Extra Credit Event #1 - Western Museum of Mining & Industry

Extra Credit Event #1 - Western Museum of Mining & Industry

 

 

 

Finally!  A staff member who was more than willing and happy to take a picture!  The WMMI is one of my favorite museums in my hometown of Colorado Springs, Colorado. I chose this visit because I think it's fascinating to view older technology in an artistic light. Imagine how futuristic this technology was during the 19th and 20th centuries!

 

 

 

The museum features pieces that are still functioning to this day.

 

 

I love walking through the mine shaft area and seeing the old tools and methods of transport.

 

 

This is a popular attraction in the Pikes Peak Region.  Not only can you view these amazing feats of antique technology, but also pan for gold, explore their extensive library, and watch live demonstrations of the equipment.

 

I also love that they have two burros on site named Nugget and Ore.  But unfortunately, they were not available the date of my visit because of inclement weather.  I would highly recommend this museum if anyone is ever in Colorado Springs.

 

~ Claire

 

Event #3 - Joyce Cutler-Shaw

Event #3 - Joyce Cutler-Shaw

CNSI Art Science Gallery

I was a bit embarrassed to ask someone to take a picture of me at the exhibit opening... but I was able to sneak a picture of the esteemed, featured artist, Ms. Joyce Cutler-Shaw.

I really enjoyed the exhibit opening because it truly gave us a look inside the brain of Ms. Cutler-Shaw. Through MRI scans and overlaid pictures to create collages of her journey through life so far sparked by memories. I really enjoyed the pictures and gained further understanding of each of them through the side not cards. I also really enjoyed listening to her speak about her exhibit and the passion she showed for it. 

If anyone is still on campus and the exhibit is still on campus, I would highly recommend going to see it. It makes you think and perhaps remember your journey so far and picture your memories. 

~Claire

Event #2 - J. Paul Getty Museum

Event #2 - J. Paul Getty Museum

Here I am outside of The Getty!  Again, none of the staff would allow me to take a picture with them, however, they were nice enough to let me take a couple of pictures inside one of the exhibits.



Abelardo Morell: The Universe Next Door (Camera Obscura Works)





The above two works, The Lightbulb 1991 and  Opening Page: A Farewell to Arms were two of my favorite pictures from the exhibit. They both grabbed my attention in different ways, but they made you think. However, The lightbulb took something so complex as a camera and made it incredibly simple. The other took a simple page in a book and overlaid it making it complex. 

At The Window: The Photographer's View

(Photos About and Taken Through All Kinds of Windows)

I did not get any pictures in this exhibit, but greatly enjoyed this one also. It was unique because it was filled with many artists works. Some consisted of strangers in a living room, others of apartments in the city. My favorite was Colorado Springs, CO 1968-70 by Robert Adams, American, born 1967. It was a  simple silhouette in the window of a small  home. But instead of looking from inside the house out, they were on the outside looking in, and I just really enjoyed it. I also like Buffalo, New York ~1970 by Charles Swedlund, American, born 1936. I liked this one because it was a window in the middle of someones body, in black and white. It was almost signifying looking into someones soul and getting past the outer cover of a person.

I would highly recommend these exhibits, but I am also a photography lover. I would also highly recommend The Getty in general, because of the incredibly galleries as well as exhibits that they host. 

~Claire



Event #1 - The Hammer Museum

Event #1 - The Hammer Museum

 

The Hammer Museum. It is one of those buildings that we pass on a daily or weekly basis, yet how many of us stop in and see an exhibit there? I was guilty of that. I had never stopped in to walk around. However, I greatly enjoyed my time there, even though none of the curators, even outside of the exhibits, would take a picture with me as proof, so I asked one of the staff members at the front desk instead. Hopefully that will satisfy the requirement of proof of having attended the event.

 

 

The Hammer hosted two really interesting exhibits, yet I found the subject matter of one of them to be slightly disturbing.

 

The two exhibits were Forest Bess: Seeing Things Invisible; and James Welling: Monography.

 



 

Forest Bess’ exhibit was slightly disturbing to me because it had such a sexual focus through unusual medical procedures. I would not recommend this exhibit to classmates if they cannot handle disturbing matter with sexual content.

 

 

 

I would suggest James Welling’s Monography however, because it truly grasped the eye as well as made you use your imagination. It also touched on the groundbreakings of technology, which resemble modern day technologies. One of my favorite pieces was the Jacquard Loom: which Welling said was the “beginning or inspiration to the modern computer.” I really enjoyed the pictures of railroads and trains, because it also shows the progression of technology through art. As well as the pictures of gelatin and die to

create what appears to be coal.

 

 

~ Claire

Space: The Final Frontier For this Class and For Society

"The Earth is a very small stage, in a vast cosmic arena."
    ~Carl Sagan

We have been learning about space all our lives. Starting with the planets and cute little songs to remember them. Looking at pictures of astronauts, space shuttles, and looking through telescopes. When looking back at those years, I never remember thinking that we are just a speck of dust in the sunlight. We grew up with more of a Capernicus mentality and thinking we were the center of the solar system. We then learn from Galileo Galilei that we are not the center of the solar system and that the sun is. 

Solar System

(to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star)

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
Oh so bright and oh so far.
In the sky, a tiny dot.
Glowing gas that's very hot!
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
Oh so bright and oh so far.

Beaming, beaming, gleaming moon,
Like a giant white balloon,
Round and round the Earth you spin,
Through the month, new shapes you're in.
Beaming, beaming, gleaming moon,
Like a giant white balloon.

Glowing, glowing, red-hot sun.
Shining light on everyone.
Earth goes round you once a year.
You're a star with atmosphere!
Glowing, glowing, red-hot sun,
Shining light on everyone.

http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems34.html

When you look at the stars at night, what do you think about? Do you think that they are balls of fire, just burning out or beginning to die? Do you think about the moon and how the Earth's gravitational pull keeps it in orbit? Or are you thinking of the childhood song Twinkle Twinkle Little Star? Space is a vast unknown that expands billions of lightyears.  

One of the most incredible telescopes around is the Zeiss telescope that resides at the Griffith Observatory in Hollywood where 7 million people have had the experience of looking at Haley's comet and other comets such as Hale-Bopp and Hyakutake. What is a telescope? "an optical instrument for making distant objects appear larger and therefore nearer. One of the two principal forms(refracting telescope)  consists essentially of an objective lens set into one end of a tube and an adjustable eyepiece or combination of lenses set into the other end of a tube that slides into the first and through which the enlarged object is viewed directly; the other form (reflecting telescope)  has a concave mirror that gathers light from the object and focuses it into an adjustable eyepiece or combination of lenses through which the reflection of the object is enlarged and viewed." Telescopes give us the ability to combine art, science, and technology all into one machine that can range in size from an action figure toy to the most powerful telescopes in the world that are enormous and incredibly strong and powerful. They allow us to see into the depths of the univers and take pictures of the stars, planets, and galaxy. While also allowing scientist to begin understanding the once greater unknown. 


~Claire 

Citations:

"Space." CanTeach. CanTeach.ca, n.d. Web. 30 Nov 2013.
"Telescope." Griffith Observatory. Griffith Observatory, n.d. Web. 29 Nov 2013.
"Telescope." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, LLC, n.d. Web. 1 Dec 2013.
Griffith Observatory, . The Zeiss Refractors of Griffith Observatory . 1965. Photograph. Griffith Observatory, Hollywood. Web. 1 Dec 2013.
Camel Country. 2013. Photograph. FairfaxDigitalWeb. 1 Dec 2013.
 Sagan, Carl. Pale Blue Dot. 2007. video. YouTubeWeb. 1 Dec 2013.

Week 8: The New Science of Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology:

I think the best way to begin to understand nanotechnology is to look at two different definitions of the word, the World English Dictionary's and the Science Dictionary's from Reference.com.
World English's definition: "n. a branch of technology dealing with the manufacture of objects with dimensions of less than 100 nanometers and the manipulation of individual molecules and atoms." Then the Science Dictionary's: "The science and technology of devices and materials, such as electronic circuits or drug delivery systems, constructed on extremely small scales, as small as individual atoms and molecules." When looking at these two definitions, we notice that they go hand in hand. Nanotechnology seems to be impossible because of the incredible things it can run at its scale. Yet, for example it makes up computer chips that can run a hard drive. Past all of the scientific aspects, I was greatly surprised to see its connection to the arts.

I was really interested in DNA origami which Paul Rothemund talks about in TED Talks. DNA origami is proof that the molecular compiler actually works. However, it doesn't work when trying to create a human form because of the immense scale. 
nature04586-f1.2.jpg
13-Rothemund-2D.jpg

I also really liked Nano art, and how DNA origami made it possible on the computer screen and is also the same thing that would be needed to create a circuit behind a light switch or outlet. I also wanted to explore and investigate to see if there were other types of non graphic nano-art, and I found some pretty incredible ones. They are made of ferro fluid and a mixture of oil and nanoscale iron particles that respond to magnetic fields. The ferro fluid is more commonly used for sealing computer hard drive or a contrast medium in medical imaging. The two may not seem similar, but if you compare Paul Rothemund's TED talk designs, and the designs made through oil paints, you realize that they both are able to form three dimensional structures. One just pops up on a computer screen using DNA origami and the other is created by a mixing of chemicals.  
Fabian_Oefner_Millefiori_04.jpg

I apologize for the images not showing up this week, but the links are above to go see them. 

~Claire 

Citations: 
Collins English Dictionary. "nanotechnology."dictionary.com. 2013.
Rothemund, Paul. Paul Rothemund: DNA folding, in detail. 2008. video. TED Conferences, LLCWeb. 21 Nov 2013.
Rothemund, Paul W.K. Figure 1: Design of DNA origami. 2006. Chart. Nature:International weekly journal of scienceWeb. 22 Nov 2013.
Rothemund, Paul W.K. Folding DNA to Create Nanoscale Shapes and Patterns. 2011. Graphic. Scitable: by nature educationWeb. 25 Nov 2013.
Oefner, Fabian. Psychedelic nano-art in oils and ferrofluids. 2012. Photograph. newscientist.comWeb. 23 Nov 2013.
Aron, Jacob. "Psychedelic nano-art in oils and ferrofluids."NewScientist. (2012): n. page. Print.

Neuroscience: Giving us an Understanding to our Brain and its Functions

I was really interested in this weeks topic because it reminded me of my psychology class in high school. Understanding the brain and its functions have been widely researched and studied for thousands of years. Each day learning more and something new. Psychology has always peaked my interest and neuroscience and the technology that they produce allows for the psychology field to thrive and continue to grow and increase understanding. 

I really liked how Mark Cohen talked about the function of the brain and how the eyes work along with it for us to see things right side up. Could you imagine seeing everything upside down all of the time? Do you think our brains come pre-wired to turn the inverted images around or does the brain learn how to invert images (Purkinje)? Well you could experience it first hand by using inverted goggles. 
 

I was really intrigued by the mention of migraines by Cohen. Migraines are a neurological disorder characterized by imbalances in brain chemistry. Cohen talks about the aura that occurs with a migraine and that they could use the inverted glasses in order to measure the frequency that the aura was occurring. 



~Claire Felix

Citations:
Purkinje, J.. "Perceptions of the senses are the truths of perception." Cornell College. Cornell College. Web. 14 Nov 2013. <http://people.cornellcollege.edu/dsherman/illusions/>.
American, Scientific. Experiments with Goggles. 1962. Graphic. Cornell CollegeWeb. 17 Nov 2013.
"Migraine or Headache." Excederin. Novartis Consumer Health, n.d. Web. 16 Nov 2013.
Simon, Harvey, and David Zieve. "Migraine Headaches."University of Maryland Medical Center. University of Maryland, 18 Sep 2013. Web. 15 Nov 2013.
ADAM, Inc, . Most headaches are caused by muscle contraction or blood flow problems. 2008. Graphic. The New York Times, New York. Web. 16 Nov 2013.
Nucleus Medical Media, Inc., . Migraine. 2009. Graphic. lifescript: healthy living for womenWeb. 13 Nov 2013.
ucdesma, . Neuroscience-Mark Chen.mov. 2012. video. YouTube, Los Angeles. Web. 16 Nov 2013.

Biotechnology: It Has Been Around Forever

Biotechnology...

I honestly didn't really know what we were going to be diving into this week after just seeing the title, but after looking at this weeks class videos, articles, and a little extra researching, I think I have finally started to grasp the subject matter as it relates to different aspects of life. 

Biotechnology has been around forever. It sounds futuristic and brand new because of the technology aspect, but really is as simple as fermentation (Healing). By using yeast they were able to improve foods and create beer (Healing). 


Even though I didn't really know where we were going to take this subject in our class, in my A.P. Environmental Science class I remember talking about biotechnology and the presence it can make in nature and especially in making soil more fertile as well as producing plants without pesticides on them. I do also remember touching on the subject of genetically modified plants and foods.


Touching again on the topic of genetically modified or biotechnical, I think we could relate it to the movies and arts with Frankenstein and how he was a monster created just how his master or genius scientist wanted him to be. Something we look at as a cute Halloween movie today is really planting an idea of genetic modification through choice and creation. Do you think that this is a fair analogy? And do you think that even though fictional, it could be the wave of the future. 


Biotechnology is truly innovative, because it is helping us live longer and healthier, while leaving less of a greenhouse gas footprint (Healing). It also allows us to create things exactly how we want them, whether appeal, taste, smell, touch, or species. 

~Claire Felix 

Citations:
Fermentation Tanks . 2000. Photograph. How Stuff WorksWeb. 10 Nov 2013.
Nice, Karim. "How Beer Works." How Stuff Works. How Stuff Works, n.d. Web. 7 Nov 2013
"BTI scientist Dan Klessig speaks at a biotechnology conference in Tunisia." BTI. How Stuff Works, n.d. Web. 9 Nov 2013.
2013. Graphic. Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant ResearchWeb. 8 Nov 2013.
Carlton, Tom. Frankenstein. 2013. Graphic. Fineart America Web. 6 Nov 2013.