Medicine + Technology + Art

When I think of medicine the first thing that comes into my mind is a hospital and saving lives. I never really thought to relate plastic surgery to medicine because nowadays most people do it for aesthetics.

http://nymag.com/news/features/48948/

When Professor Vesna mentioned that reconstructive surgery has been around for hundreds of years it was a little hard to believe. Reconstructive surgery was first introduced during World War I; its main purpose was to repair or re-create a body part that was blown off or disfigured during battle. In my opinion, these doctors weren't trying to make the soldiers look prettier, they were trying to make sure that these soldiers could continue living a normal life without the hinderance of a missing nose.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/9396435/Pioneering-plastic-surgery-records-from-First-World-War-published.html

Nowadays, many celebrities and those with enough money, will opt for surgery instead of accepting their appearances. In South Korea, plastic surgery is so common that almost every street corner has an advertisement for plastic surgery. During my stay in Korea, when I would go to Gangnam (a rich neighborhood in Seoul, S.K.) I could spot many women and men that had gotten either double eyelid or higher nose or both. 

http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/s-korea-painful-beauty-fad-bone-cutting-jaw-surgery-article-1.1356287

Why is it that people would want a new face? 

I found an interesting article about how beautiful people get more job interviews. Is everyone trying to make themselves prettier just to be noticed and liked. Why are having skills and a great personality not enough?

http://www.businessinsider.com/beautiful-people-get-more-job-interviews-2013-9

Plastic surgery always reminds me about the film Gattaca. It is a science fiction film about a society that is genetically engineered. Parents can pick out the genes they want for their child such as 20/20 vision, eye color, etc. Gattaca raises the concern that society is becoming superficial and will soon be entirely based on biotechnology. People are being customized, which produces a society where the "inferior" can never coincide with the "superior".

http://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/genetic-inequality-human-genetic-engineering-768

Everything in science always begins with a good purpose, but after a while people get greedy and begin to use it for their own "benefit". I really appreciate the advancement of medicine, but in the end it should be used to heal wounds not ego's.


Digital Images:

N.d. Photograph. n.p. Web. 27 Oct 2013. <http://www.bernardhealth.com/Portals/131307/images/Plastic_Sugery.jpg>.

N.d. Photograph. n.p. Web. 27 Oct 2013. <http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02275/PLastic-Surgery_2275673b.jpg>.

N.d. Photograph. n.p. Web. 27 Oct 2013. <http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1356291.1369751514!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/double-jaw-surgery.jpg>.


Works Cited:

Nisen, Max. "Check Out How Much More Often Beautiful Women Get Callbacks For Job Interviews." Business Insider. N.p., 9 Sept. 2013. Web. 27 Oct. 2013.

Furness, Hannah. "Pioneering Plastic Surgery Records from First World War Published."The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 13 July 2012. Web. 27 Oct. 2013.

"Gattaca - Movie Trailer." YouTube. YouTube, 14 Apr. 2010. Web. 27 Oct. 2013.

Meter, Jonathan V. "New York Magazine." NYMag.com. N.p., 3 Aug. 2008. Web. 27 Oct. 2013.

"Double-jaw Surgery Is the Latest Extreme Addition to South Korea's Plastic Surgery Fad." NY Daily News. N.p., 28 May 2013. Web. 27 Oct. 2013.

Simmons, Danielle. "Genetic Inequality: Human Genetic Engineering." Nature.com. Nature Publishing Group, 2008. Web. 27 Oct. 2013.

Math and Art

In this week’s lesson I learned that origami has a lot more involved to it than just folding paper. Origami started out as the traditional Japanese art of paper folding and has now become a modern art form. Due to the constrictions of straight edge paper folding, origami is both mathematically interesting and beautiful.

http://www.langorigami.com/science/math/hja/hja.php

Robert J. Lang states that the Huzita-Justin Axioms were the “first formal description of what types of geometric constructions were possible.” These axioms are seven different ways in which one could fold a single crease by aligning one or more combinations of points and lines on a paper. It was mathematically proven that there are only these seven axioms. Paper folding can solve arbitrary cubic equations, angle trisection, and doubling the cube. Paper folding has become very influential in mathematics, but the mathematics has also helped make unique sculptures out of a single sheet of paper.

http://mars.wne.edu/~thull/papers/amer.math.monthly.118.04.307-hull.pdf

Through certain crease patterns, Lang is able to create intricate designs of animals out of paper. Lang has created various methods that provide structural information in his designs. In TreeMaker, origami was no longer just folds, the underlying data contained many linear features. These were considered paths and each path would state whether the path of the fold would work in creating the final design.

 http://www.architecturaldigest.com/blogs/the-aesthete/2012/04/geometric-patterns-islamic-art

Another case in which math is used in art is with Geometric Pattering. Geometric pattering is found in a lot of Islamic historical sites such as mosques. Geometric patterns were used to track the stars as well as improve acoustics in these areas. A lot of times geometric patterns were used for religious purposes. Human figures could not be drawn on walls for fear of idol worship. Therefore, Islamic structures feature both geometric and nature inspired art.

http://facultyfp.salisbury.edu/despickler/personal/Resources/TechnologyWorkshops/ScienceNight2011/ScienceNightSU.pdf

Mathematics is at the foundation of everything. It has and is being used to create new type of artwork and evolve others. For example, anamorphic art uses angle of perception and only at a certain vantage point can a person see the image. This art form is being used by modern artists to create 3-D allusions on sidewalks and has gained much popularity. These art forms are influential in culture, mathematically interesting, and aesthetic. Math has bridged the connection between art and science and with every new insight becomes inseparable.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/08/3d-street-art-optical-illusions-chalk-artists_n_1757390.html

Sources:

Thomas C. Hull (2011, April). Solving cubics with creases: the work of Beloch and Lill. The American Mathematical Monthly ,118, 307-315.

Gates, Sara. "3D Street Art: 13 Amazing Optical Illusions Created By Chalk Artists (PHOTOS)." The
Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 08 Aug. 2012. Web. 13 Oct. 2013.

Owens, Mitchell. "The Aesthete: Exploring Geometric Patterns in Islamic Art." Architectural Digest. N.p., 12 Apr. 2012. Web. 13 Oct. 2013.

Lang, Robert J. "Huzita-Justin Axioms." Robert J. Lang Origami. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2013.

Masarelli, Nicole. “Mathematics Behind Anamorphic Art.” Salisbury University. PowerPoint. 26 March 2012. 13 Oct 2013.
<http://writingcenter.gmu.edu/resources/summaryvsinterpretation/index.htm>.

The Crevasse - Making 3-D Street Art. YouTube. N.p., 15 Feb. 2009. Web. 13 Oct. 2013. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3SNYtd0Ayt0>


Images:

Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2013. <http://www.webdesignburn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Origami-peacock.jpg>

Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2013. <http://www.langorigami.com/image.php?image=/art/creasepatterns/creasepatterns_art/moma_on_wall.jpg&width=300>

Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2013. <http://www.islamic-architecture.info/WA-TU/800px-Selimiye_Mosque%252C_Dome.jpg>

Two Cultures

Hello everyone who decides to read my blog! My name is Karina and I am majoring in Economics w/ Specialization in Computing and Anthropology & Linguistics. So, I guess you could say I am both a North and South Campus major? I decided to double major because I cannot stand just taking math related classes. As much as I enjoy learning about the economy, I have a passion for learning languages, traveling, and experiencing many cultures around the world. Since I want to go into business, I believe being both intelligent and creative is extremely important.

http://www.the-vma.com/what-does-creativity-in-business-really-mean/

I thought the video "Changing Education Paradigms" was particularly interesting. I have to agree that the structure of our education system has created a divide between the two cultures. In the beginning, children are encouraged to have an interest in sports, art, dance, etc., but as they get older their new focus should be on learning math and memorizing facts. Children are told that being a doctor will get you rich and if you are an artist that you will starve. Parents don't encourage their children to find a passion, instead they accuse them of being unmotivated.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/how-schools-even-great-ones-fail-kids-with-adhd/2012/09/23/8e81c83c-f828-11e1-8253-3f495ae70650_blog.html

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2012/10/11/the-10-worst-college-majors/

The idea of a third culture, one where people are both imaginative and intellectual shouldn't be a third culture at all. It should be the only culture.  I often see articles about the majors that won't get you anywhere and they are always North Campus Majors. People need to understand that there is more to art than just drawing, more to music than just sounds, and there are many careers that need these fields of study.

Happiness is the key to success and only those that find their passion will truly excel.

http://dailybruin.com/2011/03/03/_lighter_workload_for_north_campus_students_provides_flexibility_to_explore_critically_think_about_r/

http://dailybruin.com/2007/02/26/icampuss_northsouth_division_just_way_pigeonhole_p/

Works Cited:

Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Oct. 2013.

<http://news24ca.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/business-around-the-world-prev1226587947CY7210.jpg>.

Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Oct. 2013. <http://aaablogs.uoregon.edu/dharvey/files/2012/02/robo_escher_t1-786547.jpg>.

Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Oct. 2013.

Goudreau, Jenna. "The 10 Worst College Majors." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 11 Oct. 2012. Web. 06 Oct. 2013.

RSA Animate- Changing Education Paradigms. YouTube. The RSA, 14 October 2010. Web. 6 Oct. 2013. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=zDZFcDGpL4U>.

Strauss, Valerie. "How Schools (even Great Ones) Fail Kids with ADHD." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 23 Sept. 2012. Web. 06 Oct. 2013.

"What Does Creativity in Business Really Mean?" The VMA RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Oct. 2013.

Yoo, Lana. "Campus’s North-south Division Just a Way to Pigeonhole Passions." Daily Bruin. N.p., 2007. Web. 06 Oct. 2013.

Zymet, Salim. "Lighter Workload for North Campus Students Provides Flexibility to Explore, Critically
Think about Real-world Issues." Daily Bruin. N.p., 03 Mar. 2011. Web. 06 Oct. 2013.