also comments on various art exhibits and lectures integrating science and art.
The document discusses several key points about culture and social norms:
- Culture is learned and shared within a society through social interaction and is based on symbolic meanings that become internalized and taken for granted.
- Social norms are unwritten rules for how people should act within a group or society.
- The document then discusses the concept of animal exploitation, providing definitions and examples of how animals are used commercially for various products and purposes.
- Issues of animal welfare, rights, and the environmental and human impacts of animal agriculture are also examined.
This document discusses the cruelty of animal experimentation and provides examples of the suffering inflicted on animals. It notes that animals are subjected to painful procedures like toxicity testing and disease research without anesthesia. Furthermore, animal testing is argued to be unreliable and a waste of resources, as results often do not translate to humans. Alternative human-focused research methods are suggested that could replace animal experiments.
Side is a small, historical town located on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey that dates back to Medieval times. It has many Turkish traditions such as visiting the hamam (Turkish bath) and mosques for daily prayers. The cuisine includes healthy breakfast foods like bread, eggs, tomatoes, and jam. There is plenty of nightlife entertainment in Side including bars, discos, and shows at the hotels, and prices for visits are very reasonable.
This document provides instructions for 5 exercises on data mining homework. Students are asked to submit their answers to the given exercises electronically by November 25, 2010. The exercises cover topics such as information gain, handling missing attribute values, perceptrons, gradient descent, and stochastic gradient descent. Contact information is provided for two teaching assistants in case students have any questions.
Groups tend to focus discussion on information that is commonly known, neglecting unique information known to only some members. This can result in suboptimal decisions. Groups also tend to accentuate their initial views, leading to more extreme decisions than individuals would make alone. Highly cohesive groups may prioritize consensus over considering information that challenges group unity. Effective information management is needed to help groups make better use of all relevant information in their decision making.
Sketches of Chick-fil-a Leadercast 2013Jose Castillo
Notes & sketches from John Maxwell, Condoleeza Rice, Coach K, and others talks from the 2013 Chick-fil-a Leadercast. Sketched on an iPad using the Paper App
Hayk Barseghyan is a fourth year Physiological Science major at UCLA taking an Honors class from Professor Victoria Vesna in Spring 2012. Over the course of 8 blogs, he discusses topics ranging from art and biotechnology to genetically modified foods to memories stored in DNA. He also comments on various art exhibits and lectures integrating science and art.
The document discusses several key points about culture and social norms:
- Culture is learned and shared within a society through social interaction and is based on symbolic meanings that become internalized and taken for granted.
- Social norms are unwritten rules for how people should act within a group or society.
- The document then discusses the concept of animal exploitation, providing definitions and examples of how animals are used commercially for various products and purposes.
- Issues of animal welfare, rights, and the environmental and human impacts of animal agriculture are also examined.
This document discusses the cruelty of animal experimentation and provides examples of the suffering inflicted on animals. It notes that animals are subjected to painful procedures like toxicity testing and disease research without anesthesia. Furthermore, animal testing is argued to be unreliable and a waste of resources, as results often do not translate to humans. Alternative human-focused research methods are suggested that could replace animal experiments.
Side is a small, historical town located on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey that dates back to Medieval times. It has many Turkish traditions such as visiting the hamam (Turkish bath) and mosques for daily prayers. The cuisine includes healthy breakfast foods like bread, eggs, tomatoes, and jam. There is plenty of nightlife entertainment in Side including bars, discos, and shows at the hotels, and prices for visits are very reasonable.
This document provides instructions for 5 exercises on data mining homework. Students are asked to submit their answers to the given exercises electronically by November 25, 2010. The exercises cover topics such as information gain, handling missing attribute values, perceptrons, gradient descent, and stochastic gradient descent. Contact information is provided for two teaching assistants in case students have any questions.
Groups tend to focus discussion on information that is commonly known, neglecting unique information known to only some members. This can result in suboptimal decisions. Groups also tend to accentuate their initial views, leading to more extreme decisions than individuals would make alone. Highly cohesive groups may prioritize consensus over considering information that challenges group unity. Effective information management is needed to help groups make better use of all relevant information in their decision making.
Sketches of Chick-fil-a Leadercast 2013Jose Castillo
Notes & sketches from John Maxwell, Condoleeza Rice, Coach K, and others talks from the 2013 Chick-fil-a Leadercast. Sketched on an iPad using the Paper App
This document summarizes Sophie Xia's interest in how Alan Turing's work with the Fibonacci sequence is evident in natural forms like pine cones and plant leaves. She provides examples of pine cones that display the Fibonacci spiral pattern with numbers of whirls matching Fibonacci numbers. She also explains that plant leaves are arranged using the Fibonacci sequence to ensure leaves receive sunlight efficiently. Specifically, the number of turns around a stem and leaves encountered follow consecutive Fibonacci numbers.
The article discusses DNA computing as a potential future technology that could go beyond Moore's Law. DNA computing uses DNA rather than silicon chips to solve complex mathematical problems. Researchers believe DNA computing will allow vastly more storage, as all of the world's information could fit in just 1 pound of DNA. The author's project aims to develop "bacterial computers" using common techniques like PCR and DNA sequencing to store and extract coded information from cells, as a way to honor Alan Turing's work in cryptography during World War II. However, this new technology could raise controversial issues if misused.
The document is a compilation of blogs written by a biochemistry student for a class exploring the intersection of art and science. In the blogs, the student discusses various topics at the intersection including two cultures of art and science, industrialization and food, genetic engineering of animals, medicine, biotechnology and art. The student provides examples and sources to illustrate their perspectives on how art and science relate and influence each other in different fields.
Microsoft word blogs-rozalin rabieian hrs177ArtSci_center
This document provides an overview of the Yaghi Laboratory at UCLA and two other labs - the Laboratory of Neuro Imaging (LONI) and an Alzheimer's research initiative. The Yaghi Lab constructs crystalline metal organic frameworks that can store gases like carbon dioxide and hydrogen. LONI conducts neuroimaging research on the brain and is working on initiatives in Alzheimer's and schizophrenia research. The document also discusses how science and nature can be seen as artistic forms of creative expression.
The document discusses the author's reflection on their 9th grade physical science class, which taught them basic concepts like the structure of atoms, chemical equations, and the scientific method, even though the teacher was often absent and did not provide detailed explanations. While it was difficult for the author due to a language barrier, reviewing the textbook helped them teach themselves and get through high school science classes. The class demonstrated the importance of self-learning skills.
This ppt is prepared by Anirban Dasgupta and debunks myths about human nature through scientific and anthropological research done till now.
sustainabilityenhancer.weebly.com
This document summarizes Shiwei Huang's blog posts for an honors class on the relationship between art and science. In the blogs, Huang discusses topics like rice varieties, genetically modified rice to increase nutrients, animal testing, transgenic animals, and artworks that explore scientific themes. The blogs analyze issues at the intersection of art, science, and ethics around topics such as aging, genetic engineering, and the commercialization of biological materials.
This document contains a series of blog posts written by John Buccheri, a senior at UCLA, for his Honors 177: Biotechnology and Art class. In the blogs, Buccheri discusses his academic and career path, the relationship between art and science, the process of milk production, humans' relationship with animals, works by artist Noa Kaplan, medical bionics technology, and issues raised by the art exhibit "Going Gray".
The document discusses several topics related to genetics including:
- Basic principles of heredity involving dominant, recessive, and co-dominant alleles.
- The goals of the Human Genome Project including mapping genes, storing DNA data, and developing analysis tools.
- Types of genetic disorders like single gene, chromosome abnormalities, and multifactorial disorders.
- Scientific advancements in cloning extinct species like mammoths and debates around human cloning and genetic engineering.
This document discusses cloning endangered species and trees. It provides 4 arguments in favor of this. Argument 1 states that cloning endangered plants could save important species from extinction and help the environment by adding more oxygen. Argument 2 claims cloning trees could help fight global warming by reducing carbon dioxide. Argument 3 argues that cloning animals could prevent species extinctions and balance the food chain. Argument 4 provides examples of successful clones and says repopulation through cloning could occur rapidly. The document concludes cloning endangered species should be continued and funded to gain these benefits.
This document discusses the similarities and differences between literature and arts. It provides examples from two essays - one by Northrop Frye that supports the idea that literature and arts help understand ourselves and language, while one by Aaron Copland opposes this idea. While both essays discuss literature, they do so in different ways - one focuses on literature and English, while the other focuses on literature and music. The document also quotes Frye discussing how arts and sciences are different but also similar in some ways.
This thesis statement argues that universal health care in the United States would help ensure quality, affordable health care for all Americans by establishing a single-payer system. While some oppose universal health care due to concerns over higher taxes, providing health care as a universal right could help reduce medical costs, improve public health outcomes, and increase overall life expectancy compared to the current system where many cannot afford care. The debate involves weighing individual responsibilities versus ensuring basic rights and standards of living for all citizens.
The document proposes using DNA encryption and human cells to covertly transmit encrypted messages. A message would be encrypted into a DNA sequence and inserted into a human cell, which would then be implanted into a messenger. The cell would be indistinguishable from the person's normal cells, doubly protecting the encrypted message. The proposal discusses technical aspects like converting text to DNA sequences, protecting the health of carriers, and how receivers could extract and decode the message. It also proposes alternative applications like using the technique to store memories in DNA or enhance human intelligence. Ethical issues around modifying human DNA and cells are acknowledged as a major consideration for the project.
The document discusses the stigma of aging in society. It notes that society has a negative view of aging and people try to disguise the natural aging process through things like hair dyes and wigs. An art exhibit is described that highlights this phenomenon by depicting an artist with her natural gray hair and dyed hair. The document also provides links discussing how aging is seen as undesirable and abnormal to not have cosmetic procedures nowadays. It suggests that age should represent wisdom, not shame. Overall, the document examines how society discriminates against aging and tries to fight the natural process through biotechnology and anti-aging products.
The document discusses Serena Lee's experience in an honors course on the relationship between the two cultures of science and art. It provides background on Serena, including her interests in arts, design, and humanities over sciences. It describes her initial fear of the science-focused course but realizing artworks can incorporate science.
It discusses the different campuses at UCLA divided between humanities and sciences. It analyzes C.P. Snow's concept of the two cultures and memes relating to each. It examines the relationship between art, science and technology through an art installation using weather data.
The document also covers Serena's eating habits, including her pescetarian diet and preference for local, organic foods
This document appears to be a compilation of weekly blog posts from a student named Eric Jung for a class on Biotechnology and Art during the spring of 2012. Over the course of 10 weeks, Jung explores a variety of topics at the intersection of biology and art. In his closing remarks, Jung reflects on how the distinction between art and biology has blurred, and discusses how the class taught him that science can have frightening aspects but pursuing it through both a scientific and artistic lens may lead to a deeper understanding of technology's possibilities.
This summarizes the blog posts of Luke Eisenhardt for the class Biotechnology and Art. Over multiple weeks, Luke shared personal details and opinions on topics like powerlifting, alligator meat, animal relations, aging, and Alan Turing. He included original photos and artwork. Luke aimed to challenge conventional views at times, while exploring how biotechnology intersects with his interests in science, art, nutrition, and more. The summary captures the variety of Luke's contributions to discussing these intersecting fields.
Borowski hnrs 177 final blog compilationArtSci_center
This document is a blog compilation by Rachel Borowski for a class assignment on the Third Culture. It includes summaries and analyses of assigned readings on the concept of a Third Culture bridging the arts and sciences. The blog discusses how the author's honors classes best exemplified this idea through interdisciplinary learning. It also shares the author's personal experience discovering through an allergy test that they are allergic to many common foods, and how adopting a Paleo diet has improved their health and is similar to the diets of our early human ancestors.
The document proposes expanding education in schools by designating one day a week for "Expanded Education Day". On this day, average citizens would have the option to fulfill their civic duty of jury duty by instead teaching in schools about any subject of their choosing. This would allow students more personalized learning opportunities and help reinvigorate their education. Teachers would also benefit from the planning day. The goal is to make education more engaging for students and move away from an over-reliance on standardized testing and medication for perceived issues like ADHD.
Alan Turing was a mathematical genius who speculated that Fibonacci numbers, which describe patterns in nature, were present in plants. He specifically studied sunflowers and found that the number of spirals in their seeds typically followed the Fibonacci sequence. While Turing was unable to confirm his findings before his death, organizations are now asking the public to grow and study sunflowers to honor Turing and verify that the spiral patterns in sunflower seeds match the Fibonacci sequence as he observed.
Rosie is an artificial intelligence robot designed to have human-like qualities and abilities. It incorporates various technologies like facial recognition software, speech detection, Siri, and personality traits from The Sims. Rosie can detect human facial expressions and voice tones and respond accordingly by changing its own facial features. It communicates with humans using Siri software and can personalize responses based on a user's information. Rosie also has programmable personality traits from The Sims that allow it to act autonomously through "free will" like completing tasks without direct human instruction.
This document summarizes Sophie Xia's interest in how Alan Turing's work with the Fibonacci sequence is evident in natural forms like pine cones and plant leaves. She provides examples of pine cones that display the Fibonacci spiral pattern with numbers of whirls matching Fibonacci numbers. She also explains that plant leaves are arranged using the Fibonacci sequence to ensure leaves receive sunlight efficiently. Specifically, the number of turns around a stem and leaves encountered follow consecutive Fibonacci numbers.
The article discusses DNA computing as a potential future technology that could go beyond Moore's Law. DNA computing uses DNA rather than silicon chips to solve complex mathematical problems. Researchers believe DNA computing will allow vastly more storage, as all of the world's information could fit in just 1 pound of DNA. The author's project aims to develop "bacterial computers" using common techniques like PCR and DNA sequencing to store and extract coded information from cells, as a way to honor Alan Turing's work in cryptography during World War II. However, this new technology could raise controversial issues if misused.
The document is a compilation of blogs written by a biochemistry student for a class exploring the intersection of art and science. In the blogs, the student discusses various topics at the intersection including two cultures of art and science, industrialization and food, genetic engineering of animals, medicine, biotechnology and art. The student provides examples and sources to illustrate their perspectives on how art and science relate and influence each other in different fields.
Microsoft word blogs-rozalin rabieian hrs177ArtSci_center
This document provides an overview of the Yaghi Laboratory at UCLA and two other labs - the Laboratory of Neuro Imaging (LONI) and an Alzheimer's research initiative. The Yaghi Lab constructs crystalline metal organic frameworks that can store gases like carbon dioxide and hydrogen. LONI conducts neuroimaging research on the brain and is working on initiatives in Alzheimer's and schizophrenia research. The document also discusses how science and nature can be seen as artistic forms of creative expression.
The document discusses the author's reflection on their 9th grade physical science class, which taught them basic concepts like the structure of atoms, chemical equations, and the scientific method, even though the teacher was often absent and did not provide detailed explanations. While it was difficult for the author due to a language barrier, reviewing the textbook helped them teach themselves and get through high school science classes. The class demonstrated the importance of self-learning skills.
This ppt is prepared by Anirban Dasgupta and debunks myths about human nature through scientific and anthropological research done till now.
sustainabilityenhancer.weebly.com
This document summarizes Shiwei Huang's blog posts for an honors class on the relationship between art and science. In the blogs, Huang discusses topics like rice varieties, genetically modified rice to increase nutrients, animal testing, transgenic animals, and artworks that explore scientific themes. The blogs analyze issues at the intersection of art, science, and ethics around topics such as aging, genetic engineering, and the commercialization of biological materials.
This document contains a series of blog posts written by John Buccheri, a senior at UCLA, for his Honors 177: Biotechnology and Art class. In the blogs, Buccheri discusses his academic and career path, the relationship between art and science, the process of milk production, humans' relationship with animals, works by artist Noa Kaplan, medical bionics technology, and issues raised by the art exhibit "Going Gray".
The document discusses several topics related to genetics including:
- Basic principles of heredity involving dominant, recessive, and co-dominant alleles.
- The goals of the Human Genome Project including mapping genes, storing DNA data, and developing analysis tools.
- Types of genetic disorders like single gene, chromosome abnormalities, and multifactorial disorders.
- Scientific advancements in cloning extinct species like mammoths and debates around human cloning and genetic engineering.
This document discusses cloning endangered species and trees. It provides 4 arguments in favor of this. Argument 1 states that cloning endangered plants could save important species from extinction and help the environment by adding more oxygen. Argument 2 claims cloning trees could help fight global warming by reducing carbon dioxide. Argument 3 argues that cloning animals could prevent species extinctions and balance the food chain. Argument 4 provides examples of successful clones and says repopulation through cloning could occur rapidly. The document concludes cloning endangered species should be continued and funded to gain these benefits.
This document discusses the similarities and differences between literature and arts. It provides examples from two essays - one by Northrop Frye that supports the idea that literature and arts help understand ourselves and language, while one by Aaron Copland opposes this idea. While both essays discuss literature, they do so in different ways - one focuses on literature and English, while the other focuses on literature and music. The document also quotes Frye discussing how arts and sciences are different but also similar in some ways.
This thesis statement argues that universal health care in the United States would help ensure quality, affordable health care for all Americans by establishing a single-payer system. While some oppose universal health care due to concerns over higher taxes, providing health care as a universal right could help reduce medical costs, improve public health outcomes, and increase overall life expectancy compared to the current system where many cannot afford care. The debate involves weighing individual responsibilities versus ensuring basic rights and standards of living for all citizens.
The document proposes using DNA encryption and human cells to covertly transmit encrypted messages. A message would be encrypted into a DNA sequence and inserted into a human cell, which would then be implanted into a messenger. The cell would be indistinguishable from the person's normal cells, doubly protecting the encrypted message. The proposal discusses technical aspects like converting text to DNA sequences, protecting the health of carriers, and how receivers could extract and decode the message. It also proposes alternative applications like using the technique to store memories in DNA or enhance human intelligence. Ethical issues around modifying human DNA and cells are acknowledged as a major consideration for the project.
The document discusses the stigma of aging in society. It notes that society has a negative view of aging and people try to disguise the natural aging process through things like hair dyes and wigs. An art exhibit is described that highlights this phenomenon by depicting an artist with her natural gray hair and dyed hair. The document also provides links discussing how aging is seen as undesirable and abnormal to not have cosmetic procedures nowadays. It suggests that age should represent wisdom, not shame. Overall, the document examines how society discriminates against aging and tries to fight the natural process through biotechnology and anti-aging products.
The document discusses Serena Lee's experience in an honors course on the relationship between the two cultures of science and art. It provides background on Serena, including her interests in arts, design, and humanities over sciences. It describes her initial fear of the science-focused course but realizing artworks can incorporate science.
It discusses the different campuses at UCLA divided between humanities and sciences. It analyzes C.P. Snow's concept of the two cultures and memes relating to each. It examines the relationship between art, science and technology through an art installation using weather data.
The document also covers Serena's eating habits, including her pescetarian diet and preference for local, organic foods
This document appears to be a compilation of weekly blog posts from a student named Eric Jung for a class on Biotechnology and Art during the spring of 2012. Over the course of 10 weeks, Jung explores a variety of topics at the intersection of biology and art. In his closing remarks, Jung reflects on how the distinction between art and biology has blurred, and discusses how the class taught him that science can have frightening aspects but pursuing it through both a scientific and artistic lens may lead to a deeper understanding of technology's possibilities.
This summarizes the blog posts of Luke Eisenhardt for the class Biotechnology and Art. Over multiple weeks, Luke shared personal details and opinions on topics like powerlifting, alligator meat, animal relations, aging, and Alan Turing. He included original photos and artwork. Luke aimed to challenge conventional views at times, while exploring how biotechnology intersects with his interests in science, art, nutrition, and more. The summary captures the variety of Luke's contributions to discussing these intersecting fields.
Borowski hnrs 177 final blog compilationArtSci_center
This document is a blog compilation by Rachel Borowski for a class assignment on the Third Culture. It includes summaries and analyses of assigned readings on the concept of a Third Culture bridging the arts and sciences. The blog discusses how the author's honors classes best exemplified this idea through interdisciplinary learning. It also shares the author's personal experience discovering through an allergy test that they are allergic to many common foods, and how adopting a Paleo diet has improved their health and is similar to the diets of our early human ancestors.
The document proposes expanding education in schools by designating one day a week for "Expanded Education Day". On this day, average citizens would have the option to fulfill their civic duty of jury duty by instead teaching in schools about any subject of their choosing. This would allow students more personalized learning opportunities and help reinvigorate their education. Teachers would also benefit from the planning day. The goal is to make education more engaging for students and move away from an over-reliance on standardized testing and medication for perceived issues like ADHD.
Alan Turing was a mathematical genius who speculated that Fibonacci numbers, which describe patterns in nature, were present in plants. He specifically studied sunflowers and found that the number of spirals in their seeds typically followed the Fibonacci sequence. While Turing was unable to confirm his findings before his death, organizations are now asking the public to grow and study sunflowers to honor Turing and verify that the spiral patterns in sunflower seeds match the Fibonacci sequence as he observed.
Rosie is an artificial intelligence robot designed to have human-like qualities and abilities. It incorporates various technologies like facial recognition software, speech detection, Siri, and personality traits from The Sims. Rosie can detect human facial expressions and voice tones and respond accordingly by changing its own facial features. It communicates with humans using Siri software and can personalize responses based on a user's information. Rosie also has programmable personality traits from The Sims that allow it to act autonomously through "free will" like completing tasks without direct human instruction.
The document proposes a method of encrypting messages in DNA and implanting the encrypted DNA into a person for covert message transmission. Key points:
- They were inspired by Alan Turing's work encrypting messages and want to create a biological code using DNA sequences.
- The message would be encrypted into a DNA sequence and inserted into a cell, which would then be implanted into an individual. This would doubly protect the message through encryption and indistinguishability from the person's normal cells.
- They refer to this method as "Nucleotide Cryptology" and believe it could be used to send hidden messages.
This document appears to be a blog compilation from a student named Erin Ward for a spring 2012 honors biology and art course. The blog is organized by week and covers various topics at the intersection of biotechnology and art, including two cultures, industrialization and food, genetic engineering of animals, medical technologies and art, genetic engineering and transhumanism, biotechnology and art, robotics and art, and a Turing symposium. At the end, Erin Ward reflects on having learned a significant amount of new material over the past 10 weeks from initial distinctions between biotechnology and art to Alan Turing's influence, and is motivated to apply these concepts in her future public health studies.
This document summarizes a student's blog posts for an honors class on Biotechnology and Art. In the first blog post, the student introduces herself as an environmental science major interested in both science and art. She discusses taking the class to fulfill honors requirements and her limited past experience with art. The second blog post describes some of the food the student ate that day and discusses issues surrounding food labels, perceptions of organic food, and genetically modified foods. The third blog post expresses the student's love of dogs while noting her lack of experience training them, and shares photos of her brother's dog and cat. The final blog post focuses on potential infrastructure vulnerabilities in a hypothetical war, specifically exploring threats to the electricity grid and water systems from hacking
George Lai wrote a blog compilation for Professor Victoria Vesna's HNRS 177 class. Over 8 weeks, the blog covered topics at the intersection of biology and various other fields including industrialization, genetic engineering, medical technologies, transhumanism, neuroscience, and art. The blog included weekly entries summarizing discussions on issues like genetic engineering of animals, medical technologies, and how biotechnology and neuroscience relate to art.
The blog post summarizes a document discussing using DNA to encode secret messages that would be transported by injecting DNA-containing cells into humans. It proposes several layers of security for the messages, including keeping the existence, location in the body, primer sequence, and code secret. It also discusses ensuring the safety of message carriers by limiting cell proliferation and making cells sensitive to malnutrition. The author feels this system could reliably and safely transmit important information with multiple layers of protection.
The document discusses the integration of art and science through various examples. It describes Victoria Lesna's essay "Toward a Third Culture" which explores how art, science, and technology have come together more than ever in computers. It also mentions virtual reality games and Chris Burden's "Metropolis II" installation. Young-hae Chang's "Dakota" poem and video is presented as another example combining art forms with sound. The document concludes by stating that as technology inspires new art forms, it also poses new questions about reality and consciousness not answered by science alone.
This document contains a summary of 4 blog posts by Alexandra Pourzia, a neuroscience student at UCLA.
The first blog discusses Alexandra's transition from enjoying studying the humanities in high school to pursuing neuroscience in college due to perceived social pressures. The second blog examines issues with labeling food as "natural" versus "organic" and potential health impacts.
The third blog reflects on how societal views have changed regarding conducting science as a hobby outside of an academic setting. The final blog summarizes an art exhibit called "Body Worlds" that displays plastinated human bodies and body parts to educate viewers about human anatomy.
This document is a blog post by Mariam Barseghyan for her Honors 177 Biotech + Art course. It includes 6 sections discussing various topics related to the intersection of science, technology, and art. The sections cover the two cultures of art and science, genetically modified foods, animal biotechnology, in vitro meat, aging, and Mariam's final project proposal involving amplifying natural human intelligence through genetic engineering. Links are provided at the end of each section for additional reading.
The document discusses the benefits of exercise for mental health. Regular physical activity can help reduce anxiety and depression and improve mood and cognitive functioning. Exercise boosts blood flow and levels of serotonin and endorphins which elevate mood and may help prevent mental illness.
Jeremy Peterson proposes exploring emergent forms created by simulating flocking behavior. He plans to model the exterior shapes formed by animal swarms to make a "superorganism" that is visible and interactive. The project has three phases: developing a system to map swarm forms, iteratively studying different forms by varying flocking rules, and creating an interactive installation where users can react dynamically with the forms. By modeling and animating emergent superorganism shapes, the project aims to help viewers understand and appreciate natural phenomena like flocking behavior.
Skybuffer SAM4U tool for SAP license adoptionTatiana Kojar
Manage and optimize your license adoption and consumption with SAM4U, an SAP free customer software asset management tool.
SAM4U, an SAP complimentary software asset management tool for customers, delivers a detailed and well-structured overview of license inventory and usage with a user-friendly interface. We offer a hosted, cost-effective, and performance-optimized SAM4U setup in the Skybuffer Cloud environment. You retain ownership of the system and data, while we manage the ABAP 7.58 infrastructure, ensuring fixed Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and exceptional services through the SAP Fiori interface.
How to Interpret Trends in the Kalyan Rajdhani Mix Chart.pdfChart Kalyan
A Mix Chart displays historical data of numbers in a graphical or tabular form. The Kalyan Rajdhani Mix Chart specifically shows the results of a sequence of numbers over different periods.
Monitoring and Managing Anomaly Detection on OpenShift.pdfTosin Akinosho
Monitoring and Managing Anomaly Detection on OpenShift
Overview
Dive into the world of anomaly detection on edge devices with our comprehensive hands-on tutorial. This SlideShare presentation will guide you through the entire process, from data collection and model training to edge deployment and real-time monitoring. Perfect for those looking to implement robust anomaly detection systems on resource-constrained IoT/edge devices.
Key Topics Covered
1. Introduction to Anomaly Detection
- Understand the fundamentals of anomaly detection and its importance in identifying unusual behavior or failures in systems.
2. Understanding Edge (IoT)
- Learn about edge computing and IoT, and how they enable real-time data processing and decision-making at the source.
3. What is ArgoCD?
- Discover ArgoCD, a declarative, GitOps continuous delivery tool for Kubernetes, and its role in deploying applications on edge devices.
4. Deployment Using ArgoCD for Edge Devices
- Step-by-step guide on deploying anomaly detection models on edge devices using ArgoCD.
5. Introduction to Apache Kafka and S3
- Explore Apache Kafka for real-time data streaming and Amazon S3 for scalable storage solutions.
6. Viewing Kafka Messages in the Data Lake
- Learn how to view and analyze Kafka messages stored in a data lake for better insights.
7. What is Prometheus?
- Get to know Prometheus, an open-source monitoring and alerting toolkit, and its application in monitoring edge devices.
8. Monitoring Application Metrics with Prometheus
- Detailed instructions on setting up Prometheus to monitor the performance and health of your anomaly detection system.
9. What is Camel K?
- Introduction to Camel K, a lightweight integration framework built on Apache Camel, designed for Kubernetes.
10. Configuring Camel K Integrations for Data Pipelines
- Learn how to configure Camel K for seamless data pipeline integrations in your anomaly detection workflow.
11. What is a Jupyter Notebook?
- Overview of Jupyter Notebooks, an open-source web application for creating and sharing documents with live code, equations, visualizations, and narrative text.
12. Jupyter Notebooks with Code Examples
- Hands-on examples and code snippets in Jupyter Notebooks to help you implement and test anomaly detection models.
Your One-Stop Shop for Python Success: Top 10 US Python Development Providersakankshawande
Simplify your search for a reliable Python development partner! This list presents the top 10 trusted US providers offering comprehensive Python development services, ensuring your project's success from conception to completion.
Freshworks Rethinks NoSQL for Rapid Scaling & Cost-EfficiencyScyllaDB
Freshworks creates AI-boosted business software that helps employees work more efficiently and effectively. Managing data across multiple RDBMS and NoSQL databases was already a challenge at their current scale. To prepare for 10X growth, they knew it was time to rethink their database strategy. Learn how they architected a solution that would simplify scaling while keeping costs under control.
For the full video of this presentation, please visit: https://www.edge-ai-vision.com/2024/06/temporal-event-neural-networks-a-more-efficient-alternative-to-the-transformer-a-presentation-from-brainchip/
Chris Jones, Director of Product Management at BrainChip , presents the “Temporal Event Neural Networks: A More Efficient Alternative to the Transformer” tutorial at the May 2024 Embedded Vision Summit.
The expansion of AI services necessitates enhanced computational capabilities on edge devices. Temporal Event Neural Networks (TENNs), developed by BrainChip, represent a novel and highly efficient state-space network. TENNs demonstrate exceptional proficiency in handling multi-dimensional streaming data, facilitating advancements in object detection, action recognition, speech enhancement and language model/sequence generation. Through the utilization of polynomial-based continuous convolutions, TENNs streamline models, expedite training processes and significantly diminish memory requirements, achieving notable reductions of up to 50x in parameters and 5,000x in energy consumption compared to prevailing methodologies like transformers.
Integration with BrainChip’s Akida neuromorphic hardware IP further enhances TENNs’ capabilities, enabling the realization of highly capable, portable and passively cooled edge devices. This presentation delves into the technical innovations underlying TENNs, presents real-world benchmarks, and elucidates how this cutting-edge approach is positioned to revolutionize edge AI across diverse applications.
Digital Marketing Trends in 2024 | Guide for Staying AheadWask
https://www.wask.co/ebooks/digital-marketing-trends-in-2024
Feeling lost in the digital marketing whirlwind of 2024? Technology is changing, consumer habits are evolving, and staying ahead of the curve feels like a never-ending pursuit. This e-book is your compass. Dive into actionable insights to handle the complexities of modern marketing. From hyper-personalization to the power of user-generated content, learn how to build long-term relationships with your audience and unlock the secrets to success in the ever-shifting digital landscape.
Let's Integrate MuleSoft RPA, COMPOSER, APM with AWS IDP along with Slackshyamraj55
Discover the seamless integration of RPA (Robotic Process Automation), COMPOSER, and APM with AWS IDP enhanced with Slack notifications. Explore how these technologies converge to streamline workflows, optimize performance, and ensure secure access, all while leveraging the power of AWS IDP and real-time communication via Slack notifications.
Ivanti’s Patch Tuesday breakdown goes beyond patching your applications and brings you the intelligence and guidance needed to prioritize where to focus your attention first. Catch early analysis on our Ivanti blog, then join industry expert Chris Goettl for the Patch Tuesday Webinar Event. There we’ll do a deep dive into each of the bulletins and give guidance on the risks associated with the newly-identified vulnerabilities.
Salesforce Integration for Bonterra Impact Management (fka Social Solutions A...Jeffrey Haguewood
Sidekick Solutions uses Bonterra Impact Management (fka Social Solutions Apricot) and automation solutions to integrate data for business workflows.
We believe integration and automation are essential to user experience and the promise of efficient work through technology. Automation is the critical ingredient to realizing that full vision. We develop integration products and services for Bonterra Case Management software to support the deployment of automations for a variety of use cases.
This video focuses on integration of Salesforce with Bonterra Impact Management.
Interested in deploying an integration with Salesforce for Bonterra Impact Management? Contact us at sales@sidekicksolutionsllc.com to discuss next steps.
Main news related to the CCS TSI 2023 (2023/1695)Jakub Marek
An English 🇬🇧 translation of a presentation to the speech I gave about the main changes brought by CCS TSI 2023 at the biggest Czech conference on Communications and signalling systems on Railways, which was held in Clarion Hotel Olomouc from 7th to 9th November 2023 (konferenceszt.cz). Attended by around 500 participants and 200 on-line followers.
The original Czech 🇨🇿 version of the presentation can be found here: https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/hlavni-novinky-souvisejici-s-ccs-tsi-2023-2023-1695/269688092 .
The videorecording (in Czech) from the presentation is available here: https://youtu.be/WzjJWm4IyPk?si=SImb06tuXGb30BEH .
In the realm of cybersecurity, offensive security practices act as a critical shield. By simulating real-world attacks in a controlled environment, these techniques expose vulnerabilities before malicious actors can exploit them. This proactive approach allows manufacturers to identify and fix weaknesses, significantly enhancing system security.
This presentation delves into the development of a system designed to mimic Galileo's Open Service signal using software-defined radio (SDR) technology. We'll begin with a foundational overview of both Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) and the intricacies of digital signal processing.
The presentation culminates in a live demonstration. We'll showcase the manipulation of Galileo's Open Service pilot signal, simulating an attack on various software and hardware systems. This practical demonstration serves to highlight the potential consequences of unaddressed vulnerabilities, emphasizing the importance of offensive security practices in safeguarding critical infrastructure.
Skybuffer AI: Advanced Conversational and Generative AI Solution on SAP Busin...Tatiana Kojar
Skybuffer AI, built on the robust SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP), is the latest and most advanced version of our AI development, reaffirming our commitment to delivering top-tier AI solutions. Skybuffer AI harnesses all the innovative capabilities of the SAP BTP in the AI domain, from Conversational AI to cutting-edge Generative AI and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG). It also helps SAP customers safeguard their investments into SAP Conversational AI and ensure a seamless, one-click transition to SAP Business AI.
With Skybuffer AI, various AI models can be integrated into a single communication channel such as Microsoft Teams. This integration empowers business users with insights drawn from SAP backend systems, enterprise documents, and the expansive knowledge of Generative AI. And the best part of it is that it is all managed through our intuitive no-code Action Server interface, requiring no extensive coding knowledge and making the advanced AI accessible to more users.
zkStudyClub - LatticeFold: A Lattice-based Folding Scheme and its Application...Alex Pruden
Folding is a recent technique for building efficient recursive SNARKs. Several elegant folding protocols have been proposed, such as Nova, Supernova, Hypernova, Protostar, and others. However, all of them rely on an additively homomorphic commitment scheme based on discrete log, and are therefore not post-quantum secure. In this work we present LatticeFold, the first lattice-based folding protocol based on the Module SIS problem. This folding protocol naturally leads to an efficient recursive lattice-based SNARK and an efficient PCD scheme. LatticeFold supports folding low-degree relations, such as R1CS, as well as high-degree relations, such as CCS. The key challenge is to construct a secure folding protocol that works with the Ajtai commitment scheme. The difficulty, is ensuring that extracted witnesses are low norm through many rounds of folding. We present a novel technique using the sumcheck protocol to ensure that extracted witnesses are always low norm no matter how many rounds of folding are used. Our evaluation of the final proof system suggests that it is as performant as Hypernova, while providing post-quantum security.
Paper Link: https://eprint.iacr.org/2024/257
zkStudyClub - LatticeFold: A Lattice-based Folding Scheme and its Application...
Israel maximillian 177_final
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
Read more | 1 comment | Add new comment | DMA177|Spring2012
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
Read more | 2 comments | Add new comment | DMA177|Spring2012
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
Read more | 3 comments | Add new comment | DMA177|Spring2012
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
Read more | 2 comments | Add new comment | DMA177|Spring2012
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
Read more | 1 comment | Add new comment | DMA177|Spring2012
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!