Week 4: Anatomy and Controversy

In this week’s lecture about the human body and medical technology, one unifying factor between each of the major advances in anatomy and medicine appears to be its controversial nature. This is no more prominent than in the growing discontent with the Hippocratic Oath; many feel that it is outdated and does not fit well with our large world influenced by a myriad of social, economic and political elements (Tyson).  

 

Performing an MRI Scan

Of course, this is not always the case. Many procedures are necessary to save lives and fulfill the Hippocratic Oath to one’s best ability, including the CT scan, the MRI and plastic surgery. However, there are many who would abuse or overuse this technology, knowing the many political and ethical factors that would accompany it. For example, excess use of the CT scan, or CAT scan, will cause a radiation buildup within the body (radiologyinfo.org) which has the potential to generate malignant and benign mutations (DNALC Blogs).

Warwick's Robotic Hand

Even amazing advances in technology and robotics are controversial; Warwick’s Project Cyborg, while amazing, intrudes upon the ethics of human testing. He is able to essentially run his entire building without moving a muscle (kevinwarwick.com). Warwick’s work on robotics has begun experimental trials on humans and many question the ethics of human testing.

From my experience, science is composed of a series of trade-offs. A large portion of modern biology utilizes model organisms, such as the rat, in order to continue research into biomedical topics (Genome). Consequently, all of these model organisms are killed, harvested or caged for the entirety of their lives, unable to live as they would in the wild. Regardless, the benefits from researching with model organisms far outweigh the ethical concern for their well-being. We do save many more lives in performing such research, such as the development of many vaccines and cures.  Personally, I believe that some ethics can and should be bypassed if there is a substantial benefit to the well-being of the community.

 

Common Model Organisms

"Body CT (CAT Scan)." Body CT (CAT Scan). 23 Sept. 2014. Web. 25 Apr. 2015. <http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=bodyct>.

"Cyborg 1.0." Cyborg 1.0. Web. 25 Apr. 2015. <http://www.kevinwarwick.com/Cyborg1.htm>.

"Radiation Can Cause DNA Mutations, 3D Animation with Narration :: DNA Learning Center." DNALC Blogs. Web. 25 Apr. 2015. <http://www.dnalc.org/view/15529-Radiation-can-cause-DNA-mutations-3D-animation-with-narration.html>.

Tyson, Peter. "The Hippocratic Oath Today." PBS. PBS, 27 Mar. 2001. Web. 25 Apr. 2015. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/hippocratic-oath-today.html>.

"What Are 'model Organisms'?" Genome. Web. 25 Apr. 2015. <http://genome.wellcome.ac.uk/doc_wtd020803.html>.

Week 3: Industrialization, Tai Chi and Texting

Industrial Revolution, China. Source: US History Scene

Industrialization and the subsequent mechanization have, by all means, greatly shaped the world we live in. The development of the assembly line structure has not only improved the economy and increased the average standard of living, but has also generated a veritable amount of art and entertainment. Most of this art and entertainment was created in response to industrialization and its effect throughout the world.

Tai Chi Zero

One prominent example of this is a movie that I particularly enjoy, Tai Chi Zero, featuring both the birth of Tai Chi and the Chinese response to industrialization and European influence. In a combination of fantastic acrobatics and a refreshing steampunk-based enemy, Tai Chi Zero also represents the constant conflict between the new era (industrialization) and old tradition (martial arts). The production of a railroad that would, in essence, link China with the European world interferes with rural Chinese life in the Chen village. Culture and tradition are a significant part of any people’s history and, as a Chinese-American, I’ve been raised to value the history, culture and tradition of my people. It can only be expected that many people, Chinese or not, feel the same, and the birth of the Industrial Revolution brought about change for all cultures.

The first "Cyborg" I'd ever seen! Source: Teen  Titans

Even now, culture and tradition seem to clash with change and, by extension, industrialism. In the modern world, current values are being shifted all the time. Just yesterday, I had to remind my brother not to text while eating at a family dinner, knowing all too well that my father would look at him with disdain. In this ever-changing world, there is not much one can do but adapt with the times, which could be, I suppose, how the idea of the “cyborg” came about. As machinery and robotics began to overtake the roles of humans in their assembly line jobs, perhaps one author began to idealize of a man-machine hybrid, as a monster or as the next stage of human evolution. Regardless, while the past and the future will continue to forever collide, one can only move forward and try to maintain tradition while making the most use of new technology.

Benjamin, Walter, and J. A. Underwood. The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. London: Penguin, 2008. Print.

"Industrial Revolution." History.com. A&E Television Networks. Web. 20 Apr. 2015. <http://www.history.com/topics/industrial-revolution>.

"Khan Academy." Khan Academy. Web. 20 Apr. 2015. <https://www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/big-history-project/acceleration/bhp-acceleration/a/the-industrial-revolution>.

Tai Chi Zero. Perf. Tony Leung, Angela Leung, Jayden Yuan. Huayi Brothers Media Corporation, 2012. Film.

"The Second Industrial Revolution, 1870-1914." US History Scene. 10 Apr. 2015. Web. 20 Apr. 2015. <http://ushistoryscene.com/article/second-industrial-revolution/>.

DESMA 9 Week 2: Math and Art

Endosymbiotic Theory for Mitochondrion. Source: http://www.fossilmuseum.net/

People never really realize how complex the world is until they learn about the world around them. Education, it seems, is what allows us to grow both academically and holistically. The more we learn, the better perspective we have on our lives and the many relationships that we are unknowingly engaged in. Knowledge is power, and ignorance is bliss. Many, if not most, people live their lives without so much as a thought towards how much our lives have been influenced by things many would consider trivial, such as fresh air, water, and prehistoric endosymbiotic relationships. For example, without mitochondria and chloroplasts – the result of endosymbiosis – life on Earth would be radically different from the world we live in now. 

Likewise, I've always been ignorant in my own right about the complex relationship between mathematics and art. I've always taken ideas like the number zero for granted; I mean, since when has zero not been around? Yet, without zero, there'd be no way to mathematically differentiate the number one from the number ten. Efficiency in science, math, business, and even politics would be diminished by a factor of ten. 

A: “How many pounds of meat do you have?” 
B: “Less than one.” 
A: “Can I have half a pound?” 
B: “I already told you I have less than one!”

And so on. 

The Parthenon and the Golden Ratio. Source: http://www.goldennumber.net

Math appears to permeate art throughout time, from the Greek Parthenon to the more modern Penrose tiling. First created by mathematician and physicist Roger Penrose in 1974, Penrose tiling

Penrose Tiling. Source: http://www.liefies.com/

 uses a pentagonal base and distinct colors to create a unique pattern. A now common sight in buildings everywhere, Penrose tiling has many features that can be correlated with math, including self-similar patterning and a lack of translational symmetry. However, the most mathematical feature is the presence of the pentagon in Penrose tiling and its innate mathematical characteristic, the golden ratio, in the ratio of chord lengths to side lengths in a regular pentagon.
Even though some people appear to just “wing it,” math still manages to appAdd captionear within art. Often, art that is geometrically pleasing has better reception. I agree with Henderson's idea in her paper “The Fourth Dimension and Non-Euclidean Geometry in Modern Art: Conclusion" that we are motivated to use math in art, but I think that many artists subconsciously incorporate this aspect of mathematics into their art.



"Endosymbiosis - The Appearance of the Eukaryotes." Endosymbiosis. Web. 10 Apr. 2015. <http://www.fossilmuseum.net/Evolution/Endosymbiosis.htm>.

Gardner, Martin. Penrose Tiles to Trapdoor Ciphers. New York: Freeman, 1989. Print.

Henderson, Linda Dalrymple. A New Facet of Cubism: The Fourth Dimension and Non-euclidian Geometry Reinterpreted. 1971. Print.

"Penrose Tiles." -- from Wolfram MathWorld. Web. 10 Apr. 2015. <http://mathworld.wolfram.com/PenroseTiles.html>.

"The Liefies." » Blog Archive » Bathroom Floor Tile. 19 Apr. 2008. Web. 10 Apr. 2015. <http://www.liefies.com/?p=366>.

"The Parthenon and Phi, the Golden Ratio." Phi 1618 The Golden Number. 20 Jan. 2013. Web. 10 Apr. 2015. <http://www.goldennumber.net/parthenon-phi-golden-ratio/>.

Born into a strong Asian American community in the United States, I often experienced the conflict of two cultures firsthand. While my family would continue to influence me to follow their beliefs and teachings, I would be similarly affected by school and others around me. At times, my teachers, primarily Caucasian, would have a completely different outlook on a subject than I would. In being raised in a Chinese family, I gained insight to my culture and the history of my people. In going to school, I similarly discovered new perceptions and knowledge.

Chinese? Or American? What about... both? Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140612075005-308025461-6-differences-between-teaching-chinese-kids-and-american-kids

UCLA Boelter Hall. Source: http://www.bruinsnation.com/

As a student at UCLA, this clear division is present in a more physical form. As a South Campus major, I hardly wander far from the efficient feel of the minimalist architecture. But, on rare occasions, I venture to the mysterious land of Romanesque architecture and philosophical sculptures. In doing so, I could instantly feel the Snow’s distinction between the two cultures of literature and scientific analysis.  However, despite the clear variation in subject and environment, each part of campus has had its hold on me in its own way. Despite heavy influences by South Campus, I can still appreciate the aesthetic nature of North Campus and its students.  

While I have encountered cultures on completely opposite ends of the spectrum, I’ve often taken what I consider the best of each culture and created a third, unique culture of my own. From adopting pieces of perspective from both different cultures and different campuses, I myself have become a rounded person. While I can certainly appreciate the benefits of a certain culture, I can step back and analyze it with an outsider’s opinion to generate my own subjective viewpoint. In short, I have gained my own perspective, an “independent thinking,” similar to Sir Robinson’s “divergent thinking.”

UCLA Royce Hall. Source: http://netecon.ee.ucla.edu/

Until this class, I’ve never particularly focused on the convergent aspects of my life that created this independent perspective. However, I share Huxley’s opinion in that both scientists and poets purify common language, albeit in different ways. I hope that, in the future, people can develop a combination, a third culture, and finally unite the two different cultures.

"Campus Tour." UCLA Mobile. UCLA Regents, 2010. Web. 05 Apr. 2015. <http://m.ucla.edu/tour/view.php?l=10#>.

Huxley, Aldous. Literature and Science. New York: Harper & Row, 1963. Print.

Robinson, Ken. "Changing Education Paradigms." YouTube. YouTube, 14 Oct. 2010. Web. 05 Apr. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U&feature=youtu.be>.

Snow, C. P. The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution. New York: Cambridge UP, 1959. Print.

Vesna, Victoria. "Toward a Third Culture: Being In Between." Leonardo. 34 (2001): 121-125. Print.