Extra Credit Event #1: What's Wrong with Fat?

On December 6, 2013 I attended a discussion on the book "What's Wrong with Fat?" written by Abigail Saguy. Before going to the event I wasn't too sure what it would be about. Before going to this event, I thought it was going to be about body image and more about women empowerment. The title itself is very controversial in today's world since being obese is seen as an epidemic and people are all about promoting a healthy diet. 

We are told that the United States is facing an obesity epidemic and that drastic measures need to be taken. There have been movies such as "Supersize Me" that portray the bad eating habits of Americans which shows that the corporate world doesn't care about the nutrition of the people and only cares about profit. This movie, along with world reports has started a craze to cure obesity, but is fat even that big of a problem? Abigail Saguy tries to show the positive framings of weight- such as being consistent with health and beauty. She discusses some of the consequences of blaming people for their size and how it affects the rest of society.

I especially liked listening to Tamara Horwich, who works at the school of medicine, discuss her views about the obesity epidemic. She stated that the underpinning of the obesity epidemic concerns are in part stemmed from upper white class citizens; putting a barrier between them and the lower class. She also states that fat is never recognized as being good because is very difficult to get research published that states that fat is good. People support weight-loss products; therefore, publishing papers that support the idea of needing weight-loss products is favored. Corporations support the research that will bring them profit. 

Horwich also critiques certain comments made by Sarguy. For example, Saguy states that the weight stigma is preventing people from going to the doctor because they don't want to be put on a scale and be told to lose weight. People don't want doctors to assume every health problem they have is due to fat. Horwich argues that overweight patients are perhaps getting better medical care because doctors are viewing them as higher risk and using tougher medicine. 

After listening to all the speakers, I had a new look on the word "fat". I too am questioning the validity of the obese epidemic and would like to read more studies about fat being good. The front cover captures the ideas in the book. In the old days, being curvy was sought after and there was nothing wrong with fat. Fat represented wealth; however, now the tables haves turned and obesity has become a social stigma. Why did fat go from being good to bad?

http://www.csw.ucla.edu/events/whats-wrong-with-fat-a-book-discussion-with-abigail-saguy

Event #1: GLOW Art & Technology Festival

On September 28, 2013 I attended the GLOW festival at Santa Monica Pier and Beach. Unfortunately, I only got to see a few exhibits because I didn't realize the rest were on the pier! What I did see was both very interesting and new to me.

It was really amazing seeing all the light shows, performances, and the art pieces together with the brightly decorated pier and ocean background. I noticed that many of the art pieces included the use of technology in order to portray the artist's vision. This reminded me of the topic about "two cultures" because they had both art and science mixed into one vision. I really liked Rebeca Mendez's "CircumSolar, Migration 1, 2013", which was located on the sand right by the ocean. Mendez used a projector to show the migration path of the arctic tern. The arctic tern is a small sea bird known for its longest migration path from Antarctica to the Arctic every year. It is the one living creature on the earth that sees the most daytime light in its lifetime.

Mendez used a giant disk and 25-foot diameter screen to project her clips. Since Mendez is interested on issues of migration, of both human and animals, her clips showed a lot of unique activity in nature. There was a clip featuring a man walking across an icy tundra and a beautiful arctic tern flying in the sky.

I thought using a projector was a great idea especially since it was set up by the ocean. Since it was at night, all you focused on were the beautiful images and scenery. I thought that the audience could feel like they were witnessing the migration cycle along with the arctic fern. I thought this was a great combination between technology and art. 

http://glowsantamonica.org/

Space + Art

Humanity has always been curios about what goes on beyond the clouds. For this reason, it is no surprise that there have been many hit TV shows, sitcoms, and movies relating to space. People are still curious about aliens, meteors, and more that goes on outside of Earth.

America may not have been the first nation to get someone to space, but we had out victory when Neil Armstrong was the first man to land on the moon and return to Earth safely. The primary objective of the mission, Apollo 11, was to complete a national goal set by President John F. Kennedy: "I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth. No single space project...will be more exciting, or more impressive to mankind, or more important...and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish..."
http://www.space.com/15519-neil-armstrong-man-moon.html
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/missions/apollo11.html#.Upw1t8TqySo

Despite there being footage of his landing and terrain samples, for some it is still hard to believe that this historic event ever occurred. Some believe that it was a carefully designed hoax, filmed in a studio.

The International Space Station serves as a stepping stone for going further into the solar system.The ISS provides images of astronauts, their stations, planets, stars, and more to the public. Aboard the ISS, there is a seven window module called the Cupola. The photographs captured at the ISS are extremely breathtaking and I think it is amazing that we are able to see the unreachable.
 http://www.npr.org/blogs/pictureshow/2013/11/05/241607243/the-view-from-the-largest-window-in-space
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/#.Upw3-cTqySo

The CubeSat Project is an international collaboration of over 40 universities, high schools, and private firms. The initial goal was to enable graduate students to be able to design, build, test and operate a spacecraft with capabilities similar to that of Sputnik. Their mission is to develop picosatellites containing scientific, private, and government payloads. CubeSats is cost-effective and developers benefit from sharing information within the CubeSats community. 

http://www.nasa.gov/press/2013/november/nasa-helps-launch-student-built-satellites-as-part-of-cubesat-launch-initiative/

Images:

Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Dec. 2013. <http://i.space.com/images/i/000/031/137/i02/gravity-movie-poster-closeup.jpg?1374687221>.

Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Dec. 2013. <https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRvNajQnRvlw6DseH8pTIlQG_XCGhhUgMFlBsYjZXepR_SdfQIqyg>.

Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Dec. 2013. <http://i.imgur.com/QQAxN.jpg>.

Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Dec. 2013. <http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/Exterior_of_Cupola_-_Exp28.jpg>

Works Cited:

"Apollo 11". NASA. NASA, n.d. Web. 1 Dec. 2013.

Buck, Joshua. "NASA Helps Launch Student-Built Satellites as Part of CubeSat Launch Initiative." NASA. NASA, 20 Nov. 2013. Web. 01 Dec. 2013.

"International Space Station." NASA. NASA, n.d. Web. 1 Dec. 2013.

"Neil Armstrong: First Man on the Moon." Space.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Dec. 2013.

Rizzo, Meredith. "The View From The Largest Window In Space." NPR. NPR, n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2013.

Nanotech +Art

Glue is everywhere. We use it for art projects, bumper stickers, tape, making furniture more secure, etc.

The sole purpose of glue is to hold things together, hopefully forever. Nanotechnology is playing a significant role to make this happen.

Researchers are currently working with Geckos to find the best adhesive using nanotechnology.

http://robotics.eecs.berkeley.edu/~ronf/Gecko/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/09/how-do-geckos-feet-work_n_1761839.html

"Geckos have the remarkable ability to run at any orientation on just about any smooth or rough, wet or dry, clean or dirty surface" (Gecko Adhesion Project) The basis of the geckos' adhesive properties are the millions of micron-scale setae (hair-like structures) that are on each of its toes which form a self-cleaning dry adhesive. Biologists and engineers at Berkeley are developing a nanofabrication process which will allow large amounts of setae to be economically fabricated.

The 7 Key properties of Gecko Adhesion are:
1. Anistropic attachment
2. High Pulloff to preload ratio
3. Low detachment force
4. Material independence
5. Self-cleaning
6. Anti-self matting
7. Non-sticky default state

http://robotics.eecs.berkeley.edu/~ronf/Gecko/gecko-facts.html

My favorite property is the non-sticky default state. I find it very frustrating when super glue won't come off my fingers.

http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/news/2005/08/68639

Researchers from Polytechnic Institute and the University of Akron have also created a carpet of super-stick carbon nanotubes that could form the basis for future type of adhesives. They have produced nanotubes with an adhesive power 200 times greater than the gecko foot hairs. These nanotubes are special because they form unique structures that are relatively defect-free.

Researchers are now working toward building a nanotube carpet on a larger scale-- 1 centimeter square.

The technology can be used to stick a 700lb object to glass without leaving a smear: It can also stick a 42-inch television to a wall, release it with a gentle tug and then restick it firmly - and it remains sticky after hundreds of uses

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216165500.htm

Gecko Adhesives would have been impossible without the advancement of nanotechnology and is open a wide array of projects. Nanoglue may even allow humans to do the impossible: walk and climb on walls.

Works Cited:

Dalton, Aaron. "Nanoglue Stickier Than Gecko Toes." Wired.com. Conde Nast Digital, 8 Aug. 2005. Web. 24 Nov. 2013. 

"Gecko Feet Inspire Amazing Glue That Can Hold 700 Pounds On Smooth Wall." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 16 Feb. 2012. Web. 24 Nov. 2013. 

"Gecko Project." Gecko Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2013. <http://robotics.eecs.berkeley.edu/~ronf/Gecko/>.

"Interesting Gecko Adhesion Facts." Interesting Gecko Adhesion Facts. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2013. <http://robotics.eecs.berkeley.edu/~ronf/Gecko/gecko-facts.html>.

Korte, Travis. "How Do Geckos' Feet Work?" The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 09 Aug. 2012. Web. 24 Nov. 2013. 

Images:

Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2013

          <http://robotics.eecs.berkeley.edu/~ronf/Gecko/Hierarchy3.jpg>

Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2013. 

          <http://robotics.eecs.berkeley.edu/~ronf/Gecko/anolis-pi.jpg>.

Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2013. 

          <https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images q=tbn:ANd9GcRRZrFpfq9GxUUTPdlmnp9UuTvx98SWwmhwUAR1fEGA1ugP2UZV>.
Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2013. <http://images.sciencedaily.com/2012/02/120216165500.jpg>.

Neuroscience + Art

Throughout the years, the representation of the brain has transformed and many ideas have developed about how the brain really works.

Aristotle, the father of psychology, believed that thought process occurred in the heart. We now know that it really occurs in the inner workings of the brain. Not only do we know how the brain functions, but researchers have devised a method to look inside of it through a method called Brainbow.

http://www.ted.com/talks/carl_schoonover_how_to_look_inside_the_brain.html

Before Brainbow, neurons could only be highlighted up to 2 colors. One common method even launched the modern neuroscience known as the Golgi method. It was discovered by Italian physician and scientist Camillo Golgi. It is a silver staining technique that was used to visualize tissue under light microscopy. The Golgi method, stained about 1% of the cells in the brain tissue.

Santiago Ramon y Cajal applied Golgi science and gave the modern nerve cell of a neuron. He demonstrated that neurons don't operate alone; they make connections with other neurons that form circuits. Today, when researchers want to visualize neurons they light them up from the inside.

http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Santiago_Ram%C3%B3n_y_Cajal



Brainbow was first developed by Jeff W. Lichtman and Joshua R. Sanes. The technique would borrow genes from bacteria, coral and jellyfish that made mice brains glow in a variety of colors. Brainbow is the process by which individual neurons in the brain can be distinguished through the use of fluorescent protein; there are roughly 90 distinct colors.

http://www.nature.com/nmeth/journal/v10/n6/full/nmeth.2450.html

Using genetic recombination techniques, researchers inserted gene pigments into the genomes of developing mice. As the mice developed, the gene pigments got divided between the mice cells.
http://cbs.fas.harvard.edu/science/connectome-project/brainbow



One disadvantage for the Brainbow is that it can only be seen under fluorescent microscopes. It also only works with genetically modified animals, which at the moment are only mice. On the other hand, Brainbow has allowed scientists a more complete view of the brain. Instead of just being able to view one cell within a circuit, you can view the circuit itself.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/3312331/Brainbows-offer-unique-colour-brain-map.html

Litchman states that Brainbow will reveal the miswirings in certain mental disorders. These include neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Brainbow is not only beautiful, also powerful.


Works Cited:

"Brainbow." Center for Brain Science. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. 

Cai, Dawen, Kimberly B. Cohen, Tuanlian Luo, Jeff W. Lichtman, and Joshua R. Sanes. "Improved Tools for the Brainbow Toolbox." Nature Methods 10.6 (2013): 540-47. 05 May 2013. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.
Highfield, Roger. "Brainbows Offer Unique Colour Brain Map." The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 30 Oct. 2007. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. 

Nemri, Abdellatif. "Santiago Ramon Y Cajal." Scholarpedia. N.p., 2010. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. <http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Santiago_Ramón_y_Cajal>.

Schoonover, Carl. "Carl Schoonover: How to Look inside the Brain." TED: Ideas worth Spreading. TED: Ideas worth Spreading, May 2012. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. 

Images:

Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. <http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l4w35jR2891qb6etto1_500.jpg.>

Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. 
        <http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Society/Pix/pictures/2008/05/27/Brain460.jpg>.
Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. <http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/kammer/files/2010/09/ramon-y-cajal.jpg>.
Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. <http://www.cs.utexas.edu/~novak/ramon.gif>.
Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. <http://cbs.fas.harvard.edu/usr/connectome/brainbow/brainbow7.jpg>.
Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. <http://download.cell.com/images/edimages/Cell/picshow/images/full/338.jpg>.

BioTech + Art

Butterfly patterns are very unique because their pattern of stripes and spots occurs in  exactly the same location in all individuals of a species. A given spot or stripe can also be traced from species to species. The elements of the butterfly pattern are individuated which allows for the tracing of species across families. This allows the ability to study diversification and evolution of a species. The three main basic wing pattern of butterflies are: the basal symmetry system, the central symmetry system, and the border symmetry system. Butterflies have symmetrical wings that make each species unique, but not necessarily the individual butterfly unique.

              

http://biology.duke.edu/nijhout/images/PatternElements.pdf

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22943780

With the purpose of creating unique art, Marta de Menzes, modified the wing patterns on butterflies. While the butterflies were still in their cocoon stages, she used a thin needle and heat generator to change one of their wing design through a technique called microcautery. She had the ability to create or delete eyespots on the wings.

  

For her project, Nature, she would alter one of the butterfly's wing and let the second wing develop normally. These modified butterflies were no different from their counterparts except for the unique wing pattern. It is important to note that they still had the same life span and mating behavior.

Her idea for Nature started from an article about scientists who modified the wing patterns of butterflies for research purposes. "I found it amazing that those butterflies’ wing patterns had been modified by scientists, and yet were exclusively made of normal cells, creating a tension between the natural and the artificial" - De Menzes.

http://www.genomenewsnetwork.org/articles/2004/05/28/butterflywings.php

http://www.transgenesis.cz/archive/2007/artists/MartaMenezes.pdf

In my opinion, de Menedez had done exactly that. She had created a design that was natural because it was still made up of normal cells, but had been modified by the human touch.

What I found most unique about her project, was that her purpose was to bring individuality to species that were not seen as individuals due to their exterior appearance. When Professor Vesna first mentioned Nature in her lecture video I thought the project was inhumane and I didn't understand De Meneze's purpose. It is easier to accept researchers manipulating living organisms rather than artists.

http://www.artnews.com/2013/03/18/biotechnology-as-art-form/

Society always hears about the advances in medicine and technology. They test their experiments on animals and to some it is inhumane, but to others it is the only way to get ahead. When artists start modifying species to make art, it is harder to see the significance in their work. However, its significance and purpose is still present.

I think before an artist can take on a project, they should do as much research and have the qualifications to work with biotechnology. I think that if an artist is going to use biotechnology, they shouldn't harm or make the species any different from their counterparts. Specifically, they should still be able to live a normal life. Research and art is very unique in its own way and mixing the two should be done with caution.

Works Cited

Brown Butterfly. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.genomenewsnetwork.org/articles/2004/05/28/butterflywings2.jpg>.

"Marta De Menezes." Transgenesis. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.transgenesis.cz/archive/2007/artists/MartaMenezes.pdf>.

Miranda, Carolina A. "Weird Science: Biotechnology as Art Form." ARTnews. N.p., 18 Mar. 2013. Web. 10 Nov. 2013. <http://www.artnews.com/2013/03/18/biotechnology-as-art-form/>.

Nijhout, H.F. "Elements of Butterfly Wing Patterns." Journal of Experimental Zoology 291.3 (2001): 213-25. Web. <http://biology.duke.edu/nijhout/images/PatternElements.pdf>.

Otaki, J. "Color Pattern Analysis of Nymphalid Butterfly Wings: Revision of the Nymphalid Groundplan." NCBI. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 29 Sept. 2012. Web. 10 Nov. 2013. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22943780>.

Purple Butterfly. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://gardeningwithconfidence.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Purple-butterfly.jpg>.

Red and Black Butterfly. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://artplusscience.free.fr/art/05/nature04.jpg>.

Reinert, Birgit. "Asymmetrical Butterfly Wings." Genome News Network. N.p., 28 May 2004. Web. 10 Nov. 2013. <http://www.genomenewsnetwork.org/articles/2004/05/28/butterflywings.php>.

Symmetry. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://biology.duke.edu/nijhout/images/NGPSDS.jpg>.

Desma 9 Midterm Project

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B26s5_rP8WCYVWk3c043eUkxemc/edit?usp=sharing